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Stepping down as local authority deputy: Court of Protection requires application and best interests case; discharge in favour of professional deputies not automatic (England and Wales)

Published on: 28 July 2020

Published by a LexisNexis Local Government expert
Legal News
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Article summary

A local authority v A [2020] EWCOP 38

What are the practical implications of this case?

Hayden J confirmed that when a deputy wishes to cease acting, they must make an application to the court. Importantly, the court will not rubber-stamp such applications: the deputy, whether an individual or a body, must convince the court that stepping down accords with the person’s best interests.

What was the background?

As at May 2020, local authority deputies for property and affairs in England and Wales were acting for 22,775 people, making up around 39% of all deputyships. Over the previous two years, both the headcount of local authority deputies and the number of deputyships managed by local authorities had been steadily rising. The applicant council formulated criteria that led it to pinpoint seven matters in which it no longer wished to continue as deputy. It therefore supported a court application by a professional deputy to be appointed in the council’s place. A clear consequence was increased cost to the person—in the test cases, the identified comparator indicated the cost would be higher...

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