AWI, guardianship and elder client conference

ADRIAN D WARD has a long international record as expert and campaigner in law, rights, policy and practice relating to people with psycho-social, intellectual and cognitive disabilities, and in creating service delivery projects for them.  He has been published in many countries and many languages over more than three decades.  His output includes the standard texts “Adult Incapacity” and “Adults with Incapacity Legislation”.  He has advised governments and international organisations, including World Health Organisation, and as consultant to Council of Europe he completed and published in 2018 a review of implementation of the Council’s Recommendation on principles concerning powers of attorney and advance directives.  He was closely involved in the law reform process leading to the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000, and implementation of it.  He has been convener of the Law Society of Scotland’s Mental Health and Disability Sub-Committee for over 30 years.  His many awards include MBE for services to people with learning disabilities, for charitable work and journalism, lifetime achievement, and honorary membership of the Law Society of Scotland.

Fiona has worked for Scottish Courts & Tribunals Service (SCTS) her whole career.
She started as an Administrative Assistant at Airdrie Sheriff Court in 1993, and has performed a variety of operational roles, across numerous locations, since that time.
Prior to taking up post as Public Guardian on 1 August 2018, Fiona had been Deputy Public Guardian for almost 4 years.

Peter has been in the AWI reform team at the Scottish Government since January 17 and took over the leadership of the team in July this year. Prior to this he spent 14 years at the Office of the Public Guardian in various operational management roles relating to the registration, supervision and investigation of powers of attorney, intervention orders, guardianships and Access to funds. Peter has degrees in both English and Scottish law.

Sarah Prentice is an Associate Solicitor in the Court Department. Sarah speaks fluent Spanish and studied for one year in Spain as part of her law degree. Sarah has experience in both Civil and Criminal Law. Sarah has represented clients in summary trials, sheriff and jury trials and has instructed Counsel in the High Court of Justiciary.

Sarah also has significant experience in family, mental health and adults with incapacity law. Sarah represents clients in divorce proceedings, child welfare hearings and children’s referrals regularly. Sarah is appointed as a curatrix ad litem for Hearings of the Mental Health Tribunals for Scotland and regularly represents patients subject to compulsory measures of treatment and hospital detentions. Sarah has significant experience in private Guardianship applications and has also represented Adults with Incapacity in opposing Guardianship orders.

Sarah has a keen interest in human rights and advocating for vulnerable people in society. Sarah has a friendly and supportive approach to her clients.

Sarah has served as a committee Member of the Scottish Young Lawyers Association and is currently a Committee Member of the Law Society of Scotland Mental Health and Disability Sub-Committee.

Elizabeth Sparks is a solicitor in Balfour+Manson’s Private Client department.  She advises clients in relation to a varied range of private client matters, including succession planning, the administration of deceased persons’ estates and the law relating to adults with incapacity, often working with the firm’s unique Client Welfare Team.  She also assists with advising clients in relation to the creation and ongoing administration of trusts, with a particular focus on personal injury trusts.  
Elizabeth has tutored undergraduate ‘Revenue Law’ at the University of Edinburgh since 2013 and now also tutors on the core Private Client course of the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice.  She is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, an associate member of the Solicitors for the Elderly and sits on the board of the University of Edinburgh’s Free Legal Advice Centre.

Adelle advises on succession planning including executry administration and the preparation of Wills and Powers of Attorney. She also advises individuals and families on trusts, tax planning and asset protection.

Adelle read English Literature and Classics at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with First Class Honours in 2006. Having completed the graduate entry LLB and Diploma in Professional Legal Practice, Adelle joined Turcan Connell as a Trainee Solicitor in 2010, qualifying as a Solicitor and Notary Public in 2012. Adelle was promoted to Senior Solicitor in 2015 and Associate in 2018. Adelle is a tutor for the Private Client element of the University of Edinburgh's Diploma in Professional Legal Practice.

Adelle is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and is the Student Liaison Officer for STEP Scotland.  She has received three STEP Worldwide Excellence Awards for achieving the highest marks in each of the STEP Advanced Certificate in Wills and Executries: Law and Practice (Scotland), the STEP Advanced Certificate in Trusts: Law and Practice (Scotland) and the STEP Advanced Certificate in Taxation of Trusts and Estates (Scotland).

Catherine is a Senior Solicitor advising individuals, families and trustees on a broad range of issues including the preparation of Wills, Trusts and Powers of Attorney, asset protection, tax planning, pre and post death estate planning and trust and executry administration. Catherine studied law at the University of Aberdeen, graduating in 2012 with First Class Honours. She joined Turcan Connell as a Trainee Solicitor in 2013 having completed the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. She qualified as a Solicitor in October 2015 and was promoted to Senior Solicitor in April 2019.

Mike is the Director of Social Enterprises at Age Scotland where he looks after three businesses designed to help people Love Later Life. He is passionate about the need for organisations in Scotland to embrace age positively both in their customers and their staff. Age Scotland’s age inclusion programme was a finalist in the Glasgow Herald Diversity Awards 2019.