Health & social care

Mental health & capacity

Mental health law is an extremely specialised area that requires both a rapid response and accurate advice to avoid mistakes. Whether patients are detained in High Secure Hospitals or are informal or living in the community, our mental health lawyers have an unrivalled track record in giving you clear guidance on sensitive legal issues. By attending decision-making meetings and reviewing the supporting documentation and policies, we can help to make your decisions final and keep you out of the courts and the newspapers. If required we can act as advocates in Mental Health Review Tribunals and we have an excellent reputation for defending our clients at judicial review. Naturally, we prefer to work proactively and our specialist mental health lawyers can help formulate policies and procedures and provide internal training to help prevent this happening in the first place.

Should you need emergency advice, as a client you will always have 24 hour access to  advisory team for speedy and accurate advice.

We can help you in the following areas:

Mental health legislation advice
  • Advice for MHA administrators
  • Policy advice
  • Treatment
  • Challenges by and on behalf of patients
Mental capacity legislation advice
  • Best interest decisions and treatment under the Mental Capacity Act
  • Treatment and the Human Rights Act
  • Protection of vulnerable adults, Safeguarding
  • Treatment of children
Deprivation of Liberty safeguards advice
Exceptional treatment and funding issues
  • Eligibility criteria
  • Continuing/community care / S.117 after care
  • Funding responsibilities and overseas treatment
  • Innovative working methods
Human Rights legislation
Gender Recognition and Reassignment legislation
Legal proceedings
  • First Tier and Appeal Tribunal – advice and representation
  • Judicial Reviews
  • Negligence proceedings
  • Best interests disputes
  • Court of Protection

In addition we can also offer the following services:

  • Policy advice / policy reviews
  • Social care issues
  • Training

Mental health partners

Lindsay Gee (consultant)
Gerard Hanratty
Majid Hassan
Philip Hatherall
Ashley Irons
Francis Lyons
Rob Wilson