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Caring for someone vulnerable

Court of Protection Orders

A Court of Protection Order can only be put in place if the account owner lacks the capacity to make decisions for themselves.

Register a Court of Protection Order

Choose one of the options below to start registering a Court of Protection Order online or at a branch.

If you’re adding more than one deputy, you’ll need to register each deputy separately online. Or you can visit a NatWest branch and bring the required documents with you.

Online applications may need extra checks, and sometimes you might be asked to visit a branch

Open or close a Court of Protection account

For account opening and closing

  • Each deputy must complete their own form if applying online.
  • Once we’ve confirmed your identity and received all required documents, we’ll process the request within three working days.
  • We’ll let you know as soon as the account has been opened or closed.

For account closing only

  • This option can only be used if the deputy hasn’t already been added to the protected person’s accounts.
  • When applying online, deputies must use the same account details for any money to be sent to.

What is a Court of Protection Order?

If there is no Power of Attorney in place and you need to manage someone’s wider financial and/or personal welfare affairs, an application can be made to the Court of Protection (COP), for you, or someone else to be appointed as a ‘deputy’. The court decides if the person nominated is suitable, and if successful, the COP Order provides the deputy with a range of powers which can be used to benefit the protected person.

Deputies are usually people with an existing relationship to the protected person such as a family member or close friend, but people acting in a professional capacity such as solicitors or local authorities can also be made attorneys. To learn more about deputies or to apply to be a deputy, visit the GOV.UK page using the button below.

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What can you do as a deputy?

Whilst the court makes the overall decision on what a deputy can and cannot do the table below gives an idea of actions a deputy can take once registered with us. In the case of multiple deputies it is possible to have more than one deputy added to an account but it must be made clear whether they will act 'jointly' or 'jointly and severally'.

A deputy can

  • Have a debit card or Online Banking for the account/s if several deputies are acting joint and severally.
  • Close accounts that are no longer needed.
  • Open new accounts on behalf of the protected person if the instructions in the Court of Protection document allow this.
  • Manage the protected person's mortgage, including applying for a new mortgage or changing the rates.
Information Message

A deputy cannot

  • Have a debit card or Online Banking for the account/s if several deputies are acting jointly.
  • Apply for certain forms of borrowing, for example loans or overdrafts on behalf of the account holder.
  • Act outside the terms set out by the Court of Protection.
  • Change ownership of the account or add new parties to the account
Information Message

Interim Orders

Use the sections below to find out more about what an Interim Order is and how you can register an Interim Order with us.

Paying bills

In some cases you might be waiting for a Court of Protection Order and may need to arrange for a bill to be paid from an account held by a protected person.

Buildings under a cloud.

Information for Local Authorities

In some cases a public authority can be appointed as a deputy by the Court of Protection. For more information on this visit this GOV.UK page.

Frequently Asked Questions