Court Funds Office history
1726
Court Funds Office (CFO) established by an Act of Parliament with the creation of the post of Accountant General of the Court of Chancery. This post was created to stop the dishonest activities of some of the Masters of Court who, together with the Usher, had been entrusted to look after monies paid into court by litigants and patients. It was discovered that some of the Masters had used the monies for their own benefit, investing the money in dubious enterprises, which suffered heavy losses and which they could then not afford to pay back.
1873
Post of Accountant General changed to Paymaster General and the office renamed the Chancery Pay Office.
1884
Court of Exchequer abolished and replaced by Supreme Court Pay Office. Also holding funds for Queen's Bench, Probate, Divorce, Admiralty and Chancery, which also included Lunacy (later to become Court of Protection in 1947).
1975 (December)
Court Funds Office created with the revision of the Supreme Court Fund Rules.
1986
Amalgamated with the Public Trustee and Court of Protection to become the Public Trust Office.
2001 (April)
Public Trust Office was disbanded and Court Funds Office becomes part of the Supreme Court Group within the Court Service, the trust functions of the Public Trust Office being taken over by the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee. Court of Protection functions taken over by a new agency called the Public Guardianship Office, with Court Funds Office dealing with funds under their instruction.
2007 (April)
Court Funds Office merge with the offices of Official Solicitor and Public Trustee to form the Office of the Court Funds, Official Solicitor and Public Trustee (OCFOSPT), which is an associated office of the Ministry of Justice