Jamie Woods recently joined Boyes Turner’s Court of Protection team. He joined us following over 10 years in personal injury claims, taking a courageous leap in changing specialisms and retraining in Court of Protection.
What kind of personal injury claims were you involved in?
For the past 10+ years I’ve acted on behalf of clients who had suffered a personal injury, particularly those suffering from complex industrial disease.
What attracted you to Court of Protection work and Boyes Turner?
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed personal injury claims, I reached a point in my career where I wanted to embrace a fresh challenge.
I have taken great pride in having dedicated my career to building lasting relationships with my clients and helping them achieve outcomes which can make a real difference to their lives. I therefore wanted to pursue a change of specialism which allowed me to continue this. Court of Protection immediately stood out to me as being such an area of practice.
Starting a new journey in your career is a very daunting experience, especially when you have been working in a particular role for so long. It was therefore important to me to not only choose the right practice specialism, but choose the right law firm to work with.
It is true that not all law firms are the same. I was already aware that Boyes Turner had a highly regarded and respected Court of Protection team and when the opportunity came up to become part of that, I didn’t hesitate to apply.
Ruth Meyer, who heads up the Court of Protection team, is exceptionally passionate about the work she does, the clients she acts for and the team she has. I knew when I first met Ruth that working with her and working within Court of Protection was right for me.
What work are you currently doing?
I am currently involved in the management of day to day financial matters for high value Deputyships and Trusts. This sees me acting on behalf of some of the most vulnerable people in society, from severely disabled children & young adults to the elderly.
My work involves assisting with decisions in relation to investments, personal budgets, capital expenditure, property sale/purchase and coordinating property adaptations tailored to individual clients with disabilities - including those who have received a damages award as a result of medical negligence or catastrophic injury.
How does the work you did previously help you in your new role?
Working within personal injury claims you can often find yourself working with clients who are experiencing difficult and challenging circumstances in their lives. It was therefore important to ensure I fully understood their needs and that I acted in their best interests as efficiently and as sensitively as possible.
Court of Protection is fast paced, in depth and challenging. No one day is the same and you can find yourself juggling various tasks at once, as well as finding yourself dealing with very difficult and sensitive issues. You therefore have to be able to meticulously manage your time, deal with issues under pressure, and put the client at the heart of everything you do in a supportive, patient and compassionate manner. These are skills that I had already developed over my career and they have proven invaluable to me when joining the Boyes Turner Court of Protection team.
What sort of work do you enjoy doing now you are in Court of Protection?
I enjoy meeting clients and having the opportunity to work closely with them and their families to find solutions which will help improve their quality of life.
I recently met a young girl with cerebral palsy, arising from medical negligence at birth. Working closely with her family, we helped her to obtain an all-terrain wheelchair so she could enjoy trips to the beach. She absolutely loves it and the wheelchair gives her the mobility to have experiences which she couldn’t easily have had before. It is these sorts of situations that make working within Court of Protection incredibly rewarding.
How do you see your future progressing?
Boyes Turner are a dynamic and forward thinking firm. They are not afraid to nurture talent and recognise genuine commitment and potential. Since starting, I am continuously afforded new opportunities to progress, learn and achieve my full potential.
The entire Court of Protection team are extremely talented, knowledgeable and experienced people. This makes all the difference and has really helped my transition to Court of Protection.
I can honestly say, even at this early stage of my new journey, that I had made the right decision to change specialisms. I now look forward to many successful and rewarding years within the Court of Protection team at Boyes Turner.
If you would like to find out more about how the Court of Protection team at Boyes Turner can help you please contact the team by email on cop@boyesturner.com.
