COP3 Mental Capacity Assessments for Court of Protection Applications
When you need a COP3 mental capacity assessment for a Court of Protection application, time matters. Whether you're applying for deputyship for property and financial affairs, deputyship for health and welfare, or a statutory will application, your GP may be unable or unwilling to complete the assessment. Solicitors face delays. Court deadlines don't wait.
Nellie Supports has completed over 2,000 COP3 assessments for families, solicitors, and professional deputies across England and Wales. We understand exactly what the Court of Protection requires. Our assessments are court-ready, peer-reviewed by a second qualified professional, and delivered fast.
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What Is a COP3 Mental Capacity Assessment?
A COP3 is a formal assessment of a person’s capacity to make specific decisions, required by the Court of Protection. It must accompany a COP1 application when you’re seeking:
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Appointment of a deputy (property, financial, or health & welfare)
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Statutory will applications
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Removal or discharge of a deputy
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Certain health or welfare orders
The COP3 must be completed by a suitably qualified and experienced health and social care professional such as a social worker, doctor, nurse, occupational therapist, psychologist, or other authorised professional with relevant expertise in mental capacity assessment. It provides an evidence-based opinion on the person's capacity, following the two-stage test under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
Who Can Complete a COP3 Assessment? When Do You Need It? How Much Does It Cost?
Where Can You Get a COP3 Mental Capacity Assessment?
We conduct COP3 assessments across England and Wales. Face-to-face, in the person's home or a location of their choice.
Most assessments happen in people's homes. It's familiar. It's comfortable. It's where they feel safe. We can also meet at a care home, hospital, solicitor's office, or anywhere else that works for you.
Whether you're in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Edinburgh, Cardiff, or anywhere in between, we can reach you. We travel nationwide to conduct your COP3 assessment.
Remote COP3 Assessment
If face-to-face isn't possible, we offer remote video assessments via Cliniko, our secure case management software. These are legally compliant and Court of Protection-approved. We use video when travel isn't practical, the person is housebound, or circumstances require it.
However, the COP3 form requires a summary of how the assessment took place. If the assessment is remote, you must provide a reason why. Cost, assessor availability, and ease are unlikely to be accepted as valid reasons by the court. Valid reasons include communication preference, urgent circumstances, or genuine practical barriers to face-to-face assessment.
No matter where you are in England and Wales, we can complete your COP3 assessment face-to-face or remotely.
Who Can Complete a COP3 Mental Capacity Assessment?
Part A of the COP3 form is completed by you, the applicant.
Part B (the actual assessment) must be completed by an appropriate assessor.
According to the Court of Protection, appropriate assessors include:
• Medical practitioners
• Social care professionals
That's what the form says. In practice, this means doctors, social workers, nurses, occupational therapists, and similar professionals with genuine expertise in mental capacity assessment.
The Reality: Your GP Probably Won't Do It
Most GPs refuse COP3 assessments. They're busy. They lack specialist training in mental capacity law. Their practice policies often prohibit it. Or they simply don't know the person well enough to complete Part B properly.
When your GP says no, you need an independent assessor. Our expert assessors are equally valid in the eyes of the court. Our team includes Registered Social Workers (Social Work England), a Chartered Psychologist (HCPC), Psychologists (MSc, BPS-registered), and graduate psychologists. All are suitably qualified and experienced in mental capacity assessment under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
An independent COP3 assessment from a qualified professional carries exactly the same weight in court as one from your GP.
When Do You Need a COP3 Mental Capacity Assessment?
You need a COP3 assessment if you're applying to the Court of Protection and need to demonstrate that someone lacks mental capacity to make specific decisions. The COP3 form is used for three main types of Court of Protection applications.
Deputyship for Property and Financial Affairs
You need a COP3 if you're applying to become a deputy to manage someone's property and financial affairs. This includes managing bank accounts, paying bills, selling property, managing investments, or handling inheritance. Common scenarios include elderly parents with dementia, brain injury, or stroke.
Deputyship for Health and Welfare
You need a COP3 if you're applying to become a deputy to make decisions about someone's health and welfare. This covers decisions about medical treatment, where someone lives, social care arrangements, and day-to-day care. Common scenarios include making healthcare decisions for someone with advanced dementia or a severe learning disability.
Statutory Will Applications
You need a COP3 if you're applying to the Court of Protection to make or alter a will on behalf of someone who lacks mental capacity. This is used when someone should have a will but cannot make one themselves due to lack of capacity.
Timing Matters
The COP3 must be dated within 6 months of your Court of Protection application. This is a hard deadline. If your assessment is older than 6 months when you file, the court will reject it and you'll need a new one.
Plan ahead. Don't wait until the last minute. Get your assessment done early, then submit your application with confidence.
The Assessment Appointment
The appointment itself takes 1-2 hours. We'll meet the person in their home, a care home, hospital, or wherever is most comfortable. We'll ask questions, listen carefully, and assess their capacity to make the specific decisions relevant to your application.
Your COP3 assessment must be dated within 6 months of your Court of Protection application. Plan ahead and get it done early.
How Much Does a COP3 Mental Capacity Assessment Cost?
Let's Be Honest About Pricing
Capacity is decision-specific. This requires a separate assessment and a separate report for each decision. Without this, there's a risk decisions become confused, evidence becomes mixed up, and reports get thrown out of court.
We assess per decision, in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and complete separate reports for each decision. We then refer to these separate reports as exhibits within the COP3 form. This approach protects you, protects the court process, and ensures your application isn't rejected.
Standard COP3 Assessment (Single Decision): £496 plus VAT, delivered within 5-10 days.
Multiple Decisions on One COP3 Form
If your COP3 form covers multiple decisions, we charge for each individual decision. For example:
Dual Deputyship (Finance and Health): £767 plus VAT (two separate decisions assessed in one visit)
Dual Deputyship plus Testamentary and Property Sale: £1,463 plus VAT (four decisions assessed in one visit)
The exact cost depends on how many decisions are on your COP3 form. We'll provide a quote once we understand your specific situation.
What's Included
One COP3 form with separate, decision-based reports as additional exhibits. Face-to-face or video assessment appointment, digitally signed and delivered electronically (PDF), and post-assessment support.
Travel Time (if applicable): £40 per hour.
Payment Terms
Invoice issued upon booking. Payment due before report delivery. We accept bank transfer, credit/debit card, and payment from solicitors' client accounts.
Multiple decisions on one COP3? We assess each decision separately and provide individual reports. One appointment. Court-ready compliance. Reduced rejection risk.
Common Decisions We Assess For
We conduct COP3 assessments for all Court of Protection application types. The three most common are:
Deputyship for Finances
Assessing capacity to manage property and financial affairs. This includes managing bank accounts, paying bills, selling property, managing investments, and handling inheritance.
Deputyship for Health and Welfare
Assessing capacity to make decisions about medical treatment, where someone lives, social care arrangements, and day-to-day care.
Statutory Will Applications
Assessing capacity to make or alter a will on behalf of someone who lacks mental capacity.
Other Decisions
We also assess capacity for other Court of Protection applications. Every situation is different. If you're unsure whether you need a COP3 assessment, get in touch and we'll advise.
Our Pricing Policy
We charge per decision, not per COP3 form. If there are multiple decisions, we provide one COP3 form with separate, decision-based reports as additional exhibits. This approach ensures compliance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, provides clarity to the court, and reduces the risk of your assessment being rejected.
Each decision receives its own thorough assessment and report. The court gets exactly what it needs. No confusion. No ambiguity.
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Why Choose Nellie Supports?
We've completed over 2,000 COP3 assessments across all Court of Protection application types: deputyship for property and financial affairs, deputyship for health and welfare, and statutory will applications. This is what we do. Every day. Our multidisciplinary team includes registered social workers, psychologists, and qualified health and social care professionals who specialise in mental capacity law.
99% court acceptance rate. The Court of Protection knows our work. Our COP3 Part B forms are thorough, compliant, and completed to the standard the court expects. Whether you're applying for financial deputyship, health and welfare deputyship, or a statutory will, our assessments meet the court's requirements. No rejections. No delays. No going back for corrections.
5-10 day turnaround for standard assessments. 7 days for video assessments. Your solicitor isn't left waiting. Your application moves forward. Compare that to weeks or months waiting for a GP who may never complete it.
We cover England and Wales. Face-to-face assessments wherever you are. London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff. Central England along the A1 and M1 corridors is our core area, but we travel nationwide.
Every COP3 Part B is reviewed by a second qualified professional before it's sent to you. Two sets of expert eyes on your mental capacity assessment. Double-checked. Court-ready. Whether your COP3 is for deputyship for property and financial affairs, health and welfare deputyship, or a statutory will application, our peer review process ensures accuracy and compliance with Court of Protection standards.
We charge per decision, not per COP3 form. If there are multiple decisions, we provide one COP3 form with separate, decision-based reports as additional exhibits, reducing the risk of courts rejecting your mental capacity assessment. Fixed fees. No hidden costs. No surprise charges. £496 plus VAT for a standard COP3 assessment for deputyship or statutory will applications. You know exactly what you're paying before you book.
We're not constrained by NHS budgets, local authority backlogs, or GP practice policies. We assess what we find. Objective. Impartial. Professional.
We're the UK's largest private social work practice and the leading provider of mental capacity assessments nationwide. Over 2,000 COP3 assessments completed. 99% court acceptance rate.
Our Process – Step by Step
Initial enquiry & triage
Contact us by phone, email or using our website form. A senior coordinator responds the same working day to confirm the decision that needs assessing, provide a clear quotation (including VAT and mileage if applicable), and arrange a convenient COP3 assessment time
Appointment
A qualified assessor meets the individual, at home, in hospital, or via secure video, to carry out your COP3 mental capacity assessment. The conversation is gentle and decision-specific. If helpful, cognitive screening tools (such as the MoCA) may be used to support clinical insight.
Report Writing
The assessor prepares a COP3 Part B report that links all findings to the relevant legal framework (e.g., Mental Capacity Act 2005, Care Act 2014). Every report is peer-reviewed by a second qualified professional to ensure quality, neutrality and legal readiness.
Sending the Report
You receive your COP3 report securely within 5–10 working days. Minor amendments are free within 14 days, and your assessor remains available to clarify the findings with legal teams, courts or healthcare professionals if required.
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How We Helped Ms C Bypass GP Refusal and Meet Her Court Deadline
When Ms C, a professional deputy applicant, needed a COP3 assessment for her elderly client, she first approached the client’s GP. Despite three months of chasing, appointments were cancelled, emails ignored, and the practice eventually refused to complete Part B of the COP3 form. With a court deadline looming, Ms C was under intense pressure.
Attempts to escalate through the local authority also failed — their social care team explained they could not support private Court of Protection applications. At this point, Ms C had exhausted statutory routes and faced the prospect of missing her filing deadline.
How Nellie Supports Helped
Ms C contacted Nellie Supports and was connected with our specialist assessment coordinator the same day. Within 48 hours:
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A qualified social worker with Court of Protection expertise was assigned.
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A home visit was arranged, tailored to the client’s communication needs.
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The updated 2024 Functional Test was applied, using both visual and verbal aids.
The report and COP3 form were drafted, peer-reviewed internally for compliance, and securely delivered within five working days of instruction.
The Outcome
Ms C was able to file her deputyship application in full, avoiding further delay, stress, or additional court costs.
Key Takeaway
Relying solely on GPs or local authorities often leads to delays or refusals. With Nellie Supports, clients receive a fast, reliable, and legally robust alternative — ensuring critical Court of Protection deadlines are met.
We also provide mental capacity assessments for other decisions. If you need capacity assessment for a Lasting Power of Attorney, managing finances, litigating in court, or buying and selling property, our multidisciplinary team can help. For complex cases requiring expert witness reports or advanced assessment services, we provide comprehensive court-ready support.
Frequently Asked Questions
A COP3 assessment is a mental capacity evaluation required when applying to the Court of Protection for a deputyship order. It assesses whether someone has the mental capacity to make decisions about their property and financial affairs. Part B of the COP3 form must be completed by a qualified professional like a registered social worker or medical practitioner.
You need a COP3 assessment if you're applying to the Court of Protection to become a deputy for someone who lacks mental capacity to manage their finances and property. This includes situations involving dementia, brain injury, learning disabilities, mental health conditions, or stroke.
The assessment appointment itself takes 1-2 hours. The completed COP3 Part B form is delivered within 5-10 working days for standard assessments, or 7 days for remote video assessments.
Your GP can complete a COP3 assessment, but most won't. They're busy, lack specialist training in mental capacity law, or have practice policies that prohibit it. When your GP says no, an independent assessment from a registered social worker is equally valid in the eyes of the court.
A COP3 is a specific Court of Protection form (Assessment of Capacity) used for various Court of Protection applications. It can cover a multitude of decisions depending on what the application relates to. Common uses include deputyship for property and financial affairs, deputyship for health and welfare, and statutory will applications. The COP3 form itself is the same, but the decision being assessed varies depending on your application.
Standard COP3 assessments cost £496 plus VAT. Complex or dual-decision assessments are £767 plus VAT. Video assessments are also £496 plus VAT. Travel costs are £40 per hour if applicable.
The fee includes the assessment appointment, completed COP3 Part B form, digitally signed and delivered electronically, and post-assessment support. This fee does not include VAT or Travel. Please contact us for a personalised quote.
Digitally signed COP3 Part B forms have been accepted as standard by the Court of Protection since 2019. You don't need wet signatures. Your assessment is court-ready the moment we send it.
The COP3 must be dated within 6 months of your Court of Protection application. If your assessment is older than 6 months when you file, the court will reject it and you'll need a new one.
Yes. We offer remote video assessments via Cliniko, our secure case management software, for £496 plus VAT, delivered within 7 days. These are legally compliant and Court of Protection approved. However, the court requires a good reason for remote assessment, and this must be recorded on the COP3 form itself. Acceptable reasons include the client's preferred method of communication or urgent circumstances such as death-bed applications. Cost or convenience alone are unlikely to be accepted by the court.
Contact us to discuss your situation. We'll confirm which assessment type you need, provide a quote if necessary, and arrange a convenient appointment. Most standard assessments can be booked within 2-3 weeks.
We'll send you the completed, digitally signed COP3 Part B form via secure email. You'll file it with your COP1 application form and any other documents the Court of Protection requires.
Yes. A COP3 assessment can be challenged on the grounds that the person lacked capacity when the assessment was completed. This is why a professional, thorough capacity assessment is so important. It provides clear, documented evidence that capacity was properly assessed using the Mental Capacity Act 2005 framework. Our assessments are peer-reviewed by a second qualified professional before submission, adding an extra layer of credibility and protection against challenges.
Communication difficulties don't mean someone lacks capacity. We're experts in adapting our assessment approach to suit individual communication needs. We use accessible formats, visual aids, communication boards, or whatever methods work best for the person being assessed. We take time. We listen carefully. We ensure they truly understand the decision being assessed. We then evidence that they've met the legal requirements under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, regardless of how they communicate.
Technically, anyone can assess capacity, but it depends on the complexity of the decision and your knowledge and skill set. For simple, everyday decisions like putting on a jacket, a formal professional assessment isn't necessary.
However, for most capacity assessments with legal implications, a formal assessment by a suitably qualified and experienced person is required. This is where the four-part functional test under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 comes in: Can the person understand the decision? Can they retain the information? Can they use or weigh the information? Can they communicate their decision?
Only a professional assessment can answer these questions objectively for complex legal decisions. Family members often have concerns, but concerns alone don't determine capacity. We provide independent, professional assessments that answer these questions with certainty and legal credibility.
Your COP3 assessment will be back with you in 5-10 working days. That's our commitment.
After that, a typical Court of Protection application for a deputyship takes approximately four to six months, but this can vary significantly depending on factors such as court workload, the complexity of the case, any objections raised, and how comprehensive the application and supporting documentation are.
Urgent cases can sometimes be fast-tracked, while lengthy delays can occur if the court requires more information or if a hearing is necessary. This is why a thorough, comprehensive COP3 assessment is so important. It reduces the risk of the court requesting additional evidence or clarification, which can add months to the process.
Our reports are court-ready and comprehensive, minimizing delays and keeping your application moving forward.
Yes. We offer remote video assessments via Cliniko, our secure case management software, for £496 plus VAT per decision. These are legally compliant and Court of Protection-approved.
However, the COP3 form requires a summary of how the assessment took place. If the assessment is remote, you must provide a reason why. Cost, assessor availability, and ease are unlikely to be accepted as valid reasons by the court.
Valid reasons for remote assessment include: communication preference, urgent circumstances, the person is housebound, or genuine practical barriers to face-to-face assessment. We'll discuss your specific situation and advise whether remote is appropriate for your case.
Face-to-face assessment is generally preferred and provides the strongest evidence, but remote is a viable option when there's a legitimate reason.
GPs often refuse to complete COP3 assessments because they lack expertise in mental capacity law, don't have time, or don't understand the legal framework. This is frustrating but common. We can complete COP3 assessments independently without GP involvement. Our assessments are court-approved and accepted by the Court of Protection. We understand the legal requirements and can assess capacity thoroughly, even when GPs won't.
A COP3 mental capacity assessment can evaluate capacity for a wide range of decisions. The most common are financial decisions (managing property, bank accounts, investments, paying bills) and health/welfare decisions (medical treatment, care arrangements, where to live). However, COP3 assessments aren't limited to these. We can assess capacity for any decision where someone may lack the mental capacity to make it themselves, including:
Financial decisions:
Property sales, inheritance management, pension decisions, investment choices, loan agreements, power of attorney matters.
Health and welfare decisions: Consenting to medical treatment, choosing care providers, deciding where to live, end-of-life care preferences, organ donation.
Social decisions:
Marriage, divorce, entering into contracts, educational choices, employment decisions.
Care and living arrangements: Moving into a care home, accepting support services, choosing carers.
You can assess capacity for a single decision or multiple decisions simultaneously. Many people need assessments for both financial and health decisions at the same time, which we call dual deputyship. This is more efficient and cost-effective than separate assessments. We complete the assessment in a single visit and deliver a court-ready report that covers all decisions you need.
Expert Insights into COP3
Mental Capacity Reports
Explore our articles on COP3 mental capacity assessments, covering common challenges, best practices, and expert advice for solicitors, deputies, and families navigating the Court of Protection.
