Appointment as a Deputy

Chattertons Trustee Corporation can act as a sole professional deputy or alongside other deputies.

Deputies will have a number of duties which can include, but may not be limited to:

• Notifying all relevant organisations such as banks and utility companies once the deputyship order is granted.
• Liaising with all relevant organisations, e.g. banks and insurance companies.
• Selling and clearing any property.
• Reviewing investments and taking advice on whether or not to adjust these.
• Ensuring that all inheritance tax, capital gains tax and income tax returns are submitted to HMRC and that the relevant tax is paid in full.
• Discharging any bills, e.g. care fees.
• Keeping accounts which set out the assets, income and liabilities.
• Complying with any requirements of the Court of Protection and the Office of the Public Guardian, as well as liaising with them as and when necessary.

Having a professional deputy in place can be useful in the following cases:

• Friends and family members may not want the responsibility of ‘paperwork’.
• If there are difficult relationships within the family or there is potential for a dispute over money or the appointment of a particular deputy, it may be preferable for an independent third party to deal with matters.
• There may not be a friend or family member who can act.
• The assets may be complex and require professional expertise to administer, e.g. they may include a business or foreign property.

The advantages of Chattertons Trustee Corporation acting as the deputy are:

• The administration of the financial affairs will be handled by an appropriately qualified professional body.
• The provision of a seamless and continuous service. Chattertons Trustee Corporation is always available to sign documents, so there are no delays which may otherwise arise if the deputy is unavailable, on holiday, ill etc.
• A trust corporation owes a higher duty of care than a lay deputy.
• Chattertons Trustee Corporation can make difficult and/or complex decisions.

When Chattertons Trustee Corporation acts a deputy, fees will be charged for dealing with the administration of a person’s financial affairs, which will be payable from their assets. Further information about fees is available on request. There is no requirement for Chattertons Trustee Corporation to act as a deputy and a friend or family member can apply to act instead.  

Contact us

If you would like to talk to a member of our specialist Private Client team please contact your local office or complete our online enquiry form.