Meet our Court of Protection Team

Not many lawyers have photographs of their clients posted on the walls of their office. Few get invited to 40th birthday parties, or share in celebrations for their other red-letter days.

But as a Professional Deputy, Lynne Morgan’s role is unlike any other at JCP Solicitors, and it is distinct from that of legal practitioners working in any other field of law.

Working from all of the JCP offices, from Cardiff, Swansea, Caerphilly and throughout Pembrokeshire, Lynne and her ten-strong team are all able to be in regular, face-to-face contact with their clients, since they are very much based within the communities they serve.

Highly motivated experts in their field of traumatic brain injury claims, the Court of Protection team act as financial guardians when someone’s decision-making abilities have been affected by neurological conditions. It is a demanding role, which calls for unique skills, great empathy, careful judgement, and the sharpest of legal expertise.

Many of the Court of Protection team’s clients’ have sustained injuries at birth or through traumatic accidents and their lives have been irrevocably changed. Along with her team, Lynne is passionate about supporting her clients and their families, with her core aim to support and empower her clients to live as full a life as possible after catastrophe.

The role is extensive and varied. If you consider what you need to do each day or month in order to manage your affairs, this will give you an idea of a Professional Deputy’s involvement. Arrangements they take care of include:

• Safeguarding and putting to best use, compensation awarded from catastrophic accident claims
• Purchase and sale of property and vehicles
• Arranging the adaptation of houses or vehicles to suit particular needs
• Arranging care teams and other medical provision
• Payment of mortgage and bills on time
• Allocation of monthly allowance
• Liaising with experts regarding investments and pensions
• Tax returns and other official documentation

Over and above the practical arrangements, the role of a Professional Deputy requires a unique set of interpersonal skills to negotiate complex circumstances.

For example, a Professional Deputy must be adept at dealing with the emotions of a client’s family and with the complex emotions of the client too, whose personality is likely to have been impacted by their injuries.

The relationships Lynne holds can be the longest relationships any lawyer has with their clients, often starting with the parents whilst the client is still a baby.

It is a testimony to her that when Lynne became a Professional Deputy in 2013, the team was helping 27 people. Now supported by a team of ten, Lynne actively assists 65 clients, with a combined asset value of circa £60 million.

As a further commitment to this important area of law, Lynne is actively involved with groups and charities that give assistance to her clients. She is the Secretary of Headway Carmarthenshire, a group which meets every month to give those with brain injuries and their families a safe place to share experiences, seek advice and socialise. Lynne is also a committee member of the South West Wales Brain Injury Group, which runs an annual conference for medical professionals and brain injury survivors and their carers.

If you would like to get in touch regarding this topic, please feel free to contact Lynne on 01792 529 671 or alternatively via email at lynne.morgan@jcpsolicitors.co.uk

Lynne’s exemplary skills were recognised recently when she won the Swansea Bay Professional Woman of the Year 2017 title. Lynne is also the former treasurer of Welsh Personal Injury Lawyers and a former member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

Lynne Morgan wins the Professional Woman category of Swansea bay Woman of The year 2017.