If someone you love is a Ward of Court, you've probably heard the system is changing. What's less well signposted is what the transition actually looks like in practice — who does what, in what order, and by when.
We covered the background to the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 and why it replaced wardship in an earlier post. This one is more practical: a walkthrough of the process itself, the deadlines to have on your radar, and where a specialist financial planner genuinely earns their keep.
Wardship applications for adults stopped being accepted back in April 2023. Since then, every existing Ward of Court has been working through a statutory court review, with the courts deciding whether each person should be discharged into one of the new decision-support arrangements. The original deadline for completing every review was April 2026; that has since been extended, with cases now expected to conclude by 25 October 2027, and provision for further case-by-case extensions where needed.
That sounds like a long runway, but reviews are being worked through on a rolling basis, not all at once at the deadline. Your family member's case could come up at any point between now and then — which is exactly why it pays to understand the process before the court date lands in the post.
Every case is different, but the review generally follows a similar shape:
1. The review is triggered. The wardship court identifies the case for its statutory review (or an application for discharge is made on the ward's behalf).
2. Capacity is assessed. The court considers current medical and functional evidence about the person's decision-making capacity — which, under the new law, is assessed decision by decision, not as an all-or-nothing state.
3. The court makes a declaration. Based on that evidence, the court decides what level of support the person actually needs, and discharges them from wardship.
4. A new support arrangement is put in place. Depending on the outcome, this might be a Decision-Making Assistant, a Co-Decision-Maker, or — where someone needs more comprehensive support — a court-appointed Decision-Making Representative (DMR).
5. The arrangement is registered. The Decision Support Service (the new statutory body overseeing all of this) registers the arrangement and supervises how it operates going forward.
For families, the practical upshot is that the old Committee's role ends, and someone — often the same family member who acted as Committee — takes on a new, more clearly defined role under the Decision Support Service's oversight.
Here's the part that catches a lot of families off guard: discharge from wardship is not just a legal event, it's a financial one too.
Funds held under wardship were typically managed very conservatively — often sitting largely in cash, with limited regard for the person's actual wishes or long-term needs, because the old system wasn't designed around personal preference. The new framework is different: a Decision-Making Representative has a legal duty to act in line with the person's will and preferences, not just to keep the money safe. That's a meaningful shift, and it means arrangements that were adequate under wardship often need a proper review once someone moves into the new system.
In practice, this usually means answering questions like:
This is precisely the gap Northstar was set up to fill.
We specialise in exactly this transition — supporting families and Decision-Making Representatives as they move a loved one's finances into a plan that genuinely reflects that person's will and preferences under the new Act.
A few things that make the difference:
What is the deadline for the Ward of Court to ADM transition in Ireland?Court reviews of existing wards must be completed by 25 October 2027, with scope for individual case extensions where necessary. Reviews are happening on a rolling basis before that date, not all at once.
Does a Decision-Making Representative need to change how a ward's money is invested?Not automatically, but it's worth reviewing. A DMR must act in line with the person's known will and preferences, and many wardship-era investment arrangements were built for capital preservation alone, which may no longer be the right fit.
Can Northstar help before the court review has happened?Yes. It's often easier to plan ahead of the court date than to scramble once a decision has been made, and having a financial plan ready can support the process itself.
If your family is approaching a Ward of Court review, or you've recently taken on a role as Decision-Making Representative, Decision-Making Assistant or Co-Decision-Maker, we'd be glad to help you think it through — no obligation, no sales pitch, just a straightforward conversation.
Get in touch with Northstar Financial
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 is complex legislation and every family's circumstances are different — please seek advice specific to your situation from a qualified solicitor and financial adviser.
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