Leading mental health lawyers have warned that whilst the current lockdown across the region is clearly in the best interests of people’s physical wellbeing, it is also causing additional problems for those with mental health issues.

Q: My husband and I are housebound due to health problems, but we have a niece whom we trust implicitly, who visits us regularly. We would like her to assist with handling our finances, including making trips to the banks on our behalf. A friend said if we set up an ‘Enduring power of attorney’ we could legally appoint our niece as a deputy to help us. Otherwise, if we lost mental capacity without setting one up, we would have to wait for the court to appoint someone to act on our behalf whom we didn’t know.  What do we need to do?

Since a Supreme Court judgment in 2014 lawyers have seen a dramatic increase in the number of applications made to the court to challenge authorisations for patients to be sectioned under s21A of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Q:  I live with my partner. We are not married but we have a joint bank account and a joint mortgage, and we purchased our house as joint tenants. We also have equal savings offsetting our mortgage in the account. The big difference is that my partner earns almost twice as much as me and when we purchased the property, he put up most of the deposit. So, if we split up would the property be split equally, irrespective of who put up the most deposit? And would I be entitled to withdraw my half of the savings? Finally, would the fact that he pays a bigger proportion of the bills give him more entitlement?

A local law firm has reported a massive increase in the number of people wanting Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) drawn up to protect their wishes, their assets and their families in the event that they are faced with a worse-case scenario during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Q: My ex-husband’s father said he would leave money to my nineteen-year-old daughter when he died. A year after his death, nothing has appeared. My daughter’s father and uncle were the executors of the Will and her uncle continues to live in her grandfather’s house. I have approached my ex-husband, but he refuses to discuss it with me. Can I get a copy of the Will? And if it shows the old man’s wishes were not carried out, what can I do to ensure my daughter gets what is due to her?

Q:  We have lived the past ten years in dread of our daughter marrying her lazy partner, but at Christmas she announced they will marry in the Summer of 2020. As our only child she is the sole beneficiary of our Wills. Now we are terrified that our future son-in-law could end up with half her inheritance if they later divorce - if he hasn’t already squandered it away - and that our two grandchildren will not benefit later on. Is there any way we can put conditions in our Wills to protect our assets solely for the benefit of our daughter and grandchildren?

North Wales and Shropshire law firm, GHP Legal, has announced the qualification of another trainee solicitor. GHP Legal, which employs around one hundred staff at its offices in Wrexham, Oswestry, Llangollen and Chirk, is a long-time supporter of the solicitor training programme.

Q:  My partner is giving me a hard time about making a Will. But if neither of us has any children to fight over it, and my half of the house we bought together is less than the Statutory Legacy amount that I believe has just increased to £270,000, why would I need to make a Will?

Q: My brother has suffered mental illness for many years. His son and his wife have both died in the past twelve months and I think this has affected him far more badly than he realises. I am currently visiting him every week because I am so worried about him. I think he needs to be admitted to hospital for treatment as I believe he is a danger to himself, but he won’t discuss it. His wife always took responsibility for him when his mental health deteriorated in the past, but now he has no-one. Is there anything I can do?