COP1 Form Court of Protection

The Court of Protection application feels like a maze of numbered forms that nobody explains properly. COP1, COP1A, COP3, COP4, COP15 — each has a specific purpose and a specific place in the sequence. Get the order wrong or miss one, and your application stalls for weeks.

Here is what each form does and when you need it.

The Core Application Forms

COP1 — The Main Application

This is the primary application form. It identifies the person who has lost capacity ("P"), states what decisions you're asking the court to authorise, and provides your details as the proposed deputy.

You'll need P's full name, date of birth, address, and details of their current living and care arrangements. The form also asks whether anyone is likely to object.

COP1A — Property and Financial Affairs Annex

If you're applying to manage P's finances — bank accounts, pensions, property, benefits — you submit COP1A alongside COP1. This annex covers the financial details: P's income sources, savings, debts, property ownership, and an estimate of their total estate value.

The court uses this information to set the security bond amount after approval, so accuracy matters. Underestimate the estate and you'll face corrections later; overestimate and you'll pay a higher bond premium.

COP1B — Personal Welfare Annex

If you're applying for authority over care and medical decisions instead, COP1B replaces COP1A. Personal welfare deputyships are rare — courts grant them only when there's serious disagreement about P's care that can't be resolved any other way.

COP3 — The Capacity Assessment

A qualified practitioner (GP, psychiatrist, or social worker) completes this form to certify that P lacks mental capacity to make the specific decisions covered by your application. The court normally requires it; if you cannot obtain an assessment, check the court's current alternative-evidence instructions before filing.

The assessment must address the four-part test under the Mental Capacity Act 2005: can P understand relevant information, retain it long enough to make a decision, weigh it, and communicate a choice? The practitioner must explain why P fails on at least one of these elements.

GPs charge £100 to £300 for this assessment. Private specialists may charge more. The assessment must address the specific decisions covered by the application and provide the court with a current account of P's capacity.

COP4 — Deputy's Declaration

This is your signed declaration as the proposed deputy. You confirm that you understand the duties and responsibilities of a deputy, that you have no conflicts of interest, and that you consent to being supervised by the Office of the Public Guardian.

The form also asks about any previous convictions, bankruptcy history, or existing deputyship appointments.

The Notification Forms

COP14PADep — Notification to P (Property and Affairs)

For a property and affairs application, before filing you must notify P using this form. It explains, in simple terms, that someone is applying to manage their affairs and that they can object.

COP15PADep — Notification to Interested Parties (Property and Affairs)

For a property and affairs application, you must also notify at least three people who have an interest in P's welfare — typically siblings, a social worker, or P's GP. They receive this form and have 14 days to respond or file an objection using Form COP5.

You cannot submit your COP1 application until this 14-day objection window closes. If you wait more than three months after sending notifications before filing, the notifications expire and you must send them again.

The Correct Sequence

1. Arrange the COP3 capacity assessment
2. For a property and affairs application, send COP14PADep to P and COP15PADep to interested parties
3. For a property and affairs application, wait 14 days for the objection window to close
4. File COP1 + COP1A (or COP1B) + COP3 + COP4 with the Court of Protection
5. Pay the £432 application fee

The court then reviews the application. If everything is in order and nobody objects, you'll typically receive a deputyship order within six to twelve months. If a hearing is required, an additional £266 hearing fee applies and the timeline extends significantly.

Fee Help

If P's savings are below £16,000, you can apply for help with court fees using Form COP44A. This evaluates P's monthly income and savings — not yours. Eligibility is assessed on P's financial position.

The England Lasting Power of Attorney & Deputyship Kit includes the complete form sequence, filing checklist, and a cost calculator that maps out exactly what deputyship will cost based on P's estate — so you can prepare your family for both the upfront fees and the ongoing annual obligations before you start.

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