The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has appointed Coles Miller Solicitors Partner Stuart Bradford to a newly created panel to help manage the property and financial affairs of missing people.
Stuart and his fellow Panel Guardians around the country will be assigned cases by the OPG. These cases are likely to involve the following circumstances:
- no family member has applied to be a guardian
- there is conflict within the family.
Stuart said: “People who go missing need every bit as much protection as other vulnerable members of society.
“I’m looking forward to helping them thanks to the creation of this important new panel. I have liaised closely with the OPG on many occasions so I know how vital its work is.”
Stuart is the head of the Probate department at Coles Miller. His work includes wills, probate, Inheritance Tax advice, trusts, powers of attorney and helping families to secure local authority funding for long-term care.
He already works closely with the OPG through his role as a Panel Deputy for the Court of Protection. He is one of only nine Panel Deputies in the South West and the only one in Dorset.
In his Panel Deputy role, he helps to safeguard the rights of vulnerable people who lack the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. His duties on that panel include investigating cases involving the potential misuse of powers of attorney.
For more information, contact Coles Miller Partner Stuart Bradford, (01202 673011), www.coles-miller.co.uk