Learning
Learn Court of Protection law
Plain-English lessons for law students, trainees and anyone who wants to understand the Court of Protection in England & Wales. General information for study — not legal advice.
- All 8 lessons: principles, capacity, best interests, DoLS, deputies, procedure and revision
- Downloadable COP Law Study Guide (PDF) to keep and print
- Cancel any time. Lesson 1 is free for everyone.
Our best-value start: the printed guide pack posted to you, plus three months of digital learning membership and the downloadable study guide. Bought separately these would cost £40.
Sign in to get the bundleA self-paced digital course for trainee solicitors, paralegals and law students: deputyship applications step by step, section 21A challenges, COP9 and objections, legal aid and funding, and practice points you can use on day one — with a completion certificate.
Sign in to buy the coursePrefer paper? A printed pack of our most-used Court of Protection guides and checklists, posted to you. Popular with councils, carers and family members who find paper easier.
Sign in to orderThe Court of Protection is a specialist court in England and Wales. It makes decisions for people aged 16 or over who lack mental capacity to make a particular decision themselves. In these lessons that person is called 'P'.
It was created by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and began work in October 2007. It can decide about property and financial affairs, and about health and welfare, including where P lives, their care and who they have contact with.
Most applications are dealt with on paper. Hearings are held when the issues are disputed or serious, such as deprivation of liberty or serious medical treatment.
- Created by the MCA 2005
- Decides for P when P lacks capacity for that decision
- Covers finances and welfare