At Hill and Company Solicitors, we have specialised in helping and supporting families to make decisions for elderly people and vulnerable individuals for over 170 years. But what exactly can we help you with, apart from Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Probate? Here are 5 ways we can help you today ....
Deputyships
A deputyship can be applied for when someone lacks the mental capacity to make a decision for themselves at the time the decision needs to be made, i.e. when it is too late to apply for a Lasting Power of Attorney. As a deputy, you will be authorised by the Court of Protection to make decisions on their behalf.
There are 2 types of deputy:
- Property and financial affairs deputy
- Personal welfare deputy
If your application is successful, you will get a court order saying what you can and can’t do. Every year, you must send an annual report to the Office of the Public Guardian explaining the decisions that you’ve made.
Hill and Company Solicitors can help you with your application and yearly reports. We help you decide what type of deputyship to apply for, complete your application and guide you through the process.
Court of Protection Matters
The Court of Protection works to safeguard all vulnerable adults who lack the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. They make a wide range of decisions including:
- Who can access state benefits and when they can be claimed;
- Arranging payments, e.g. care costs;
- Employing a personal care team ;
- Managing accounts, finances and tax;
- Wills;
- Supporting and advising on personal and financial affairs ;
We can help you with any applications you need to make to the Court, as well as help you prepare for any upcoming hearings or reports on the decisions you have made. We have years of experience in dealing with the Court of Protection and can work with you to get you the outcome desired for all parties.
Long Term Care Planning
With people living longer, it’s important to have plans in place in case you or your spouse require long term care in the future. This can be a financial burden for the family and can impacts on your finances, sometimes leading to the sale of important assets like the family home.
Hill and Company Solicitors can work with you to stop this from happening. We can help you create a long term plan to restructure your assets to reduce the burdening cost of long term care. It’s important to always have a plan in place, just in case, as we don’t want you and your family to suffer in the future. We have years of experience, allowing us to give you the best advice possible about your individual situation.
Trusts
A trust can be set up for elderly clients to instruct people on how to manage their money as they become older. You can create a trust for all your assets and assign someone to manage both the trust and any beneficiaries who will inherit the assets.
As the legal wording of a trust needs to be precise, it’s a good idea to instruct a solicitor. We can help you ensure the wording is clear in expressing the exact needs of the client. At Hill and Company Solicitors, we can help you create a trust for yourself or an elderly relative to ensure your assets will be looked after both whilst you’re still alive and after you’ve died.
Care Home Fees
An increasing amount of people are choosing to spend their later years in care homes, due to illness or to wanting company. This can be an expensive choice, so Hill and Company Solicitors can help you plan for this investment.
We can guide you on your current assets and advise you on the best steps to take to ensure you can afford your care home, as well as manage the payment of the fees.
What next?
Our team of specialist elderly and vulnerable client solicitors are able to provide practical legal advice in a sensitive and professional manner to ensure that you are able to protect your loved one’s assets for their future needs. We will work closely with you in order to achieve the best outcome and to ensure your loved ones retain their dignity and independence.
We can meet you in our office or visit you in the comfort of your own home and be assured that you can talk about these sensitive issues in complete confidence.
If you would like to find out more about our elderly client services or book an appointment, contact us on 0161 928 3201 or email us.
