What is the Court of Protection?
The Court of Protection is responsible for making decisions on behalf of adults who are unable to make choices for themselves due to a lack of mental capacity. Its powers cover both health and welfare matters, as well as property and financial affairs. When the Court steps in, every decision must be guided by what is considered to be in the individual’s best interests, ensuring their rights, wellbeing, and personal circumstances are fully taken into account.
Why choose Edwards Duthie Shamash Solicitors?
Our specialist Court of Protection team provides clear, compassionate support on all matters relating to mental capacity. We handle health and welfare issues as well as property and financial affairs, taking time to understand each client’s needs. You will receive a personalised service with regular updates, ensuring you feel informed and supported throughout.
Client Reviews
The Court of Protection
The Court of Protection can make decisions about the health and welfare and the property and financial affairs of adults who lack mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. These decisions will be made in the best interest of the person lacking capacity.
The court considers which decisions should be made about a range of health and welfare issues. These can include decisions in respect of residence, care, contact with others, medical treatment, internet and social media use, travel and a person’s capacity to consent to marriage, contraception or to engage in sexual relations.
If a person lacks the capacity to manage their finances then someone can be appointed to assist them with this either through a lasting power of attorney or through deputyship.
For more information please see our health and welfare page for how our specialist Court of Protection team can assist you with cases in the Court of Protection about those matters.
If you want advice about financial matters such as lasting powers of attorney or deputyship, our specialist private client team can assist you with those.
Our Guide to the Court of Protection
Below we have some useful videos that explain what the Court of Protection is and what you might expect at the various stages of the process, including some explanation of the roles of the different people who are involved such as the judge, the solicitor, and your litigation friend.
What is the Court of Protection?
In this video we explain what the Court of Protection is, the situations in which it becomes involved, and how it makes decisions to protect adults who lack mental capacity, covering both welfare matters and financial affairs.
What are Best Interests Decisions?
In this video we explain what best interests decisions are, how they are determined, and why they ensure that people lacking capacity receive the care, support and guidance that reflect their rights, needs, preferences, and wellbeing.
What is the role of a Judge?
In this video we explain the judge’s role in Court of Protection cases, including how they review evidence, hear arguments, resolve disputes, and make impartial decisions aimed at safeguarding the welfare and rights of vulnerable individuals.
What is a Solicitor?
In this video we explain what a solicitor is, the training and responsibilities involved, and how solicitors guide, advise, and represent clients through legal issues, including matters concerning mental capacity and the Court of Protection.
What is a Litigation Friend?
In this video we explain what a litigation friend is, when one is appointed, and how they act fairly and independently to make decisions and give instructions on behalf of someone who cannot manage legal proceedings themselves.
Meet our Court of Protection Team
Melissa Law
Partner and Court of Protection Solicitor
The Court of Protection team is led by Melissa Law, who is the team leader and a partner in the firm who has over 11 years’ experience in Court of Protection work. Ranked as a Band 2 lawyer in Chambers and Partners 2026, Melissa is described as being able to ‘engage clients and get their wishes and feelings across well which can set the whole trajectory of the case’ and ‘Melissa has good attention to detail, is forward thinking and very client-focused.’ In the Legal 500, 2026, Melissa was ranked as a next generation partner and she is described as having ‘a depth of experience which is rivalled by very few.’. Melissa has obtained her Higher Rights of Audience and is also an Accredited Legal Representative under the Law Society’s Mental Capacity Accreditation scheme.
Laura Mannering
Partner and Court of Protection Solicitor
Laura Mannering is a partner in the firm, with over 17 years’ experience, and 14 years’ PQE, in the Court of Protection. Laura has obtained her Higher Rights of Audience and is also an Accredited Legal Representative under the Law Society’s Mental Capacity Accreditation scheme. Laura is ranked as a Next Generation Partner in the Legal 500, 2026,. Ranked as a Band 2 lawyer in Chambers and Partners 2026, Laura is described as ‘an exceptional Court of Protection solicitor. She is kind, engaging and also brings a forensic attention to detail’, as well as ‘very experienced, pragmatic and straightforward in her approach to cases’. Laura is the author of A Practical Guide to Privacy, Transparency, Reporting Restrictions and Closed Hearings in the Court of Protection and one of the editors of the fifth edition of the Court of Protection Handbook.
Sarah Lerner
Court of Protection Solicitor
Sarah Lerner has 11 years’ experience in Court of Protection work largely acting for family members and for protected parties where the litigation friend is a family member. She has 23 years’ experience in Community Care work and her knowledge of Judicial Review gives her a particular strength when considering and advising on public law issues which arise in Court of Protection work. She was accredited to the Law Society’s Mental Health Panel and Children Panel for over 24 years. She is an experienced advocate and has extensive experience of advising and representing vulnerable adults. She is a trained family mediator and has been described by counsel as ‘very good’ at dealing with the difficult issues that can arise between parties in the Court of Protection. ‘Sarah Lerner excels at complex cases with mental capacity and mental health law. There is no one better’. (Legal 500, 2024).
Kris Jackson-Hughes
Court of Protection Solicitor
Kris Jackson-Hughes qualified as a solicitor in April 2021, and has over 10 years’ experience in Court of Protection work. Kris is an Accredited Legal Representative under the Law Society’s Mental Capacity Accreditation scheme. Kris was described in the Chambers and Partners, 2026, as ‘a real specialist at what he does’ with ‘a really good technical knowledge of this area’. He was ranked as an ‘Associate to watch’ in Chambers and Partners, 2024, 2025, and 2026, and as a ‘Leading Associate’ in the Legal 500, 2025 and 2026.
Jessie Marshall
Court of Protection Solicitor
Jessie Marshall is a Solicitor in the Court of Protection department. Jessie qualified in April 2025 after training with the firm. Jessie has over four years’ experience specialising in Court of Protection work and worked closely with Melissa Law, Laura Mannering and Kris Jackson-Hughes during her training, assisting on a wide range of health and welfare matters in the Court of Protection.
Our Court of Protection Support Team
The team is supported by trainee solicitors, Neel Amin, and paralegals, Chanel Moseley, and Florence Kingdon.
Neel Amin
Chanel Moseley
Florence Kingdon
The team is ranked in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners, which is a recognition of the skill, expertise and extensive knowledge of practice in the Court of Protection within the team.
Please see the individual profiles of the team members for more details.
Court of Protection FAQs
The Court of Protection is a specialist court in England and Wales that makes decisions for people who lack the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves.
You can contact the Court of Protection by phone, post, or email.
The main address is:
Court of Protection, PO Box 70185, First Avenue House, 42–49 High Holborn, London WC1A 9JA.
Phone: 0300 456 4600
Email: courtofprotectionenquiries@justice.gov.uk
The Court of Protection makes decisions about a person’s property, financial affairs, health, and welfare when they cannot decide for themselves due to lack of mental capacity.
The Court considers medical and other expert evidence to decide what is in the person’s best interests. It can appoint deputies, make one-off decisions, or authorise specific actions, such as selling a home or consenting to medical treatment.
