ABBOTSTONE LAW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Solicitor
- Member of the Law Society 's Mental Health Accreditation Scheme
- Mental Capacity Consultant Solicitor
Angela is a member of the Law Society's Mental Capacity (Welfare) Accreditation Scheme and has fulfilled the additional quality standards for approval under that scheme as an Accredited Legal Representative (‘ALR'). Angela is regularly appointed as an ALR by the court in appropriate cases as an alternative to a litigation friend.
Angela is also a member of the Law Society's Mental Health Accreditation Scheme.
"Angela Smith is an outstanding solicitor. Her approach is thorough and person centred, she looks at every angle that could be explored to enable the best result for P. Every case is individual. Angela's knowledge of the MCA is incredible."
Angela has been involved in a range of cases before the Court of Protection under s.16 and s.21A of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 as well as in judicial review proceedings in the Administrative Court.
Antony qualified as a General Nurse in 1986. His NHS nursing career progressed to him moving into the management of Community and Mental Health Services at a senior level.
After leaving the NHS he became an Associate Hospital Manager, chairing and sitting as a panel member on Hospital Manager Hearings. This gave him considerable understanding of the impact that compulsory detention under the Mental Health Act has on a person's life and on the lives of those that surround them.
Motivated by personal stories, Antony trained to become a Solicitor with the aim of practising mental health law and qualifying in 2009. Antony represents a cross section of detained and community patients, both civil and restricted. His cross practise in criminal law equipping him with specialist knowledge to represent forensic patients subject to special restrictions and those transferred from prison to hospitals. He became a Member of the Law Society's Mental Health Accreditation Scheme in 2011 and is a specialist solicitor representing the rights of vulnerable individuals.
Antony provides a full range of services to include advising and assisting at CPA/117 meetings, representing clients at Hospital Managers Hearings and First-tier Tribunals; and representing Nearest Relatives in displacement proceedings in the County Court.
Christopher studied Ancient and Modern History at Keble College Oxford University before completing the Common Professional Exam and the Bar Vocational Course. He was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple and lectured for many years at The University of Northumbria in Newcastle upon Tyne. He holds a Master of Laws degree in Canon Law from The University of Cardiff. He has taught on a broad range of courses both academic, undergraduate and postgraduate, and professional courses such as the BPTC and Professional Skills Courses for trainee solicitors. He was the Programme Leader for the LLB incorporating the Bar Vocational. He completed his LLM dissertation on the canonical and civil regulation of sexuality and has contributed to the Ecclesiastical Law Journal. He also wrote regularly for the Legal Executive Journal and contributed towards Public Law texts for students. He retains a great interest in History of many different periods, enjoys reading literature, and takes a keen interest in Church Affairs.
Since retiring from academia Christopher has moved into legal practice and now specialises in mental health law representing patients liable to be detained in hospital under civil and restricted sections of the Mental Health Act 1983.
Christopher is a keen advocate for patient's rights and is committed to ensuring that the rights of vulnerable persons are protected.
Ellie took on her role as Finance Clerk at the beginning of 2021. She has previous experience working as an Accounts Assistant, obtaining an AAT Foundation Certificate in Accounting.
Fatima qualified as a solicitor in 2002 and is a member of the Law Society's Mental Health Accreditation Scheme.
She has been a Criminal Duty Solicitor since 2005 and represents clients at Police Stations and Courts.
Fatima's legal practice focuses on the representation of clients detained under section 2, section 3 of the Mental Health Act and client's receiving treatment under a Community Treatment Order.
She is passionate about protecting the rights of vulnerable people and committed to ensuring clients receive support and understanding in dealing with their mental health matters.
Fatima has broad experience in representing nearest relatives in displacement proceedings in the County Court.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Solicitor
- Mental Capacity Consultant Solicitor
Frances trained as a barrister and was called to the Bar in 1998, cross-qualifying as a solicitor in 2007. She has higher rights of audience in all proceedings in England and Wales. Committed to representing those confined within the mental health system and disadvantaged by mental illness, she began exclusively to practice mental health law in 2004.
Frances has a particular interest in human rights issues such as deprivation of liberty and rights to private and family life, to a fair hearing, and to freedom from inhumane and degrading treatment. Apart from Court of Protection and tribunal work, she has successfully issued habeas corpus proceedings in respect of those unlawfully detained, and advised and represented clients in judicial review applications.
For many years, Frances' practice was divided between mental health and mental capacity work. Her Mental Health Act work mostly involved the representation of patients detained in hospital or liable to detention in the community, and to a lesser degree the representation of nearest relatives and patients in displacement proceedings initiated by local authorities in the County Court. Her Mental Capacity Act work included representation in welfare and deprivation of liberty applications, the drafting of lasting powers of attorney, deputyship and statutory will applications. Her extensive work in both Mental Health and Mental Capacity law has provided her with a particularly good grasp of the complex interface between the two statutory regimes.
Frances now concentrates on health and welfare cases in the Court of Protection, where she is regularly instructed by the Official Solicitor in deprivation of liberty challenges and best interests proceedings. Her ability to engage constructively with litigants in person adds both to the efficient progression of cases and to the administration of justice.
Frances speaks French as a second language.
Job Titles:
- Head of Mental Capacity Department
Jessica joined Abbotstone Law in February 2018 after many years in publishing and PR including running her own consultancy and has developed a compassion for the needs of the clients with whom she is often first point of contact. She oversees the running the office on a day-to-day basis and acts as the link for many of the firm's principal processes.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Law Society 's Mental Health Accreditation Scheme
Lara qualified as a solicitor in 2005 and is a long standing member of the Law Society's Mental Health Accreditation Scheme. In 2007 Lara was made a partner of the firm she qualified with, before moving on to Head of Department at the largest provider of publicly funded services.
In 2012, Lara was appointed by the Law Society as an Assessor for candidates applying to become members of the Law Society's Mental Health Accreditation Scheme.
Lara is a specialist mental health practitioner, with extensive experience advising and representing a cross section of civil and restricted clients detained under the Mental Health Act, from those detained in conditions of maximum security, through to general acute settings and clients receiving treatment under Community Treatment Orders. She has successfully appealed decisions of the First-tier Tribunal (Mental Health), has represented client's in judicial review proceedings, and in nearest relative displacement proceedings before the County Court. More recently, Lara has represented in Section 21A Court of Protection proceedings, challenging authorisations granted under the deprivation of liberty safeguards regime.
Lara is dedicated to publically funded work and representing those most vulnerable in society, with a particular interest in representing conditionally discharged patients seeking an absolute discharge.
In recognition of her work in this area of law, Lara was listed as a Rising Star in Super Lawyers 2013.
As a founding partner, Lara is appointed as the firm's Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration.
Lara is a trust appointed school governor, she has been closely involved in a recent Ofsted inspection and the school conversion to academy status.
Job Titles:
- Mental Capacity Solicitor
Lucinda graduated from the University of Kent, Canterbury, with a 2:1 in Law. She went on to study the BVC at The Inns of Court School of Law and qualified as a Solicitor under the QLTT scheme in 2012
Having initially practiced in Mental Health Law, Lucinda now specialises in Mental Capacity Law (Health and Welfare) and assists in applications to the Court of Protection to review deprivation of liberty standard authorisations. As well as representing individuals who have been deprived of their liberty, Lucinda also represents family members seeking a review of their loved ones care, treatment and placement.
Lucinda has a long standing dedication to ensuring vulnerable adults access to justice and ensuring that those who may be disadvantaged are afforded a chance to have any restrictions reviewed in a legal setting.
Peter is a specialist mental health solicitor accredited under the Law Society's Mental Health Accreditation Scheme since 2001 dealing with a cross section of cases, ranging from clients detained in general acute settings to those detained in conditions of maximum security.
He represents patients detained under all sections of the Mental Health Act before the First-tier Tribunal and Hospital Managers as well as transferred/lifer prisoners whose cases are referred to the Parole Board. Peter regularly represents his client's interests at Care Programme Approach and Section 117 Meetings. Peter is passionate about his work and committed to ensuring that his clients human rights are safeguarded and that they receive the best possible support available to facilitate their discharge into the community.
He also represents nearest relatives subject to displacement proceedings before the County Court, as well as advising them of their rights under the Act.
Further to his Mental Health work, Peter also specialises in mental capacity law and featured as a recommended practitioner in the Legal 500 2017 edition.
Peter is fluent in Yoruba.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Solicitor
- Mental Capacity Consultant Solicitor
In 2020 Rhiannon Jones was appointed as a Fee paid Tribunal Judge of the First Tier Tribunal Social Security Chamber.
"Rhiannon Jones is always easy to work with, helps cut through any legal jargon, and is very friendly and approachable whilst being able to fight on behalf of the protected party. Rhiannon is often on hand to talk matters through and nothing ever seems too much trouble for her"
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Solicitor
- Solicitor and Member of the Law Society 's Mental Health Accreditation Scheme
Sam is a solicitor and member of the Law Society's Mental Health Accreditation Scheme. Prior to working in the field of mental health law, he had specialist experience of representing prisoners before the Parole Board.
Sam prides himself on representing clients with dedication and empathy. He has previous experience working for a charity as a youth mentor and volunteering at a homeless kitchen.
Sam read Modern History as an undergraduate at Oxford University, before undertaking postgraduate legal training.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Solicitor
- Founding Member of the Committee to the Mental Health Lawyers Association