Court of Protection: Health & Welfare

Sophy Miles was one of the leading national solicitors handling Court of Protection work before her move to the Bar in 2015. She is an expert on all health and welfare matters and contributes to many of the leading texts in the area. She is routinely instructed by individuals and statutory bodies, as well as the Official Solicitor.

Sophy Miles is incredibly impressive in terms of how quick she is.

Sophy is very approachable, thorough and practical.

Ulele Burnham has a broad practice covering the law relating to mental capacity and mental health. She is also an expert in unlawful detention cases. She has a particular interest in the potential application of the Equality Act 2010 in the context of domestic Court of Protection law.

Ulele has often given practical advice at short notice in very difficult situations.

Ulele is an incredible advocate and is considered to be one of the 'original' counsel in the Court of Protection. This is evident in her skill and experience.

Aswini Weereratne KC acts for all parties in the Court of Protection, including the Official Solicitor, and is renowned for her work in complex cases concerning human rights, mental health and capacity. She is well versed in matters concerning the overlap between the Mental Capacity Act and the Mental Health Act and is a noted deprivation of liberty expert.

Aswini is extremely good to work with, very fair and very approachable.

She is very good strategically and has a very clear sense of direction.

Oliver Lewis is an experienced junior with a recognised expertise in mental health and international disability law. He is regularly instructed to act on behalf of public bodies, family members and the Official Solicitor.

Oliver is patient and able to simplify complex issues and procedures.

Oliver is brilliant to work with and knows the law inside-out.

Oliver is always prepared to make time for clients, or to provide advice and support to solicitors. You always feel better with Oliver on your side.

Stephen Reeder is a well-known specialist in welfare cases who is adept at handling health and welfare matters. He is instructed by a broad range of clients, including healthcare bodies, families and the Official Solicitor.

Stephen is very popular with clients.

Stephen is a very careful and considered lawyer looking to get the best outcome.

Gemma Daly is developing an impressive Court of Protection practice spanning a wide range of health and welfare matters. She acts on cases concerning residence and care as well as COVID-19 vaccinations.

Gemma is very passionate about the area and truly excellent in court. She has thorough drafting and is a robust advocate.

Gemma has a softer approach that helps the cases progress; she is very collaborative.

Gemma is reliable, detailed and always provides practical advice.

She is very thorough, experienced, intelligent and a pleasure to work with.

Mary-Rachel McCabe has a growing profile within both Community Care and Court of Protection. She frequently acts for protected parties in relation to their residence and care arrangements. An increasingly large proportion of her work is on behalf of the Official Solicitor.

Mary-Rachel is a rising star in the Court of Protection. Her preparation and written work are meticulous.

Mary-Rachel gives each case real attention and importance and is realistic, practical and really fun to work with.

Tom Stoate is an experienced junior in the field of health and welfare. He is particularly proficient at handling cases concerning deprivation of liberty and care issues.

Tom is very calm, very helpful and can filter through information quickly and pick out the relevant facts.