“Without [Follett Stock] I would still be struggling to get anywhere, he [Richard Scrase] took on my case and put in his all. He gave myself and my family our lives back, because of his hard work, determination and patience we can now move forward as a family which we could never envisage possible prior to him taking our case.”
If you are thinking about challenging a decision about social or health care provision, education or planning or environmental decisions or any other decision of a public body, Follett Stock’s legal experts can help you.
Chris Lingard, Managing Partner, established our Human Rights and Judicial Review Practice over 12 year ago. We have a formidable group of lawyers to work on these matters, led by Chris and associate partner, Richard Scrase. Richard has received praise from the prestigious Legal 500 and clients are enthusiastic in their praise for Richard and the Public and Administrative Law team.
Social and health care law
We have developed unrivalled expertise in representing disabled people in challenging decisions about community care and healthcare provision. We are the predominant firm in the south-west acting for people with a diagnosis of autism or a learning disability. In recent years our reputation has grown with the effect that we represent clients against social services and health authorities throughout the country. Our experience includes acting as claimants’ lead solicitors in a multi-party action that settled last year for a sum exceeding £8.5m.
The Court of Protection and community care
We also represent clients in proceedings brought in the Court of Protection. The Court of Protection is part of the High Court and exists to protect the financial and welfare interests of vulnerable people. From time to time issues arise in a vulnerable person’s care that involve the Court of Protection intervening and making decisions about whether a particular type of care is in that person’s best interests. This is a growing area of law in which we are becoming increasingly involved.
Education
In recent years we have acted for a variety of parents and children who want to challenge schools admissions and exclusions decisions. Sometimes our involvement starts at the local level, when we will prepare and present a parent’s local appeal, while at other times our involvement might start when court action is required.
Judicial review
Many legal challenges of this type are brought by way of a claim for judicial review in the High Court. We help clients in more judicial review claims than any other firm of solicitors in the south-west.
Legal aid
We have held special ‘community care’ and ‘public law’ contracts for working under legal aid for longer than any other firm of solicitors in the south-west. We take enormous pride in the quality of work that we provide, whether that work is funded through legal aid or from a person’s own money.
