Who are the Association of Lifetime Lawyers?

We’re a community of likeminded legal professionals with additional skills to support older and vulnerable clients with the right legal advice. We’re dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those who need our support the most.

The Association of Lifetime Lawyers was founded in 1996 to make sure that when people are vulnerable, they have access to a legal professional with the skills and experience to help.

Today, we’re a national organisation with over 1,500 members from across the UK and a separate group in the Republic of Ireland. Our members are fully committed to our ethos, and we provide them with expert training and best practice to support our clients. This includes the Lifetime Care in Practice Award, a highly specialised qualification which gives our members an in depth understanding of vulnerable and older clients, the key issues and barriers they may face, and how best to support and advise them.

We make sure our members are up to date with market developments and offer them opportunities to learn from one another through our members advice forum and national and regional events. We also stay on top of the latest case law related to clients who are older and/or vulnerable to keep our members informed.

We speak out in the press and work behind the scenes with various government, legal bodies and organisations to ensure the voice of vulnerable and older people is heard.

Becoming a Lifetime Lawyer is a selective process – we only accept fully qualified, regulated, and insured solicitors, barristers or chartered legal executives who spend at least half of their time working with vulnerable and older clients.

To find a Lifetime Lawyer near you, visit our Find a lawyer page here. 

 

 

Helping to connect you with the right legal help when you need it

Find a Lifetime Lawyer near you

our structure

The Association of Lifetime Lawyers is a membership organisation run by its members for its members. It comprises of a board of directors, a chief executive officer, and an administrator. In addition, it has an advisory board and an expert panel.

Meet the team

Our History

The Association of Lifetime Lawyers, originally known as Solicitors for the Elderly, was formed by a small group of solicitors who had attended a conference together at a conference about older client law in the mid-1990s.

They realised there was a need for a specialist group of lawyers who could advise vulnerable and older clients, in particular on the issues surrounding capacity, delegated decision making, and long-term care. At the time, many firms saw it as an adjunct to probate, wills, and tax planning, but for some they were developing the area as a specialism within their private client department.

In 1999, Solicitors for the Elderly was officially launched at the first national conference in London. Over 100 people attended from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to hear speakers talk on some of the current issues affecting older clients. From that small group, the organisation has flourished, now including over 1500 members.

In 2023, The Association of Lifetime Lawyers was officially adopted as the new name of the organisation, with the intent of highlighting the comprehensive services that members offer throughout an individual's life, not just during their later years. This new name serves as a reminder of the broad spectrum of skills and expertise that our members possess, and how they can provide support to individuals facing various challenges at any stage of their life.

Members receive monthly newsletters to keep them in touch with the issues that affect vulnerable and older clients; regional and national training provides focused educational development and members can also use a private members forum to post questions about issues they have, which can provide solutions for the not so common problems encountered in legal practice.

The Association of Lifetime Lawyers aims to support members in the work they do and continues to be a member-led organisation.

Funds

The core group, put in a total of £450 into a kitty to get the ball rolling. This funded the initial activities of the group, which quickly grew.

Meeting

An initial meeting took place at The Law Society to discuss a way forward. An initial steering group was set up, comprising of Danny Carter (formerly SFE Treasurer), Anne Edis (SFE President), Richard Smithies, Jan Wright and Michael Orr.

Commitment

Those involved during this period gave up lots of their own time and never claimed any expenses to enable the group to get off the ground. It developed its aims and objectives, which essentially remain the same today.

Sharing

By focusing on sharing information between professionals, training and establishing best practice, older people, their family and carers will get good legal advice.