Our team are members of the Office of the Public Guardian’s panel of professional guardians which was set up following the implementation of The Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 which resulted from a petition made by Peter Lawrence, father of Claudia Lawrence who sadly went missing in 2009.

The act allows a Guardian to be appointed to protect, manage and use the estate of the missing person to avoid a situation whereby their estate is left at risk from failure to manage business, bank accounts, investments, property, debts and ongoing liabilities.  A guardian will be required to observe the code of practice which will guide the day-to-day decisions which will need to be made on behalf of the missing person.

In many cases a family member is likely to be the most suitable candidate to take on the role.  However, in some circumstances there may be no suitable person willing or able to take on the role and, in such circumstances, a professional guardian will be appointed.

If you are in the position whereby you are considering guardianship for a loved one, please contact our team who will help guide you through the process.