Matthew Edwards is appointed Panel Deputy

Pinney Talfourd is delighted to announce that Matthew Edwards has been appointed to the Court of Protection Panel of Professional Deputies.
Matthew is a Partner and Head of the Private Client Team and was appointed to this prestigious panel on 1 June.

A Panel Deputy is a specialist person appointed by the Court of Protection to assist people who lack mental capacity to independently manage their financial affairs. This is often as a result of a mental illness or brain injury. In some circumstances a Panel Deputy will also need to assist with decisions that affect a person’s health or general welfare.

Matthew’s appointment makes him one of only 68 Panel Deputies in the country following a lengthy three stage selection process that attracted over 900 applicants.

Matthew commented:
“This prestigious appointment is deserved recognition of the depth and breadth of expertise that Pinney Talfourd offers and I’m pleased to say that as a result we will be able to support some of the most vulnerable people in society.”

Matthew continued:
“A Court of Protection Deputyship is an essential legal process that ensures that those who lack mental capacity are safeguarded in society. In most cases, however, the involvement of the Court of Protection can be avoided if instead the person affected prepared a Lasting Power of Attorney when they still had the requisite mental capacity to do so. A Lasting Power of Attorney allows a person to select an individual, usually a family member, to manage their financial affairs in the event that they later lose mental capacity. It is also possible to appoint an attorney to make future decisions relating to health and general welfare. The role of a Deputy can be an administratively burdensome, time consuming and expensive process by comparison which is why I recommend to all of my clients that they have Lasting Powers of Attorney prepared to cover the event of future loss of mental capacity.”

Matthew leads a team of seven dedicated private client solicitors who specialise in the areas of Court of Protection, Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Trusts, Estate Planning and Probate Administration.

To find out more about their services please visit:
Wills, Tax, Trusts and Probate
Elderly Client Services