New guidelines to help solicitors, doctors and other professionals assess mental capacity have been jointly issued by the Law Society and the British Medical Association.

The guidelines, Assessment of Mental Capacity, set out best practice for dealing with people lacking capacity to make important decisions, such as preparing a will or giving consent to medical treatment.

Nicola Mackintosh, a member of the Law Society’s Mental Health and Disability Committee, said: ‘The implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the developing case law in this specialist area has resulted in a pressing need for authoritative guidance. The guide meets that need in a practical way that is easily understood. It will result in much better practice together with vital protection for vulnerable people.’

Senior judge of the Court of Protection, Denzil Lush, said the book was a practical guide for doctors and lawyers, but would also be ‘indispensible’ for clinical psychologists, social workers, brain injury case managers and carers.

Assessment of Mental Capacity is available now from the Law Society’s online bookshop (or by telephone: 0870 850 1422).