Karon Walton is the Chief Legal Officer of the Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE), an independent, national organisation of legal professionals who specialise in providing legal advice for older and vulnerable people, their families and carers. In this interview, she discusses the growing importance of the organisation as well as the challenges facing the sector.
How important is the role of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) in today’s later life planning market?
We all know that we are living longer, but research suggests that we are not always living in good health. SFE has over 1600 members throughout the country who are fully accredited in acting for older clients.
SFE encourages people to take active control of decision making for their later life, including having conversations with their loved ones as to their wishes, feelings and values; to get them written down and incorporate them in a Lasting Power of Attorney. This is one of the most important legal documents a person can make, and it is imperative that specialist accredited legal advice is sought. SFE actively champions the rights of the elderly and vulnerable and have challenged government policy on social care, probate fees and safeguarding.
What are the key challenges facing the profession today?
Some of the challenges facing the older client law profession are the lack of funding our clients have for health and social care, the push for ever-growing digital tools and online platforms that can impact on older people becoming more isolated in society or put them at risk of elder abuse.
Though digitisation has many benefits, do you think the possible risks could outweigh these?
I think only time will tell, however, I have a son that works in cybersecurity and it is scary to think how many firms and organisations are hacked or scammed in some way. The cost of this is frightening. We need to be aware of the risks that we face by going online and putting our information in the hands of others. The worry for older people is their limited understanding or awareness in using new technology. This may lead them to seek help and assistance of others, and unfortunately, this may make them at risk to exploitation and potential abuse.
The sector has seen real potential for change over the last few years, how would you recommend professionals stay up to date?
Keep up to date and be aware of developments. SFE is hosting its annual national conference on Thursday 21st June 2018 at the British Library. The conference will include talks from Senior Judge Hilder from the Court of Protection, as well as from Alan Eccles of The Public Guardian. Attendees will also be able to observe presentations around digital assets and cybersecurity which will discuss the growth in digital uses and the risks this may bring.
What can attendees expect from the day and what will they take away from it?
Delegates will have the opportunity to speak to industry experts, companies and network with influential people. The conference will offer insight and updates as to the court and governments approach on safety in the digital field and will present attendees with an update on the current law. Guests of the conference will be witness to a live demonstration of a digital hack and will be educated on how easy it can be to put yourself and/or your company at risk.
We’re very much looking forward to the conference and hope all attendees will have an informative day. The conference is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of the risks that we have in the digital era and how we hold or use our information.
More information on how to attend the conference can be found here.
