The founder of a network of Scottish lawyers who provide services for older people has urged over 50s to tie up legal issues before it’s too late.
David Barrowman formed Solicitors for Older People Scotland (SOPS) after working on the Living and Dying Well initiative run by the Scottish Government in 2007.
As a lawyer he was aware that some in his profession were viewed as “money grasping scoundrels” and was concerned that this was keeping older people away.
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He said: “I felt this perception of lawyers was not right and not fair because some of the stuff we do, like free home visits, asking older people to bring a pal to the office with them, we’ve always done. We just don’t promote it.”
Working in partnership with Age Scotland, SOPS currently has 31 members across Scotland and hope to recruit more.
David, senior partner of Livingston law firm Caesar & Howie, wants people to know that ensuring their legal documents are in place need not be costly with many eligible for legal aid assistance.
He said: “I realised that there was so much fear in dealing with solicitors, we should really make a concerted effort to get over that.”
That desire to treat people with sensitivity and help them deal with legal matters underpins SOPS code of conduct which pledges to ‘act only in the best interest of older clients’ and ‘act with honesty and integrity at all times’.
Members of SOPS aim to “make things better for families” by trying to avoid the financial and emotional costs that can arise when someone dies without leaving a will, or falls ill without putting in place a power of attorney or an advanced directive, also known as a living will.
They also offer advice on property equity release and preparing for potential care costs for homeowners and those with savings.
David and his team offer free talks and events to promote their work - in 2018, staff and members of SOPS organised and presented at 218 events.
David said: “I do think we’ve changed an awful lot of minds but we’ve a lot more minds to change though.”
Many older people - around 45% according to SOPS - who could benefit from legal aid are unaware that they could be getting services for free, something that David wants to change.
He said: “Some Scottish lawyers won’t offer legal aid and assistance because it’s not profitable but we think it’s right that if it’s a facility available to an older person, they should get it.
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"The fact that we don’t make a profit out of that particular case, doesn’t really matter. It’s about serving the community better.”
David wants people to prepare for their futures and not shy away from the practical aspects of getting older and eventually dying.
He said: “It’s about educating people to think ahead and plan ahead and then forget about it and enjoy the rest of your life once you’ve done all these documents.
“There’s nothing to be scared of. This stuff can be hanging over you for years but [dealing with it] can bring real peace of mind.”
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