JE Bennett Law

Founded in 2011, JE Bennett Law provides vulnerable client legal services from its base in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and is well connected to meet clients in London and the South East. The firm’s core business is focused on helping private clients on matters regarding the Court of Protection; trusts for the vulnerable; the law regarding the elderly client; community care law, and the provision of expert witness services.

The firm: Founder Jane Bennett is a highly experienced private client lawyer, with over 15 years specialising in vulnerable client law. She set up JE Bennett Law to create a firm dedicated to helping the vulnerable client.

Today, with a staff of around 30, the firm has a hardworking team of specialists who share a passion for helping the vulnerable and provide a caring, excellent and efficient personal service. The firm’s clients are typically South-East based but the firm is often asked to act in cases of a complex nature, much further afield.

JE Bennett Law has been ranked in The Legal 500 under Court of Protection since 2015 and currently has several ranked lawyers.

Types of work undertaken
Court of Protection: the firm acts primarily for those who, due to events in their lives/personal trauma, are limited in their ability to manage their own financial and health/care needs. This can arise through brain/spinal cord injuries or mental health issues, and can involve personal injury or medical negligence. The firm also advises the client’s family members, who are often going through an extremely stressful time as a result of trying to fight for their loved one’s rights.

The firm advises on deprivation of liberty and health and welfare matters, and frequently works with family members and/or the local authority to safeguard vulnerable people from financial abuse, neglect/physical or other forms of abuse, including investigating and advising regarding allegations against attorneys under Enduring/General/Lasting Powers of Attorney.

The firm acts as professional deputy for over 100 highly vulnerable clients and as health and welfare deputy in complex cases involving family disputes and/or arising out of contentious court proceedings. The firm also advises a significant number of lay deputies, and is frequently instructed by local authorities.

Personal injury compensation trusts: Jane sets up many personal injury trusts and also acts as a professional trustee for compensation protection trusts for the mentally and/or physically vulnerable beneficiary and, in particular, regarding trusts for spinally injured clients. She recently presented a series of well received MBL seminars to legal professionals on this area of law.

Elderly client law: the practice also offers a full range of services for the elderly, as many of its clients fall into this category and the firm feels that it is important to cater for all their potential needs. This includes advice regarding general/enduring/lasting powers of attorney, and Jane acts as a professional attorney where required.

Community care law: JE Bennett also advises regarding care in the community (and when a client may be eligible to receive funding for it) whether via the NHS commissioners or the local authority. It specialises in matters pertaining to care home contracts and fairness of contractual terms.

Wills and probate: the firm offers a full range of will services including statutory will applications to the Court of Protection, and discretionary/disabled will trusts. In addition to advice to family members on the death of a loved one, the firm offers professional executor/administrator and trusteeship services to families/beneficiaries at this difficult time.

Additional services: Jane Bennett acts as an expert witness in high-value and catastrophic personal injury litigation claims (regarding the role and costs associated with a professional deputy and related issues) and, also, in criminal injuries compensation authority claims. Jane acts for a significant number of large loss insurers but also for the claimant insured.