Court of Protection orders under the Mental Capacity Act rise by 50% in 2017

Posted: 21/05/2018

The family court has released its figures for 2017, confirming that almost 50% more orders under the Mental Capacity Act were made when compared to 2016, with 38,945 orders being made over the year. Over a third of these orders related to an appointment of a deputy for property and financial affairs for someone who lacks sufficient mental capacity to manage their own affairs.

The number of lasting powers of attorney registered also increased, with a 28% increase when compared to 2016.

Overall, the actual number of cases seen in the family court stayed at an almost identical level to the previous year, with a drop in divorce cases balancing out the increases in other areas.

Julie Burton, partner in the Court of Protection team at Penningtons Manches, commented: “The increase in orders reflects the growing number of applications that we have made for clients as a firm in 2017. These latest figures also demonstrate the importance of the Mental Capacity Act as a piece of legislation.”

The full report can be found on the .gov.uk website.

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