Managing someone else's affairs

Introduction

Some people are unable to carry out certain actions or make certain decisions alone (or for themselves), or are worried that this may be the case in the future. This might be due to having a learning disability or a mental health problem, for example dementia.

Managing someone else's affairs can mean a number of things, including:

looking after their bank accounts, savings, investments or other financial affairs
buying and selling property on their behalf
claiming and spending welfare benefits on their behalf
deciding where they live

making decisions about their day-to-day personal care or healthcare

There are different ways of helping / managing someone else's affairs - the different methods are for different purposes and have differing levels of legal status.