The Public Solicitor Office provides a wide range of services and solutions to individuals and businesses. Contact us to request an appointment.
For corporate and business clients the Public Solicitor’s Office has experience in many types of transactions and we are capable of delivering speedy solutions across a broad range of specialised topics. However, we recognise in some circumstances we may not have the expertise and will arrange for you to be referred to a firm of solicitors in the UK or South Africa as appropriate from a panel of preferred suppliers. Any referral will be discussed in full with you before it is made.
When caring for family members and loved ones, it is essential their best interests are put first, to protect all they have worked so hard for. In certain circumstances, family members and loved ones may no longer have the mental capacity required to make important decisions regarding their finances.
The Court of Protection is the judicial body responsible for making decisions relating to the management of finances and other affairs of those individuals who lack the mental capacity to do so themselves.
We are in the position to help you if:
There may be times when you need help with situations which involve the police and require assistance. In these circumstances, we are able to help you with all aspects of your case.
Whether it be advice at the police station, advocacy in the Magistrates Court or even representation at the Supreme Court. We will also deal with any concerns if you are in prison.
Please do not hesitate to contact our offices and, if you are detained at the police station then we can always be contacted and do not hesitate to ask for our help.
Criminal representation on both St Helena and Ascension is a free and confidential service with high standards.
The law relating to employment is rapidly developing and it is vital that comprehensive advice is available to anyone affected. We are able to offer that advice in a timely fashion and with full knowledge of the options available.
We deal with Disciplinary Proceedings and Dispute Resolution and we offer advice on conciliation and are frequently involved with Compromise Agreements.
With statutory time limits on many claims such as unfair dismissal it is imperative that anyone affected takes early advice and we have experienced solicitors who can help.
Employers
We can also prepare documentation and provide advice and assistance to employers to ensure that their contracts, policies and procedures are fully compliant with the Employment Rights Ordinance.
Domestic Disputes
We understand how difficult domestic disputes can be for all those involved and especially children.
Private Family Law
Our private family law services include:
Care and Supervision Proceedings – Your Children
Public Family Law
If you are involved with Social Workers or the Social Services Department (the Safeguarding Directorate) we can provide specialist advice and assistance. We have considerable experience in representing parents, other family members and children.
Our public family law services include:
Our family lawyers are extremely experienced and include members of the Law Society’s Children Panel and members of Resolution (www.resolution.org.uk) and members of the Association for Lawyers for Children (ALC).
St. Helena and Ascension Island both have their own unique set of rules with regards to immigration and status on each Island. These issues may surround your ability to work, reside or visit.
Our team will be able to provide you with appropriate advice and guidance depending on your individual or family circumstances.
For anyone involved in or about to become involved in litigation, it is vital that the full range of options are fully aired at an early stage. We have experienced solicitors with many years of experience who can help you decide on the appropriate course of action and the likely levels of costs.
We act in many contractual disputes and across a whole range of areas. We also deal with other areas of litigation such as contentious probates and property disputes.
We understand the need to realistically assess the total costs which might be incurred and to advise our clients on alternative strategies such as mediation and dispute resolution.
We keep our clients fully informed and monitor progress on all current files on a regular basis. We provide a cohesive approach at what is often a difficult and stressful time and we give you the very best chance of winning.
We all place our health and wellbeing in the hands of medical professionals, whether it be our GP, hospital nurses or surgeons and when you do so you should expect the highest level of care.
If something goes wrong we can help you get the medical negligence compensation you or your loved ones deserve.
What is Medical Negligence?
Medical negligence happens when a medical worker or healthcare professions makes a mistake or acts in a way that damages your health or wellbeing. Clinical negligence is the same thing, just with a different name.
A medical negligence claim can include:
We are here to help if you or a member of your family has come to harm as a result of negligence. You have a right to seek compensation for your injuries. We will handle your claim with care, sympathy and complete professionalism, helping you carry on with your life.
The Legal Assistance Fund is unique on St. Helena and Ascension Island and allows for funds to be available for obtaining expert evidence and advise in these cases. The Legal Assistance Fund fees are usually repayable if the claim is successful. Our costs information explains more about the Legal Assistance Fund.
For anyone unfortunate enough to be injured by the negligence of others, it is vital that they receive sympathetic and realistic advice on the merits of their claim at an early stage.
If you have suffered a personal injury, or if you are acting on behalf of someone who has died because of a personal injury you may want to consider the following:
We are always happy to offer an initial free interview and we often deal with claims without cost to our clients.
We fight to get our clients appropriate compensation as quickly as this can be arranged.
We deal with claims arising from motor accidents, injuries at work, medical negligence, industrial negligence and trips and slips of any kind.
Legal Aid may be available for personal injury claims, subject to the approval of the Legal Assistance Fund.
The Legal Assistance Fund is unique on St. Helena and Ascension Island and allows for funds to be available for obtaining expert evidence and advise in these cases. The Legal Assistance Fund fees are usually repayable if the claim is successful. Our costs information explains more about the Legal Assistance Fund.
When you make a power of attorney, you appoint someone else to act on your behalf. The person making the power of attorney is called a donor and the person appointed to act on their behalf is called an attorney.
A power of attorney gives the attorney the legal authority to deal with third parties such as banks or the government.
In order to make a power of attorney, you must be capable of making decisions for yourself. This is called having mental capacity.
You can give someone power of attorney to deal with all your property and financial affairs or only certain things, for example, to operate a bank account, to buy and sell property or change investments.
If you want to make a power of attorney which only deals with certain matters, you should make sure that it is drawn up very carefully so that the attorney is very clear about what authority they have to deal with your affairs.
It may be necessary to include property in the UK under a Lasting Power of Attorney.
Managing the Affairs for Someone Else
Managing someone else’s affairs can be a number of things, including:
You might want to manage someone else’s affairs because they:
There are different ways of managing someone’s affairs and choosing the right one will depend mainly on the circumstances of the person whose affairs you want to manage and whether or not they have mental capacity to manage their own affairs.
You can look after someone’s affairs in one of the following ways:
We at the Public Solicitor’s Office are able to provide clear advice on the best course of action for you to appoint someone to deal with your affairs or if someone needs to appoint you to deal with their affairs.
How To Deal with the Property of a Person Who Has Died
Everything owned by a person who has died is known as their estate. The estate may be made up of:
If the person who died owes money to other people, for example, on a credit card, for fuel, for rent or a mortgage, this comes out of the estate. The estate of the person who has died is usually passed to surviving relatives and friends, either according to instructions in the will, or if the person dies without leaving a will, according to certain legal rules called the rules of intestacy.
The person dealing with the estate of the person who has died is called an executor or an administrator. An executor is someone who is named in the will as responsible for dealing with the estate. An executor may have to apply for a special legal authority before they can deal with the estate. This is called probate.
An administrator is someone who is responsible for dealing with an estate under certain circumstances, for example, if there is no will or the named executors aren’t willing to act. An administrator has to apply for letters of administration before they can deal with an estate.
It is usually against the law for you to start sharing out the estate or to get money from the estate, until you have probate or a grant of representation. We offer a full range of services in connection with probate and the administration of estates. We also offer services dealing with disputed Wills and contentious probate.
The Public Solicitor’s Office historically has not been involved with the sale and/or purchase of land on St. Helena although we can provide guidance and assistance.
We deal with many other ancillary areas such as restrictive covenants, easements, boundary disputes, tenancies and leasehold enfranchisement.
Making a Will – Why it’s Important
It’s easy to put off making a will. But if you die without one all that you own (your assets) may be distributed according to the law rather than your wishes. This could mean that your partner receives less, or that the money goes to family members who may not need it. Also, the government may receive your money by way of tax which could have been avoided by making a will. (Currently there is no Inheritance Tax on St. Helena, Ascension or Tristan da Cunha).
It is important for you to make a will whether or not you consider you have many possessions or much money.
It is important to make a will because:
If you would like further information about making a will or updating your existing will please us. We do charge for this service, but charges are affordable. Once the document has been prepared and witnessed, we will then deliver the original will to the Supreme Court Registry and provide you with a copy.
A simple and straightforward will is £15. For a more complicated will, how much you are charged by us will depend on your household income (see the costs of legal services).
We will discuss your instructions and the costs involved in a clear and confidential manner. If you wish to make an appointment to prepare a will, or to discuss your existing will, please contact the office and collect one of our forms which we would ask you to complete in advance of our meeting, this will give you the opportunity of thinking about some of the issues that we will discuss with you and which will be included in the will.
The wills questionnaire can be found here.
The Public Solicitor Office
The Fort
Ladder Hill
St Helena Island
Opening Hours
Monday – Friday
8.30am – 4.00pm
Contact Us
Email: office@publicsolicitor.com
Telephone: +290 23008 / 23007
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