Keighan Lovett

Keighan Lovett is a solicitor in the Court of Protection team based in our Grimsby office.

Keighan graduated in 2019 from Northumbria University with a master's degree in law. She qualified as a solicitor in 2022.

Her day-to-day work sees her assisting in applications for both Lasting Powers of Attorney and Deputyship Orders, depending on whether her client has mental capacity or not. She advises on whether a professional attorney or deputy would be appropriate, depending on the circumstances of the case.

She acts on behalf of the professionally appointed deputies here at Wilkin Chapman, assisting in the daily management of these matters. She also helps attorneys to make daily decisions for both health and financial issues.

Keighan also works on applications to remove a deputy on behalf of her clients who lack capacity, in circumstances where the deputy’s decision-making has been called into question.

Key specialisms

Deputyship applications

Her work regularly involves making deputyship applications, both by post and online. A deputyship is needed in circumstances where an individual lacks capacity, and the court needs to appoint someone to manage their finances.

Typically, her clients in these applications tend to be close family members, however, where this isn’t suitable, a professional deputy can be appointed.

These applications, where applicable, can also include asking the court to include an authority to sell the property of the individual who lacks capacity. To do so, the court requires additional documentation as evidence that the person who lacks capacity is unable to return to their property and Keighan assists with obtaining the additional evidence required and completion of the relevant forms.

She provides follow-up support after the court order is received and, if required, provides deputies with ongoing support in completing their yearly tasks to comply with the Deputyship Order. For example, this could be where the person who lacks capacity has the potential to recover to an extent and therefore the court may issue an order providing an end date for the appointment. Keighan often assists with the next steps of this.

Assisting professional deputies

Keighan acts on behalf of the professional deputies here at Wilkin Chapman. She assists in the day-to-day management of these matters.

This can include but is not limited to the following:

• Assisting with the completion of the Office of the Public Guardian annual reports.

• Reviewing and arranging care packages and liaising with social workers and health officials to ensure the most suitable package is in place for the person who lacks capacity.

• Payment of household and domestic bills if the person who lacks capacity is residing on their own property.

• Payment of care fees and liaising with the care facility where the person who lacks capacity is residing to ensure that their needs are met as far as possible.

• Ensuring that the person who lacks capacity is in receipt of any benefits that they are entitled to, and this can involve engaging with the Department of Work and Pensions to apply for any benefits that are not yet received.

• Where the person who lacks capacity has a large portfolio of money, she will engage in regular contact with the financial advisors and ensure that they have enough income to meet their needs in both the short term and long term.