• acts in connection with care and treatment – a general (statutory) authority to act reasonably when providing care and treatment (sections 5 and 6)

• provisions for paying for necessities (sections 7 and 8)

• lasting powers of attorney (sections 9–14)

• the jurisdiction of the Court of Protection (sections 15–23)

• advance decisions to refuse treatment (sections 24–26)

• excluded decisions (sections 27–29), including treatment for mental disorder under Part 4 of the Mental Health Act 1983

• research (sections 30–34)

• the independent mental capacity advocate service (sections 35–41)

• codes of practice (section 42)

• codes of practice: procedure (section 43)

• the offence of ill-treatment or neglect (section 44), the ill-treatment or wilful neglect of a person who lacks capacity carries a term of imprisonment of up to 5 years.

• a new superior court of record called the Court of Protection, with its judges and procedures (sections 45–56); this Court provides a definitive legal judgment when necessary, and can determine: the validity or otherwise of any document or decision made regarding a person lacking capacity; an individual's capacity or otherwise to make a particular decision; ‘best interests’

• a new statutory official, the Public Guardian, to support the work of the Court (sections 57–60)

• Court of Protection visitors (section 61).