The Office of the Accountant of Court
Contact NumbersThe Accountant of Court is an Officer of Court appointed to
- supervise the actings of individuals appointed by the Courts as Judicial Factors or Administrators to manage estates under the Judicial Factors Act 1849 and the Proceeds of Crime (Scotland) Act 1995
- administer or supervise the administration of property belonging to children under the age of 16 years as required by the Children (Scotland) Act 1995
- administer Child Trust Fund accounts where there is no person who has parental responsibilities for a child under the age of 16 where the child is in care and accommodated in Scotland, all in terms of the Child Trust Fund Act 2004
- manage funds consigned with the Accountant of Court in accordance with a Court of Session interlocutor or in the process of liquidation proceedings.
The principal purpose of the Accountant of Court and her staff is to ensure that all funds and property managed or supervised is invested prudently and administered properly.
If you have any concerns about the Accountant of Court's supervision in respect of any of the above matters, please in the first instance contact the Accountant of Court with these concerns using the following email address:
Applications and procedures relative to the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 do not fall within the locus of the Accountant of Court but are dealt with by the Office of the Public Guardian, Hadrian House, Callander Business Park, Falkirk, FK1 1XR, telephone number 01324 678300. The website for the Office of the Public Guardian is www.publicguardian-scotland.gov.uk
Structure of the department:
Accountant of Court |
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Deputy Accountant of Court |
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| Judicial Factory Team: | Funds Administration Team: |
| Judicial Factory Auditor | Funds Administration Team Leader Funds Administration Managers x 2 |
The Accountant of Court is presently Mrs Sandra McDonald who is also the Public Guardian. She divides her time between the Accountant of Court’s Office and the Office of the Public Guardian.
The Accountant of Court is responsible for
- Organising and administering the business of the Office to best effect in the Public interest
- Dealing with matters related to staffing, finance and organisation
- Responding to complaints, Parliamentary questions, correspondence with Ministers and MPs
- Considering cases involving questions of policy or special difficulty
- Management responsibility for Deputy Accountant
- Signature of formal Court documents
- Acting in representational capacity in contacts with professional organisations and all other interested parties
The Deputy Accountant of Court is presently Ms Rosemary Wawrzyniak who is also a Deputy Public Guardian. She divides her time between the Accountant of Court’s Office and the Office of the Public Guardian.
The Deputy Accountant of Court is responsible for
- Day to day management of the office
- Supervision of staff
- Issues referred under Children (Scotland) Act 1995
- Consideration and revision of referred cases
- Correspondence on matters of legal complexity, precedent, conflict, significant expenditure etc
- Performance against targets - monitoring quality and quantity of work undertaken
- Provision of advice to the Accountant of Court on matters of policy
- Authorising uplift of Consignations
- Authorising release of Liquidators in terms of Insolvency Act 1986
The Judicial Factory Auditor is presently Mrs Angela Murray who is available at the office on Thursdays only. She may however be contacted Monday to Friday by telephone at the numbers shown below.
The Judicial Factory Auditor is responsible for
- Supervision of actings of Factors appointed in terms of Judicial Factors Act 1849 and the Proceeds of Crime (Scotland) Act 1995
- Auditing accounts lodged and to fix remuneration to Factors for the work carried out
- Consideration of appeals against commissions awarded
- Examination of Factorial Inventories
- Drafting reports required by Court
- General supervision of Judicial Factories
- Process of applications for Judicial Discharge, Schemes of Division etc.
The Funds Administration Team Leader is presently Mr Eddie Crossan
The Funds Administration Team Leader is responsible for
- Supervision and organisation of Funds Administration Team
- Ensuring that the requirements of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 are observed and actioned when considering and issuing the appropriate direction to be made.
- Giving advice and assistance to solicitors and lay persons relative to applications under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995
- Ensuring that the requirements of the Child Trust Funds Act 2004 are adhered to.
The Funds Administration Managers are presently Mrs Anne Reid and Miss Anne Mathieson
The Funds Administration Managers are responsible for
- Receiving checking and considering referrals under the Child Trust Funds Act (CTF).
- Processing and maintaining CTF registrations on computer system.
- Corresponding as appropriate with providers, lay persons, local authorities and the Child Trust Fund Office on matters relevant to child trust funds.
- Exercising general supervision of Children (Scotland) Act 1995 cases, including reviewing of investments and considering requests for expenditure.
- Liaising by means of correspondence, telephone and personal meetings with parents, guardians, solicitors and financial advisers relative to Children (Scotland) Act 1995 cases.
- Operating the SEAS computerised accounts system, monitoring the recovery of all fees and taking follow up action.
- Managing and reconciling the bank accounts held in the name of the Accountant of Court.
- Undertaking the bi-annual reconciliation of Consignations held on Special Deposit Account.
- Lodging and uplifting consigned sums held in Special deposit Accounts and updating computer records accordingly.
- Undertaking the annual identification and transmission of unclaimed consigned funds to SCS.
Services provided and contact numbers
For assistance, contact :|
Case Specific enquiries relative to Children Scotland Act or Child Trust Fund cases |
0132 467 7741 0132 467 7742 |
| General enquiries or procedural advice relative to Children Scotland Act or Child Trust Fund cases Eddie Crossan, Funds Administration Team Leader |
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| Enquiries relative to consignations Anne Mathieson, Funds Administration and Consignation Manager |
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| Enquiries relative to Judicial Factories Angela Murray, Judicial Factory Auditor |
0792 088 9312 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday during normal office hours |
| General procedural advice Rosemary Wawrzyniak, Deputy Accountant |
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Legislative / Strategic policy advice or formal complaints |
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Customer Complaints Policy
Customer Feedback Form
Address:
The Accountant of Court’s Office
Hadrian House
Callendar Business Park
Callendar Road
FALKIRK
FK1 1XR
FAX number: 0132 467 8365
DX number: 550361, Falkirk 3
LP number: LP 17, Falkirk
Email: