Power of Attorney & Court of Protection Services

Planning ahead ensures your affairs can be managed smoothly if you ever lose the ability to make decisions for yourself. At Rutherfords LLP, we provide expert advice on Powers of Attorney, helping you appoint trusted individuals to handle your financial matters, health decisions and personal welfare with clarity and confidence. If you are helping someone who has not made a power of attorney and lacks mental capacity, our team also offers specialist support with Court of Protection applications, including the appointment of Deputies, statutory wills and ongoing management responsibilities. We can guide you through these sensitive and often complex processes.

Power of Attorney & Court of Protection Services

Planning Ahead, Protecting Your Interests

A Lasting Power of Attorney is one of the most important legal documents you can put in place to ensure that, if you ever become unable to make decisions for yourself, someone you trust can step in and act on your behalf. At Rutherfords LLP, our specialists provide clear, supportive guidance to help you make the right arrangements for the future.

Lasting Powers of Attorney are particularly valuable for peace of mind. They allow you to choose who will manage your affairs, rather than leaving your family facing uncertainty or the need for complex court applications at a distressing time.

What Is a Lasting Power of Attorney?

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) allows you to appoint one or more attorneys to make decisions for you if you become physically incapable or should you lose mental capacity. There are two types of LPA:

Property & Financial Affairs LPA

This LPA allows your chosen attorney(s) to manage your financial matters, including:

  • Managing bank accounts
  • Paying bills and household expenses
  • Handling investments, pensions and tax matters
  • Buying or selling property
  • Managing day-to-day financial decisions

You can choose whether your attorney can act while you still have capacity, or only if you lose capacity in the future.

Health & Welfare LPA

This LPA allows your attorney(s) to make decisions about your:

  • Medical treatment and care
  • Daily routines
  • Living arrangements, including moving into care
  • Life-sustaining treatment decisions

A Health & Welfare LPA can only be used if you cannot make these decisions yourself.

Our Power of Attorney Service

We take time to understand your personal and family circumstances. We then draft your LPAs, ensure they are correctly signed, and arrange for registration with the Office of the Public Guardian.

We can also assist attorneys in registering ‘old style’ Enduring Powers of Attorney when the donor is starting to or has lost mental capacity.

Court of Protection Services

The Court of Protection is a specialist court that makes decisions for people who cannot make decisions for themselves due to mental incapacity. If someone has not created a Power of Attorney and loses capacity, an application may be required.

When Is a Court of Protection Application Needed?

Applications may be required to:

  • Appoint a Deputy for financial affairs
  • Manage property, bank accounts or investments
  • Deal with the sale of a home
  • Resolve family disputes
  • Apply for a Statutory Will

How We Can Help

Our specialist team can assist with:

  • Deputyship applications
  • Supporting Deputies with their legal duties
  • Managing finances and assets
  • Preparing annual accounts to the Public Guardian
  • Obtaining court orders for property and financial decisions
  • Advice on mental capacity issues and safeguarding concerns

Why Choose Rutherfords LLP?

Clients trust us for our:

  • Clear and practical advice
  • Expertise in Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection matters
  • Efficient document preparation
  • Supportive, tailored service

Start Planning Today

Whether you want to put Powers of Attorney in place or need help managing a loved one’s affairs through the Court of Protection, we are here to help.

Contact us today to arrange a confidential discussion.

Team Members

Partner

Tony Illsley
Rebbeca Taylor
Partner

Rebecca Taylor
Private Client Paralegal

Michelle Green

Partner

Tony Illsley

Tony qualified as a solicitor in 1990 and has a background of litigation experience including defending clinical negligence claims for healthcare professionals and panel membership of the Medical Defence Union. Tony became the partner in charge of the Private Client Department in 2007 and now specialises as a probate solicitor.

Tony deals with all aspects of private client work concerning drafting wills, inheritance tax, estate planning and trusts, lasting powers of attorney, appointment of deputies, and dealings with the Court of Protection and Office of the Public Guardian. Tony acts as a professional attorney, an executor and trustee, and as a professional deputy receiving referrals from the local adult safeguarding team.

Appointed the panel solicitor for the Staffordshire area for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, Tony regularly attends meetings at the Air Ambulance headquarters in Stourbridge and is proud to support and raise funds for this charity. Tony is also a panel member of the National Free Wills Network supporting over 70 local and national charities. 

With a litigation background, he also continues to deal with contentious probate cases including Inheritance Act claims, contesting a will, claims regarding lack of mental capacity, and claims for and against executors.

Tony is the compliance officer for legal practice (COLP) for Rutherfords LLP.

Rebbeca Taylor

Partner

Rebecca Taylor

Rebecca joined Rutherfords in 2018, as part of the expansion of the Private Client Department.

Rebecca has a wealth of experience working in Wills & Probate for over 15 years and qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2015.

Rebecca deals with all aspects of Private Client work such as Wills and Powers of Attorney but specialises in Administration of estates, including farming estates, Inheritance tax planning, Probate (including Grants of Probate, full administration and letters of administration) as well as deeds of variation and trusts. Rebecca also has extensive experience in dealing with transfers of property to beneficiaries.

Private Client Paralegal

Michelle Green

MIchelle is an experienced Paralegal in our Private Client Team dealing with Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney for Finance & Property and Health & Welfare.

Services

Call us on: 01827 311411

Contact
Ventura House, Ventura Park Road,
Tamworth, Staffordshire B78 3HL
T: 01827 311411
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