Court of Protection fees 2026 — deputyship application and hearing costs

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-30

If you need to apply to the Court of Protection — for example to become a deputy for a family member who has lost mental capacity and has no lasting power of attorney — fees apply. The current fees increased on 13 July 2026. This guide sets out the official figures. It is general information, not legal advice.

Current fees (from 13 July 2026)

| Fee type | Amount | |---|---| | Application fee (starting proceedings or applying for permission) | £432 | | Appeal fee | £272 | | Hearing fee (only if the court holds a hearing and makes a final order) | £266 | | Copy of a document | £8 | | Detailed assessment request (costs) | £102 |

These figures come from the Court of Protection fees order as amended by the Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026, published on the official gov.uk COP44 page (updated 21 July 2026).

Ongoing costs after you become a deputy

OPG supervision fee: £320 a year for general supervision of property and affairs deputies, or £35 a year for minimal supervision where the estate is under £21,000
Security bond: usually required for property and affairs deputies — the premium depends on the size of the estate and is set by the court
Professional deputies (solicitors) charge for their time; family (lay) deputies can claim reasonable expenses

When fees don't apply or are refunded

Urgent interim order applications: no fee for the urgent order itself (the main application fee still applies)
EPA/LPA registration objections: no fee for attorneys or people entitled to notice
If the person the application is about dies within five days of the application, the fee is refunded; if they die before a hearing, no hearing fee is payable

Help with fees

You may not have to pay, or may pay less, if you:

have little or no savings and investments
receive certain qualifying benefits
have a low income

Apply using the COP44A help-with-fees form (the Court of Protection has its own fee remission scheme, separate from the EX160 used in other courts).

Which fee — property and affairs vs personal welfare

A property and affairs deputyship application is the most common; the application fee is payable by the applicant, but can usually be recovered from the estate of the person the application is about
A personal welfare application is paid by the applicant personally — though if you are already the deputy or attorney, you may recover the fee as an expense of your role
If you apply for both types, each application attracts its own fee

Contact

Court of Protection general enquiries: 0300 456 4600
Emergency applications out of hours: 020 7947 6000

Official links

YourFamilyCase.co.uk is an independent information directory — we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to HMCTS, the Office of the Public Guardian, or gov.uk. This page is general information and is not legal advice. Fees change — always check the current COP44 page before applying.

Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.