Spotlight on: Care & Capacity team

There are few things more important than how we care for our elderly, vulnerable, and infirm. This is something Lodders’ Care & Capacity team understand better than most.

Led by Sharon Crosby, the Care & Capacity team helps vulnerable clients and their carers manage the legal issues that affect them, providing support on a variety of complex matters that most of us don’t think about until we really have to. These include lasting powers of attorney, preparation of advance decisions, Court of Protection applications, provision of care and funding, and advice for attorneys and deputies.

Clients first, always

Lodders’ Care & Capacity team’s main focus has been, and always will be, its clients. Sharon explains: “Our role often involves assisting extremely vulnerable individuals and their families in navigating the complex legal and practical challenges of managing financial affairs when they cannot do so themselves. This could be because their world has been turned upside down by dementia, or because an illness or injury has left them dependent on others.”

Evolution of the team

The Care & Capacity team has developed significantly in recent years, with new solicitors recruited and dedicated administrators added to its ranks—changes all aimed at reducing costs for clients and boosting efficiencies. In 2022, the firm established the Lodders Trust Corporation Ltd to assist with private client work. This means that, where a professional attorney or deputy is required, the Care & Capacity team can now appoint the Lodders Trust Corporation instead of an individual solicitor. Ultimately, this avoids delays if an individual is away from the office and provides continuity for clients.

The team has also advanced its service offerings, developing a tailored retainer service to stay in regular contact with clients and ensure they are prepared to act as attorneys when needed. With an adapted team structure, the team can now handle a broader range of work, including contentious situations and complex legal matters like the removal of incapable trustees.

Professional recognition

Underpinning the team’s commitment to providing the highest quality legal advice, key members have achieved notable qualifications. Sharon Crosby and Michael Neal-Brook are accredited members of the Association of Lifetime Lawyers, and Sharon has also completed the STEP Advanced Certificate in Advising Vulnerable Clients. All members of the Care & Capacity team are Dementia Friends and actively support The Thalidomide Trust, with Michael in particular providing advisory services.

The Thalidomide Trust

The Thalidomide Trust is a registered charity that supports a unique community of people who are living with disabilities as a result of their mothers taking the drug thalidomide during the first three months of pregnancy. The Trust was set up in 1973 as a discretionary trust, as part of the legal settlement between Distillers Company Ltd and 429 children with thalidomide-related disabilities.

The charity was initially set up as a way of distributing money, but it has become a great deal more than that. The Trust provides financial, emotional and practical support, helping beneficiaries to respond to challenges that they face and anticipate for the future whilst remaining independent and living in their own homes.

We can support you

Lodders skilled team has a wealth of experience in supporting clients with a range of issues, such as wills & estate planning, inheritance & capital gains tax advice, probate services, tax & trusts. For more information, or to speak to a member of our Care & Capacity team, please click here.

This article first appeared in Lodders Life Issue 10. Click here to read Issue 10 in full.