Your parents can no longer manage their finances. A family member needs to move into residential care, and nobody knows where to start.
These situations are stressful, confusing, and often arrive without warning. Later life brings legal questions that most people never anticipated.
At Hill and Company, our specialist solicitors have been helping families across Cheshire and South Manchester navigate these challenges for over 170 years. Based in Altrincham town centre, we understand that older clients and their families often need more than legal advice. They need patience, clarity, and someone who will take the time to explain things properly.
We’re not a faceless city firm. We’re your local high street solicitors, and we offer home visits across Cheshire and South Manchester. We’ll come to you, whether that’s at home, in hospital, or in a care home.
We also offer something most firms don’t: a 24/7, 365-day service for our most vulnerable clients. When Matthew Vernon acts as a professional attorney or deputy, his clients, their carers, doctors, and care homes all have his personal mobile number. Crises don’t wait for office hours, and neither do we.
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) lets you appoint someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you ever lose the capacity to make them yourself. There are two types: one for property and financial affairs, and one for health and welfare.
Without an LPA, your family cannot automatically manage your finances or make decisions about your care, not even your spouse. They would need to apply to the Court of Protection, which takes longer, costs more, and removes control from the family.
We strongly recommend putting LPAs in place while you still have full capacity. It’s one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself and your family.
If someone has already lost mental capacity and there’s no Lasting Power of Attorney in place, an application must be made to the Court of Protection to appoint a Deputy.
A Deputy is authorised to make decisions on behalf of the person who lacks capacity. This might include managing their bank accounts, paying bills, selling property to fund care, or making decisions about medical treatment.
What we handle:
- Deputyship applications: helping family members apply to become a Deputy
- Professional deputyship: acting as Deputy ourselves when family members cannot. Unlike most firms, we act as both property and affairs, and health and welfare attorneys. We also provide a 24/7, 365-day service for vulnerable clients who need emergency support outside business hours.
- Ongoing deputy support: advising existing Deputies on their duties and responsibilities
- Court of Protection disputes: when family members disagree about what’s in someone’s best interests
The process can feel overwhelming, but we guide families through it every day. We handle the paperwork, liaise with the Court, and explain what’s happening at every stage.
Moving into residential or nursing care is a significant decision, both emotionally and financially. Care home fees in the UK can exceed £1,000 per week, and without proper planning, families often face difficult choices about selling the family home or depleting savings.
What we can help with:
- Understanding the funding rules: who pays, how much, and when
- Local authority assessments: what Trafford Council (or your local authority) will consider
- Protecting your home: when it can and cannot be included in the means test
- Deferred payment agreements: borrowing against your property instead of selling
- Deprivation of assets: understanding what you can and cannot do with your money
- Trusts and estate planning: structuring your affairs to protect your family’s inheritance
We’ll explain your options clearly and help you make informed decisions before a crisis forces your hand.
It’s never too late to make a Will or update an existing one, but it becomes more urgent as we get older. A properly drafted Will ensures your wishes are followed and can help protect your estate from unnecessary tax or disputes.
What we handle:
- Drafting and updating Wills: including complex family situations
- Trusts: protecting assets for future generations or vulnerable beneficiaries
- Inheritance tax planning: reducing the tax burden on your estate
- Severance of joint tenancy: changing how you own property with a spouse or partner
We also offer Will review appointments for clients who haven’t looked at their Will in years. Circumstances change (marriages, divorces, grandchildren, property purchases) and your Will should reflect your current wishes.
Why Families Choose Hill and Company for their Elderly Relatives
- Home visits as standard. Many of our older clients find it difficult to travel. We offer home visits across Cheshire and South Manchester, including visits to hospitals and care homes. We come to you.
- 170+ years of experience. Hill and Company have been helping families in Altrincham, Hale, Sale, Trafford, and the surrounding areas since 1850. We’ve experienced every situation and know how to help.
- 24/7, 365-day emergency support. When our solicitor acts as your attorney or deputy, you aren’t waiting until Monday morning if something goes wrong. Hospitals, care homes, and carers can reach us day or night.
- Giving a voice to those without one. We advocate for elderly and disabled clients to ensure their wishes are known and followed. That means dignity, autonomy, and someone in their corner when they need it most.
- Law Society Wills & Inheritance Quality accredited. This accreditation confirms our expertise in Wills, Probate, and estate planning. It means our advice meets the highest professional standards.
- One solicitor, start to finish. You won’t be passed between departments. Your dedicated solicitor handles your matter from beginning to end, and they’re the person you speak to when you call.
- We take our time. Older clients and their families often need more time to absorb information and ask questions. We never rush. We explain things as many times as needed, in plain English.
- We work with the whole family. These decisions affect everyone. We’re happy to meet with family members together, explain options, and help you reach decisions that work for everyone involved.
Elderly Client FAQ
What is the difference between an attorney and a deputy?
An attorney is someone you appoint yourself through a Lasting Power of Attorney while you still have mental capacity. A deputy is someone appointed by the Court of Protection after you’ve lost capacity.
The key difference is timing and control. With an LPA, you choose who acts for you and when. With a deputyship, the court decides, and the deputy is subject to ongoing supervision by the Office of the Public Guardian. Deputyships are also more expensive to set up and maintain.
How long does a Court of Protection application take?
A deputyship application typically takes three to six months from submission to receiving the court order. Complex cases, or those where family members disagree, can take longer.
Once appointed, a deputy must register with the Office of the Public Guardian and may need to obtain a security bond before they can act. We handle the entire process and keep you informed at every stage.
Will I have to sell my house to pay for care?
Not necessarily. Whether your home is included in a care home fees assessment depends on your circumstances. Your property is usually disregarded if your spouse or partner still lives there, if a relative over 60 lives there, or if a relative who is incapacitated lives there.
If none of these apply, you may be able to set up a Deferred Payment Agreement with your local authority: essentially a loan secured against your property that’s repaid when the property is eventually sold. We can explain your options and help you understand what Trafford Council (or your local authority) will consider.
What is deprivation of assets?
Deprivation of assets is when someone deliberately reduces their wealth to avoid paying care home fees. This could include giving away money, transferring property, or spending extravagantly.
If the local authority believes you’ve deprived yourself of assets to reduce your care contribution, they can assess you as if you still owned them. The rules are complex and the consequences serious. We can advise on what you can and cannot do with your money and property before care becomes necessary.
Can you visit us at home in Cheshire or South Manchester?
Yes. We offer home visits across Cheshire and South Manchester for clients who cannot easily travel to our Altrincham office. We can meet you at home, in hospital, or in a care home, wherever is most convenient.
Home visits are particularly important for clients who are unwell, have mobility issues, or simply feel more comfortable discussing sensitive matters in familiar surroundings.
Do you offer out-of-hours support for elderly clients?
Yes. When we act as professional attorney or deputy for vulnerable clients, we provide a 24/7, 365-day service. Clients, carers, doctors, nursing homes, and hospitals all have direct access to their solicitor’s personal mobile.
Crises often happen at night or weekends, and that’s exactly when vulnerable people need someone to advocate for them. We don’t know of another law firm that offers this level of support.
How much does a deputyship application cost?
The Court of Protection charges a £421 application fee. If a hearing is required, there’s an additional £259 fee. Once appointed, you’ll pay a £100 assessment fee and an annual supervision fee (£320 for general supervision, or £35 for minimal supervision if managing under £21,000).
Most property and affairs deputies also need a security bond, which is a type of insurance. The cost depends on the value of the estate. Our legal fees are charged on a time-spent basis because every case is different. We’ll provide a clear estimate before we start work.
Contact Our Elderly Client Solicitors in Altrincham
If you’re worried about a parent, spouse, or other family member, or if you want to put your own affairs in order before a crisis arises, we’re here to help.
We’re based in Altrincham town centre and offer home visits across Cheshire and South Manchester for clients who cannot attend our office.
We’re the law firm for life – here when you need to plan ahead, and still here when things get difficult.
