Our specialist Court of Protection solicitors offer an impressive breadth of expertise in this complex and increasingly important area of practice. We act for clients making applications to the Court of Protection and also act as deputies, attorneys and trustees for disabled and vulnerable adults.
Court of Protection practice involves a wide range of interconnected legal, practical, financial and accounting issues which can be remarkably varied. Each client’s circumstances are unique and often combine different legal disciplines as well as jurisdictions. Small estates may involve complex benefit and funding issues, larger estates may involve complex financial planning and lifetime gifts. We currently deal with several estates with overseas assets.
We frequently work with other professionals to provide clients with the best support, including medical and healthcare professionals, care experts, accountants, financial advisers and fund managers, surveyors and builders.
If somebody loses their mental capacity to deal with their own affairs without having put in place an enduring or lasting power of attorney a deputy will need to be appointed.
A deputy application is made to the Court of Protection. The person(s) named as deputy are chosen by the Court of Protection and not by the donor and, accordingly, could be someone the donor would not ordinarily choose to make such decisions.
Deputy applications are generally more complex, more time-consuming and therefore more expensive than putting in place a valid lasting power of attorney. Our court of protection solicitors can also act as a professional deputy on your behalf.
The Court of Protection helps those who no longer have the mental capacity to manage their important affairs such as finance or decisions on healthcare.
The application process for getting a deputyship order takes an average of four to six months.
In this episode, Martin gives his insight into what it’s really like working with the Court of Protection. He also discusses the highs and lows of working with individuals who have lost mental capacity and how he deals with difficult relatives.
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Our probate solicitors are equipped to help you deal with all manner of issues following the death of a person close to you. From Inheritance Act claims to will contesting and contentious probate disputes, we’re here to help you do your best out of these difficult situations.
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