Deputyship Fees: Full 2026 Cost Breakdown
What applying really costs in 2026
When someone you love can no longer manage their own affairs and there's no Lasting Power of Attorney in place, applying to the Court of Protection to become their deputy is usually the way forward. The first question most families ask is what it will cost. Here is the honest answer, with every figure in one place: the £432 court application fee, the Court of Protection deputyship fees that continue after appointment, the security bond, and what solicitors charge to handle the application for you.
One thing first: If you're feeling guilty that an LPA was never set up in time, please be kind to yourself. Most families never get round to it, and none of the fees below are a punishment for that. They're simply the cost of the safety net the court puts around a person who can no longer decide for themselves.
All figures on this page were checked against GOV.UK on 23 July 2026 and relate to England and Wales.
Court of Protection deputyship fees at a glance
These are the official fees set by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG). The deputyship court fee of £432 is paid when you apply, and the OPG fees begin once you're appointed.
| Fee | Amount | When it's paid |
|---|---|---|
| Court application fee | £432 per application type | When you submit your application to the Court of Protection |
| Court hearing fee | £266 | Only if the court decides your case needs a hearing |
| OPG assessment fee | £100, one off | After appointment, if you're a new deputy |
| General supervision fee | £320 a year | Every year you remain a deputy |
| Minimal supervision fee | £35 a year | Instead of the general fee, where you manage less than £21,000 |
| Annual Security bond premium | Typically £100 to £400 a year, set by the bond level the court fixes | Before you can act as a property and affairs deputy, then renewed annually |
| Solicitors' fees | £1,204 + VAT fixed costs for a routine application; our guide fee is £3,000 + VAT | If you ask a solicitor to prepare the application for you |
Source: GOV.UK, deputy fees. Bond premiums vary by provider and bond amount.
The deputyship application fee
The application fee is £432, payable to HMCTS when you send the court your application forms. The main forms are the COP1 (the application itself) and the COP3 (the capacity assessment completed by a doctor or another qualified practitioner).
There are two types of deputyship: property and financial affairs, which covers money, bills, bank accounts and property, and personal welfare, which covers decisions about care and medical treatment. Each is a separate application, so if you apply for both, you pay the fee twice: £864 in total. Most families only need the property and financial affairs deputyship, because the court grants personal welfare deputyships far less often.
There's usually a separate cost for the COP3 capacity assessment too. Some GPs complete it for a modest fee, while an independent capacity assessor typically charges more.
If paying the fee upfront would be difficult, you may qualify for help through the court's fee remission scheme. We cover that under fee reductions below.
The hearing fee: £266, and most people never pay it
If the court decides your case needs a hearing, there's a further £266 fee. Most straightforward, unopposed applications are decided on the papers alone, with no hearing and no hearing fee. Hearings tend to happen where someone objects to the application, where family members disagree about who should act, or where the court has concerns it wants to explore.
OPG fees after you're appointed
Once the court appoints you, the Office of the Public Guardian supervises you for as long as the deputyship lasts. That supervision is what the ongoing fees pay for.
· £100 assessment fee. A one off fee for new deputies, payable shortly after appointment.
· £320 a year for general supervision. This is the standard level for most deputies.
· £35 a year for minimal supervision. This lower level applies to some property and affairs deputies managing less than £21,000.
You'll also complete an annual deputy report for the OPG each year, setting out the decisions you've made and how the money has been spent. There's no separate fee for the report itself, but it's worth knowing about, because it's the part of the role families most often underestimate.
The security bond
If you're appointed as a property and financial affairs deputy, the court will almost always require a security bond before you can act. The bond is a type of insurance that protects the person you're acting for (the court calls them "P") if their money is mismanaged. You don't need to find the bond amount yourself: you pay an annual premium, a bit like car insurance.
The court fixes the bond level based on the assets you'll manage, and the premium follows from it. Provider rates are typically between 0.11% and 0.2% of the bond amount a year, so a £150,000 bond might cost roughly £165 to £300 a year.
Solicitors' fees for a deputyship application
You can apply without a solicitor, and for some families that's the right choice. Others look at the forms, the capacity evidence, the notification rules and the months of correspondence, and decide they'd rather hand it over, especially while also caring for the person or holding down work.
Our guide fee for a standard deputyship application is £3500 + VAT. That covers preparing the COP1 and supporting statements, arranging the COP3 capacity assessment, notifying the people who must be told, dealing with the court's questions, and guiding you through the bond and your first steps as deputy. Court fees and other disbursements are on top, and we'll always tell you the full picture before you commit. It's the same transparent, fixed fee approach we take across our deputyship service, and it's why families tell us they never felt surprised by a bill.
If your situation is more complex, perhaps a dispute in the family or assets that are hard to trace, we'll say so at the start and agree the approach with you before any work begins.
Can deputyship fees be reduced or waived?
Yes, in two separate ways, because the court and the OPG run separate schemes.
Court fees (the £432 application fee and £266 hearing fee). You can apply for help with fees using form COP44A. Whether you qualify depends on the financial position of the person the application is about, not yours.
OPG fees (the £100 assessment and annual supervision fees). If the person you act for has a gross annual income below £12,000, you can apply for a remission using form OPG120, which reduces the general supervision fee to £160 a year and the assessment fee to £50. If they receive certain means-tested benefits, the fees can be waived entirely. The £35 minimal supervision fee can't be reduced.
Who actually pays: you or your relative?
This is the question families worry about most, and the answer is reassuring. If you're applying to be a property and financial affairs deputy, the cost of applying for deputyship is recoverable from the funds of the person you're acting for, including the application fee, the bond premium, the OPG fees and, where a solicitor is used, the fixed costs the court allows. You may need to pay some fees upfront and reimburse yourself once you have access to their accounts, but the cost shouldn't ultimately fall on you.
For a personal welfare deputyship the position is less generous, so it's worth taking advice before committing to costs you may not recover.
What does the first year actually cost? A worked example
Here's a realistic first year for the most common situation: one property and financial affairs deputyship, general supervision, a £150,000 bond, no hearing.
| Cost | DIY application | Solicitor-assisted |
|---|---|---|
| Court application fee | £432 | £432 |
| OPG assessment fee | £100 | £100 |
| General supervision fee (year one) | £320 | £320 |
| Security bond premium (indicative) | £250 | £250 |
| Solicitor's fee | £0 | £3,000 + VAT (£3,600) |
| First year total | £1,102 | £4,702 |
From year two onwards, the recurring costs drop to the £320 supervision fee plus the bond premium. Every figure above comes out of the person's own funds, not yours, and the bond premium is indicative rather than fixed.
Deputyship costs vs a Lasting Power of Attorney
A deputyship exists because an LPA was never made while the person still had capacity. The difference in cost can be significant cost difference is stark, and it's the single best reason for the rest of the family to plan ahead now.
Registering an LPA costs £92 per document with the OPG, or £184 for both types. With our fee of £850 + VAT per LPA on top, both LPAs prepared professionally and registered come to around £2,224 in total, once, with no annual fees, no bond and no supervision afterwards. A deputyship, as the worked example shows, can cost more than that in its first year alone and keeps costing every year it runs.
If you're reading this for one parent, it may be worth asking whether the other parent, or you, have a Lasting Power of Attorney in place. It's the kinder, cheaper route, but it only exists if it's made in time.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I get help paying deputyship fees?
Yes. Form COP44A covers the court's application and hearing fees. Form OPG120 covers OPG fees: if the person's gross income is under £12,000 a year the supervision fee drops to £160 and the assessment fee to £50, and certain means-tested benefits remove the fees entirely.
Do I pay the application fee twice for both types of deputy?
Yes. Property and financial affairs and personal welfare are separate applications, so applying for both means two £432 fees, £864 in total. Most families only need the property and financial affairs deputyship, as personal welfare deputyships are granted far less often by the court.
How much is the annual supervision fee?
The Office of the Public Guardian charges £320 a year for general supervision, which applies to most deputies. If you're a property and financial affairs deputy managing less than £21,000, a minimal supervision fee of £35 a year applies instead. The fee continues for as long as the deputyship lasts.
Are deputyship fees refundable if the application is refused or the person dies?
Court application fees are generally not refunded once the court has processed the application, even if it's unsuccessful. If the person dies, the deputyship ends and ongoing OPG fees stop.
Is a deputyship more expensive than a Lasting Power of Attorney?
Yes, considerably. An LPA costs £92 to register and is a one off, with no ongoing fees. A deputyship costs £432 to apply for, plus a £100 assessment fee, supervision fees of up to £320 every year, an annual bond premium and, usually, higher legal costs.
Talk it through before you decide anything
You don't have to work out the right route on your own, and you certainly don't have to commit to anything today. If you'd like to talk through what a deputyship would cost in your family's situation, and whether it's actually the right step, call us on 0208 515 2790 for a free, or enquire here for a no-obligation 20-minute chat. We'll give you a clear fixed-fee quote for the application before you decide, and if the person you're calling about can't travel, we can visit them at home, in hospital or in a hospice.
Our Court of Protection work is part of what we do every week as an SRA-regulated firm (SRA number 818037), so whatever stage you're at, you'll be talking to people who have guided many families through exactly this.
Author Bio:
Nasreen Akhter is the founding director of Ash Hill Solicitors and a private client solicitor with over a decade of experience in probate, wills, estate planning and elderly client care. Known for her calm, compassionate approach, she guides individuals and families through life's most sensitive legal matters with clarity and care.
Nasreen is also an accredited civil and commercial mediator, and is listed on the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) register. Outside of work, she's a dedicated mum and chairs Happy Orphans Worldwide, a charity supporting vulnerable children worldwide.
