At Barwells Solicitors we have over 100 years of knowledge and experience in providing advice on the law as it affects the elderly and vulnerable. We provide legal advice and practical assistance to our clients, their families and carers.
We are particularly concerned:
- To take care to understand our elderly/vulnerable clients’ needs and wishes
- To provide clear and constructive advice
- To provide peace of mind
- To respond rapidly to requests for advice
- To make house, care home or hospital calls where appropriate
We offer a wide range of services for our elderly/vulnerable clients including:
- Advising on and drawing up valid Wills
- Preparing and advising on Lasting Powers of Attorney for both financial and welfare decisions,
- Dealing with the registration of Lasting and Enduring Powers of Attorney
- Acting as attorneys and deputies dealing with the day-to-day administration of a client’s property and affairs
- Advising attorneys and deputies on their rights and responsibilities
- Advising on and handling applications to the Court of Protection
- Advising on and preparing Wills and Trusts that provide for vulnerable dependants
- Advising on issues of legal authority for decision making, capacity and best interests
The best advice is to plan ahead for the future, to know who will make decisions for you when you are less able to cope, what those decisions will be and when they can be made.
However, sometimes even the best laid plans go wrong and sometimes it is just not possible to plan ahead. Circumstances change or relatives fall out, or there is a crisis that needs to be resolved. Sometimes there is an unexpected and serious illness, or a partner dies.
We quite often act for elderly clients whose closest relatives live and work abroad, and there is no one nearby for them to rely on. We know the importance of good communication with the relative abroad and in these circumstances to ensure the worry that they have for their relative is minimised.
Sometimes our clients have encountered a life-threatening illness or changing mental health which leaves them incapable of managing independently, and they have to move to long term residential care. We work with health care professionals and funders to ensure our clients receive the best care available.
Inheritance tax, care and wealth planning
You may need independent financial advice at any one of the key stages in your life, but this becomes more important as you face retirement because you may have concerns about
long term care when your property and assets may need extra protection, or
if you are considering your Will and how to provide for loved ones after you die if you know that you are likely to need long term residential care.
Working with you we can help you to develop a plan that organises your financial assets as efficiently as possible. Our Solicitors regularly advise on care-funding, can explain the options available and wherever possible help you to manage your assets so they will continue to provide for your care.
Poor planning could also mean that more Inheritance Tax (IHT) than necessary may need to be paid by your beneficiaries and we can assist you to draw up a Will that provides a solid foundation in making full use of IHT allowances and exemptions.
As we are not financial advisors you may need independent financial advice to organise insurance policies or investments, and we can provide advice to assist you with finding the right financial advisor for your circumstances.
Please call us on 01323 899331 for initial advice or an appointment, or alternatively please email admin@barwells.com
Home and hospital visits for elderly, ill or disabled clients
We realise that sometimes our client’s circumstances prevent our client’s from being able to visit us in our offices.
This is not a problem for us as we routinely arrange to visit clients in their own home, hospital ward or residential care home.
- We don’t charge anything extra for home or hospital visits for our elderly, ill or disabled clients
- We try to arrange a time that is convenient for our clients
- When we visit we do not try to outstay our welcome
- We won’t try to sell unnecessary and additional legal products that will increase expenditure needlessly