Deputyship Cost Calculator

A deputy is someone appointed by the Court of Protection to make decisions on behalf of a person ('P') who lacks the mental capacity to make their own decisions. Property and financial affairs deputies manage money, property, and bills. Health and welfare deputies make care and medical treatment decisions. Deputies must always act in P's best interests.

Professional deputy fees are set by the Court of Protection Practice Direction and depend on the value of P's assets. For assets up to £100,000: basic management fee of £2,500/year. £100,001-£500,000: £3,750. £500,001-£1M: £5,000. Over £1M: £7,500. Plus 5% of P's income. These are maximum amounts — some charge less.

A security bond is an insurance policy that protects P's assets against mismanagement by the deputy. The bond amount is usually equal to P's total assets. The premium is typically 0.1-0.15% of the bond value per year (e.g., £300-£450 on £300,000). The bond is mandatory for all property and financial affairs deputies. Premium is paid from P's funds.

Lay (family) deputies are not automatically paid. They can apply to the court for a fixed allowance of up to £1,225/year if acting as sole deputy, or request higher payments for complex cases. Lay deputies must account for all expenditure and file annual reports. Unlike professional deputies, they cannot charge hourly rates.

Deputyship lasts as long as the person lacks capacity — which may be for the rest of their life. The deputy's authority ends when P dies, regains capacity, or the court revokes the appointment. On P's death, the deputy's role ends immediately and P's estate is dealt with under their will or intestacy rules.