I want to talk today about valuing your legal team, and how legal teams can adapt their ways of working to be more valuable. Because in private practice, lawyers are working in an open market. If they don’t attract clients, and deliver high quality services, then their income dries up. In-house lawyers don’t have toContinue reading “Making the best use of in-house legal teams”
Tag Archives: Basics
Court process: displacement of nearest relative – part 2 making the application
This is the second post in this series. If you haven’t seen it, it’s available here. So what happens after the AMHP has spoken to the legal team and its been agreed that a displacement, or appointment, of a nearest relative is needed? Well, let me tell you. In my authority, as I’m sure inContinue reading “Court process: displacement of nearest relative – part 2 making the application”
Court process: displacement of nearest relative – part 1 identifying the need for displacement/appointment
I am sure that any of you who are AMHP trained are familiar with the provisions of S29 Mental Health Act 1983 that enable the county court to displace a nearest relative and appoint someone to act as nearest relative in their place. But unless you have done this before, or have received some practicalContinue reading “Court process: displacement of nearest relative – part 1 identifying the need for displacement/appointment”
Revised MCA covid-19 guidance published
Last week, the government published its updated guidance on application on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards during the pandemic. I read this over the weekend (no, I don’t have anything better to do!). If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s here. It doesn’t look to me like a huge amountContinue reading “Revised MCA covid-19 guidance published”
Spot the difference: The need for precision in capacity assessments
I wrote previously about the importance of evidence and not making assumptions here. It’s something I have been thinking about again, in the context of some work I was involved with over the last few weeks. Because I was involved with 2 cases with very different facts, but raising a central issue around assessing capacityContinue reading “Spot the difference: The need for precision in capacity assessments”
Burn out, fatigue and a hypothetical fresh start
It may (or may not) surprise you to learn that whilst a large number of people study law each year, a fairly small proportion of those people actually have careers in law. And an even smaller proportion actually end up as qualified solicitors or barristers, but it’s true. Using just my own experience, I wouldContinue reading “Burn out, fatigue and a hypothetical fresh start”
A day in the life of: lawyer in lockdown
Like many organisations, we are still working from home as much as possible. Our legal team have been told that we should expect to be one of the last to return to the office because we are doing ‘so well’ from home. Now I would dispute that analysis, given how fragmented the team has become,Continue reading “A day in the life of: lawyer in lockdown”
Let’s talk about court process – bonus: remote hearings
It occurred to me, helping one of my social workers prepare for a video hearing today, how little information about what actually happens in a remote hearing is available to anyone not ‘in the know’ with the court. So I thought I would add my thoughts, in the hope it might help some of you.Continue reading “Let’s talk about court process – bonus: remote hearings”
A massive relief when training goes to plan
Today I delivered some virtual training on analytical thinking as a practice skill for Best Interests Assessors and practitioners more generally for a lovely group of our in-house BIAs. This was the brain child of our DoLS manager and I and had been causing me no small amount of concern. Because I’ve never delivered skillsContinue reading “A massive relief when training goes to plan”
Sometimes the pieces don’t fit together
I started off with high hopes for today. I set myself a manageable list of tasks and intended to finish early and recalibrate myself after a fairly jarring return to the office. How foolish was I? And instead I am left feeling utterly deflated and quite demoralised, having spent most of my day trying toContinue reading “Sometimes the pieces don’t fit together”