Lodders boosts presence in Henley-in-Arden

Lodders Solicitors is celebrating 225 years in Henley-in-Arden with a move to more accessible premises in the town.

The move to 16 High Street heralds a major push to develop the law firm’s presence in north west Warwickshire, offering Solihull, Knowle and Dorridge residents an alternative to the trek into Birmingham city centre.

Lodders partner Alastair Frew said: “Henley-in-Arden is one of our key centres of operation – it is very important to us .This move will improve facilities for staff and clients alike.”

The Henley office, which is headed up by Gill Coombs, an Associate who specialises in Wills and the administration of estates, offers the full range of legal services available in the firm’s other offices in Stratford-upon-Avon and Cirencester, but it has a particular focus on community care, especially for the elderly, through solicitor Emma Vaqueiro who is based there.

Mrs Vaqueiro’s particular specialism is care for the elderly and Court of Protection work. She is also joint regional coordinator for the Warwickshire and Worcestershire branches of Solicitors for the Elderly, and with colleague Sofia Tayton who is based in Stratford, is one of Office of the Public Guardian’s new Panel of Deputies.

She and Sofia are two of only 60 experts across England and Wales that the Court of Protection can call on when vulnerable people have nowhere else to turn.

Mrs Vaqueiro said: “We hope that clients will find our new offices more user friendly, especially our older clients who are increasingly turning to us for advice on care home funding, inheritance tax and other issues that need to be addressed.”