People in the UK are living longer than ever before due to greater achievements in modern science and healthcare. Older people now make up a growing proportion of the population. In addition, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the number of people with disabilities is on the increase. This is due to demographic trends, increases in chronic health conditions and people living longer than before. With this backdrop, local authorities and public authorities are under considerable pressure to reduce their budgets. As a result, those who are in need of care and support often find themselves without it and suffer as a result.
The Care Act 2014 changed the landscape of adult community care in England and placed obligations upon the local authority to assess, provide care and support for those assessed as eligible for care and support needs and methodology to charge for the care and support. New changes are coming into effect to protect assets with cost of care to be capped at £86,000 in October 2023; it is therefore really important that assessments, eligibility and means testing is carried out accurately and timely.
At Makka Solicitors, our Adult Community Care Team have over 15 years of experience in adult community care matters, Mental Capacity Act disputes and Court of Protection work, we can advise and assist you with various matters including:-
- challenging Care Act Assessments
- Requesting urgent interim accommodation pending assessment
- Dealing with disputes relating to level and type of care required
- Challenging cost and funding issues relating to care packages
- drafting court applications to the Court of Protection / High Court to request orders in a person’s best interests in the event of a dispute with professionals / family members
- Mental Health Legal Advice
- Representing family members in displacement of nearest relative applications
- Judicial Review of Public Authorities
Our charge out rate is based on the standard hourly rates as listed below. We work hard to ensure that an estimate is provided at the onset and any charges beyond our original estimate are discussed with you at an earlier stage.
Our standard hourly rates for solicitors are as follows:
| Solicitor Grade | Hourly Rates |
| A – Solicitors and legal executives with over 8 years’ experience | £280.00 |
| B – Solicitors and legal executives with over 4 years’ experience | £230.00 |
| C- Other solicitors or legal executives and fee earners with 1 to 4 years’ experience | £180.00 |
| D – Trainee solicitors, paralegals and other fee earners | £120.00 |