Mental Capacity Act 2005

A general guide on how the Mental Capacity Act affects you and how you can plan ahead for when you no longer have the mental capacity to make decisions for yourself.

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Mind's services

Legal Line – provides legal information and general advice by phone or email.
Local Minds – provide face-to-face services, such as talking therapies, peer support and advocacy, across England and Wales.

Find an advocate

To find advocacy services and groups in your area, you could call Mind's Legal Line or contact your local Mind.

If you're in hospital, you can also contact:

the Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS) in England
the Community Health Council in Wales.

In some circumstances, you may be legally entitled to get the support of an advocate. See our page on your legal rights to advocacy for more information.

Other organisations

Civil Legal Advice (CLA)

gov.uk/civil-legal-advice
Can tell you if you’re eligible for legal aid, and give you free and confidential legal advice if so.

Law Society

lawsociety.org.uk
Professional association for solicitors in England and Wales. Includes a searchable directory of solicitors.

Office of the Public Guardian

gov.uk/government/organisations/office-of-the-public-guardian
Protects people in England and Wales who may not have the mental capacity to make certain decisions for themselves, such as about their health and finance.

Revolving Doors Agency

020 7407 0747
revolving-doors.org.uk
Supports people with mental health problems who have had contact with the criminal justice system.

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This information was published in November 2017. We will revise it in 2019.

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