Guidance

Deputy guidance: how to carry out your duties

Advice to help court-appointed deputies look after adults at risk.

• From: Office of the Public Guardian
• Published: 15 February 2012
• Last updated: 6 July 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 6 July 2026

     The guidance on How to be a deputy (SD3 and SD4) has been updated to reflect current OPG policy

  2. 9 July 2025

     Contact centre number and International telephone numbers updated and Relay info added. Crown logo and version number updated

  3. 21 March 2023

     Updated fees in SD3 PDFs.

  4. 10 March 2023

     the online booklet "SD3 How to be a property and affairs deputy" states that the fee to apply to the Court to sell property is £365 however COP44 states that an application fee is £371 so being unsure, I contacted the OPG and they stated the cost for this application is £365 as detailed in the 'SD3' booklet. This I now know is incorrect as the Court have returned my cheque.

  5. 10 December 2020

     Added large print version of english language SD3 'How to be a property and affairs deputy'

  6. 16 June 2020

     Court of Protection Fees changed from £400 to £365.

  7. 14 August 2017

     Amended and added guidance in Welsh.

  8. 18 November 2016

     Added translation

  9. 26 October 2016

     Added translation

  10. 29 February 2016

      The guidance booklet FS03 information for personal welfare deputies has been replaced by the booklet SD4 How to be a deputy: health and welfare decisions.

  11. 19 February 2016

      Removed SD4 for revision.

  12. 17 February 2016

      Added SD4: How to be a health and welfare deputy

  13. 2 February 2016

      Guidance for people wanting to manage a bank account for someone else has been added to this page.

  14. 23 November 2015

      Added Welsh translation.

  15. 7 September 2015

      New and updated guidance for deputies has been added to these pages.

  16. 15 February 2012

      First published.

Applies to England and Wales

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland

Documents

How to be a deputy: property and financial decisions (web version)

HTML

How to be a deputy: health and welfare decisions (web version)

HTML

How to be a deputy: property and financial decisions (print version)

PDF, 408 KB, 30 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email customerservices@publicguardian.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

How to be a deputy: property and financial decisions (large print)

PDF, 661 KB, 99 pages

How to be a deputy: health and welfare decisions

PDF, 425 KB, 36 pages

Manage a bank account for someone else

PDF, 409 KB, 9 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email customerservices@publicguardian.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

These leaflets are for anyone who has been appointed as a deputy by the Court of Protection. They include guidance on:

• getting started as a deputy
• how to make decisions
• keeping records
• reporting to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)
• how OPG supervises deputies
• investigations and protecting vulnerable adults
• Court of Protection visitors
• dealing with banks and other financial institutions