ODonnells Solicitors

Mental Capacity Law, including Court of Protection welfare and deprivation of liberty safeguards. In particular, we specialise in the representation of patients across the whole spectrum of mental health and capacity. We have been involved in very high profile cases and are helping to develop the law in relation to the deprivation of liberty of incapacitated individuals.

All our fee earning staff are graduates. Five are accredited as specialists in mental health law by the Law Society. We employ fully qualified lawyers. That means solicitors although we do have to recruit and train new ones over time as we grow. What this means for you is reassurance. We have met every known problem in mental health law and have the resources to deal with it, personally: when you instruct us you get us, not an agent. We have a commitment and wealth of experience throughout our practice, which specialises in every aspect of mental health law.

It is possible for someone without mental capacity to be deprived of their liberty. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (commonly known as DOLS) are designed so that the law can regulate this. The deprivation of liberty safeguards are contained in a quite extraordinarily complicated schedule of the Mental Capacity Act.

When a relative moves into residential care, the local authority will assess the individual's means to pay for their care. At present anyone with assets or savings over 23,250 will be required to pay for their own social care and accommodation. Those with assets below this threshold will still be required to contribute from their income.