How long will it take?

The processing time is taking longer than we would like, please be assured we are working hard to reduce the wait time. We provide a weekly update on our current processing times to keep you informed.

Expedited registration service

We appreciate that in some cases there is a genuine need for a PoA to be urgently processed due to the granter’s needs and that when there are longer waiting times there is a greater chance of an expedite being sought. 

The examples below outline the type of urgent situations that meet the criteria of the expedited registration service.

The granter:

  • has subsequently lost capacity and urgent decisions require to be made;
  • has been admitted to hospital and urgent action requires to be taken;
  • requires to be moved from hospital with a care package or into a care home; is at risk of financial harm as they cannot act in their own interests to pay bills, care fees etc. or to undertake a financial assessment following release from hospital.

We provide an application form which must be used for all requests to expedite the registration of a PoA.  When we receive your request, we will consider the reason(s) stated. If the request is granted the PoA will be processed within 5 working days. An acknowledgement will be issued advising if the request has been refused.

Please refer to the information below to find out more about the expedite request process for postal and electronic submissions.

Postal submissions

Please complete our form and send this with your documents. If the PoA has already been sent to us, and you wish to request the expedited service, please email the completed form to opg@scotcourts.gov.uk. Alternatively you can post the form to us.

Electronic (EPOAR) submissions

Complete our form and follow the steps order below: 

  1. Submit the PoA via EPOAR
  2. Pay the registration fee
  3. Email your completed form to opg@scotcourts.gov.uk Please email the form when the payment has been made.