Free for families · For England, Wales, Scotland, NI & Ireland

The first app of its kind

Get through the Court of Protection with facts, not fear.

Step-by-step pathways, the forms you actually need, and plain-English explanations of every word the professionals use. Built by parents and families who have experienced the Court of Protection themselves.

New here? Start here Start the deputyship pathway Urgent — I have a hearing

A parent and their adult son sitting together at a kitchen table going through Court of Protection paperwork

Stay objective. Write facts, dates and evidence — not feelings about people. The court applies the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Quick start

Find your way in two steps

Answer two quick questions and we'll point you to the right part of the guide.

Who are you?

Pick the one that fits you best.

For families

Free, plain-English help through every step — forms, letters, hearings and your rights as a parent or carer.

Start here

For P — the person

An easy-read guide to your rights, your voice and who can help you.

Easy read

For solicitors & advocates

Practice tools, the Solicitor Workspace, referrals and professional training.

For professionals

Guidance & case law

Deputyship, DoLS, hearings, appeals and a library of key judgments.

Read the guidance

Training & courses

Courses for families, care teams and professionals.

See courses

Our directory

Find a solicitor, advocate or support service

Court of Protection solicitors, advocates, care and housing services — checked by us.

Search the directory List your service

Where does your case sit?

The law and the court are different in each nation. Choose yours and the guidance adapts.

Accessibility

Neurodiverse Mode

Turn it on to swap legalese for plain English inline, increase contrast and text size, and break every task into small steps you can tick off one at a time.

Neurodiverse Mode is off

Your first six steps

0 of 6 done

Write down who P is, in initials onlyAge, diagnosis, where they live now and who currently makes decisions.
Name the exact decision the court is being asked aboutCapacity is decision-specific and time-specific — 'everything' is never the answer.
Decide which deputyship you needProperty & Financial Affairs, Health & Welfare, or both.
Ask a professional to complete a COP3 capacity assessmentGP, psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist who knows P.
Check whether you qualify for fee remission (COP44A)
Start a dated timeline of eventsOne line per event: date, what happened, who was there, where the evidence is.

For solicitors, advocates & law firms

Solicitor Workspace

A dedicated practice workspace for Court of Protection matters: matter and deadline management, a secure client portal for document exchange and progress updates, hearing preparation, bundle and filing checklists, and a full audit trail. Designed to sit alongside your existing case-management system. One month free; a no-sign-in demo is available.

Open the Workspace Services for solicitors

Overhead view of a calm courtroom showing the judge's bench, advocates' tables and the public seating

See the room before you walk in

Where everyone sits, who speaks when, and the adjustments you can ask for.

A neat stack of labelled court bundle folders with index tabs and a pen

Build a bundle the court accepts

Section order, indexing and pagination, laid out step by step.

Who owns this guide

This guide is created and run by Autizma, a community interest company. Autizma™ and Autizma COP Guide™, together with the butterfly logo, are trade marks of Autizma. Please do not use the name or logo as your own without written permission.

Everything here is general information, not legal advice.

Legal notice