New Private Client department head for Vincents Solicitors
Director Lisa Lodge confirmed as Chris Mathews steps down
Lisa Lodge has been formally appointed Head of the Private Client department at Vincents Solicitors. Lisa was previously number two in the department under Chris Mathews who has stepped down from the position as he looks towards retirement.
A director of the firm and head of the Garstang branch, Lisa has been a member of the senior management team for seven years. She has also headed up the firm’s Court of Protection work and is the senior court appointed Deputy and Professional Attorney.
She takes over as department head from Chris Mathews who was in charge since 2013. He is still working from Vincents’ Lytham office on a part-time basis as he plans for retirement in the coming years.
Phillip Gilmore, Vincents managing director, said the firm wanted to thank Chris for his service and was delighted to formalise Lisa’s appointment.
“We have an extremely successful and growing private client department which has flourished under the joint leadership of Chris and Lisa. I’d like to thank them and acknowledge the tremendous contribution Chris has made to the firm over the last nine years, and we are delighted that he will still be available to clients as a valued member of the team for some time to come.
“Happily we are in the fortuitous position of having an extremely robust succession plan and Lisa’s promotion was a mere formality. A superb legal practitioner and highly knowledgeable expert in court of protection and estate planning work, she is an exceptional resource for our clients and a great manager for her team.”
Lisa will lead a team working across each of the firm’s locations in Preston, Garstang, Lytham, Chorley and Penwortham. These include experts specialising in Wills, Trusts and Probate, Contentious Probate, Lasting Power of Attorney and Court of Protection work.
She will continue in her capacity as a Professional Attorney and Deputy, directly managing the health and welfare, and property and financial affairs of clients who have lost their capacity due to illness or injury.
Lisa will also remain a key mentor and resource for the Private Client’s in-house training programme, and is embarking on a social media campaign to raise awareness of legal issues affecting people’s everyday lives.
Lisa said: “I’m thrilled to be leading this fantastic team and must thank Chris for all of his support, we really are delighted he’s staying around for a while longer. Private Client work can be a very sensitive area of the law but is one we enjoy working in and find enormously satisfying when we help people through particularly difficult times.
“I will be looking to increase our Court of Protection work and providing support for clients’ friends and family members who are thrust in to these positions of responsibility, and I will be advocating on behalf of the vulnerable whose issues we deal with on a daily basis. I want our clients, or anyone who feels they need guidance, to come to us with their problems as I know this team has the skills and the dedication to help them.
“We’re also working closely with other professionals in our field to provide a holistic approach to planning for the future, collaborating with financial advisors, wealth managers, care homes, hospices and charitable organisations across Lancashire to ensure everyone has access to the right legal advice which will save them time, money and distress in the future.”
Chris Mathews added: “While I’m not retiring quite yet, I have passed the mantle of department head to a valued friend and colleague. Lisa has been a thoroughly excellent deputy and I have no doubt that will continue under her leadership. I am very proud of the team we have built together, providing our clients with an extremely knowledgeable and compassionate group of specialists working on their behalf.”
For Estate Planning (Wills, Trusts, Inheritance Tax, Probate) and Court of Protection work (Deputyships and Lasting Power of Attorney) please contact Lisa Lodge for an informal chat on 07495 944 559.
Pictured: Director Lisa Lodge with Chris Mathews (centre) and the Vincents Solicitors Private Client team