How can we help?

Our experienced team are able to advise on a range of legal issues facing individuals and their family when confronted with the daunting prospect of having to make important decisions as well as coping with perceived mental illness.

According to current statistics one in four of the population will experience mental health difficulties in their lifetime.

Who could we help:

• Patients whether living in the community or detained in hospital under section or not
• Families of patients, Next of Kin
• Nearest Relative
• Anyone whose life has been touched by mental illness

Services we provide include:

Advice on legal issues affecting the individual or their family including:

• Advice to individuals on their rights and obvious areas of conflict with the Mental Health Act 1983
• Advice on Human Rights issues relevant to the Act
• Advice and representation before a Mental Health Review Tribunal both for the patient and their Nearest Relative
• Advice for the Nearest Relative on their rights under the Act
• Advice on matters of capacity touching upon such matters as consent to treatment and medication
• Advice on capacity and financial matters
• Advice to discharged patients and their families on the duty of the Authorities to provide and fund aftercare under section 117 of the Act
• Advice on Care and Nursing Home costs

Costs:

Non-means tested public funding is available to all patients subject to detention or restriction in community under the Act for advice to appeal and legal representation before a Mental Health Review Tribunal.

Advice on other topics may be given under the public funding scheme but it is subject to means testing.

For more information on these issues, look at our library of articles, or please contact our Exeter office on 01392 258451.

Our team:

• David Merrick

Links:

• Mind
  http://www.mind.org.uk/
• Local Mind
  http://www.mindex.org.uk/