Solicitor appointed to elderly panel

A Clitheroe solicitor has passed the stringent testing to be accepted onto a Specialist Panel for advising the elderly, achieving an impressive 97% in her examination paper and becoming the only local practitioner offering this specialism.

Practise partner, Irene Chenery of Chenery Maher Solicitors on Church Street, recognised the scope for more in-depth knowledge in order to increase the benefit of legal advice to the elderly, whose needs are different and more complicated. The specialist training Irene undertook means that she is now one of only a small number of solicitors in the country qualified as an accredited member of Solicitors for the Elderly.

The SFE is a national organisation committed to providing and promoting concise, comprehensive and independent legal advice for older people, their family and carers. Their remit extends beyond the usual realm of solicitors work in Wills, Probate & Trusts to encompass all aspects of everyday life as they affect the elderly.

“Many solicitors offer standard advice to their senior clients, but we are now in a position to offer far more in-depth specialist advice. We want to be able ensure that our clients – or their aging parents - can have peace of mind in their golden years, safe in the knowledge that the future will be taken care of, whatever it may hold”, explains Irene.

The practice can provide the legal infrastructure to help plan for retirement and beyond, establishing agreed procedures for consent and decision-making powers to be transferred in the event of illness or declining mental capacity. Irene can also increase consideration of relevant tax issues and provide expert specialist advice to help mitigate long term care expenses, including NHS funded support.