Southampton: Clarke Willmott’s appointments cater for the aged

The Southampton office of solicitors Clarke Willmott LLP has boosted its Private Client team in order to provide a range of legal services to an increasingly ageing population.

With figures now showing that the number of people over 80 years old will double by 2030, and with a raft of Government changes affecting probate, pensions, tax, elderly care and inheritance, Clarke Willmott has assembled a strong team in Southampton.

Most recent recruit is solicitor Katy Sewell, who joins the Private Capital team helping clients with issues such as the preparation of wills, administration of estates and trust management.  Paralegal Katherine Rhodes, who takes a special interest in Court of Protection and elderly-care matters, has recently stepped up to train as a solicitor. 

Kelly Greig, the partner who leads the team, said: “There are so many changes facing families at the moment and an increasing number of people have elderly relatives who lack the ability to make decisions about their future or need help in making those decisions.

“If the right legal paths are not followed it can mean the difference between a person living comfortably or not. Families can lose out on rightful inheritance, and it is more important than ever before to plan for the future, ensure that care is right for our elderly relatives and that it is delivered properly. We are also seeing an increasing amount of litigation involving families and care organisations.”

Kelly Greig, is one of only 68 solicitors in the country who sits on the Office of the Public Guardian’s national panel of professional deputies working with people who lack ability to make decisions about their finances. 

The Clarke Willmott team includes Jessica Johnston, an associate who specialises in inheritance tax planning, tax efficient wills and succession planning for families;  Charlotte Bromley, a solicitor who provides advice on important welfare decisions, especially when people have declining mental capacity and Helen Stone-Ward, a trainee solicitor who has extensive knowledge in property and supports the whole team.