This year marks my 23rd year of doing deputyship work, mainly acting as a personal Deputy for clients. As a Deputy for finances, I am involved, amongst other things, in buying houses, investing money, opening bank accounts and paying tax for people who are unable to make those decisions themselves. Every day is different and I still absolutely love what I do and today was no exception. Amongst my clients, I act for a young brain injured adult in his 20s and have acted for him for a few years whilst the case is litigating. However, his case has recently settled and the meeting today was to tell him the news and explain the next steps. The news was greeted with relief and happiness. Relief that he can now put this chapter of his life behind him and happiness that his future was secure. My aim is to help him navigate through the process and ensure that I make sensible decisions to support him. He asked if I would open a bank account in Switzerland and the answer was a resounding “no”! I do love his sense of humour. Instead, I will:- Set a 3-year budget for expenses. Appoint a case manager for my client to interview and choose. Buy a house so that we can stop paying vast amounts on rent. Move money to the best paying account for the moment. Set up a beauty parade for my client to take part in. A beauty parade relates to the investment of funds for the future. I normally contact 3 to 4 different Financial Advisors to put together a report as to how they would invest money, what the return would be and what their fees are and then, attend either the client’s house or our offices to talk through their presentation. Each one of them is at the top of their game and therefore, there is no wrong decision, so I do very much want my client to be able to decide who he would feel most comfortable working with. All these relationships, be it with myself, the case manager or a fund manager, are long term ones. It is not only about investing money for the future, but also building a relationship of trust and support. There is clearly a lot of work to do, but just as importantly, I will need to continue to build my relationship with the client and visit him regularly, so he knows what I am doing for him and why. These face-to-face meetings are so important. I also want him to have opportunities he may not have been able to take part in. Maybe a fun trip abroad or the ability to try new hobbies. In addition, my client loves to take part in charity events and support the very charities that have helped him in the past. Maybe I can help support him here? The deputyship gives me the privilege of being able to step into other people’s lives to be able to support them and work alongside them. Each one of them is different and I feel very fortunate to be able to do the job that I do. It’s never a dull day! Our Court of Protection team at Boyes Turner has the specialist knowledge to make all of those decisions in the most-inclusive and person-centred way possible. For further information, please contact the Court of Protection team on 0800 124 4845 or email us.
