Court of Protection Team
Hugh Jones
Founder and Director
Chris Gallagher
Chris is the Head of the Court of Protection team and a Director of Hugh Jones Solicitors in the Court of Protection team.
Managing a team of 30 specialist CoP fee earners, in addition to his own caseload of complex matters, Chris is heavily involved in the management of deputyships of our clients who lack capacity.
Chris specialises in contested CoP cases including issues surrounding foreign property and jurisdiction, challenges to the validity of Enduring and Lasting Powers of Attorney and challenges to the appointment of and/or removal of deputies. He also advises on social and healthcare funding disputes for Protected Parties, including bringing applications for Judicial Review in the Administrative Court.
He collaborates closely with the team at HJS and other professionals involved in the clients' financial, legal, care and welfare matters. He has much experience in working with brain injured clients and their families to try and ensure their property and affairs are managed as effectively as possible and he also regularly advises family members who are lay deputies, in their duties.
He regularly makes all manner of property and affairs applications to the CoP, including applications for the appointment of both lay and professional deputies, gift applications, statutory wills and application to vary the authority of the deputy. He is particularly noted for his work investigating the financial affairs of clients where there have been allegations of financial abuse or misappropriation of funds made against former attorneys or deputies.
https://www.hughjonessolicitors.co.uk/people/directors/chris-gallagher/
‘Christopher Gallagher provides a very high level of service and is very well respected by his peers.’
‘Chris Gallagher and Hugh Jones genuinely care about our family and take away all of the hassle relating to running a care team. They have also helped us deal with problems with our local healthcare providers and always look for practical solutions to our problems.’
Jill Rushton
Jill is a Director at Hugh Jones Solicitors, joining the firm in 2022 from Stephensons LLP, where she was a partner and Head of their Court of Protection Team.
Jill is a 'Recommended Lawyer' in the Legal 500 2026:
Jill specialises in all aspects of Property and Finances Court of Protection work and has acted as an Expert Witness on Court of Protection matters in primarily high value personal injury and clinical negligence cases. Some of these matters have been looked after by Jill for a decade or more.
As a Director of the Hugh Jones Trust Corporation, Jill acts as Deputy for clients who have lost capacity and her work includes the management of significant settlements which are used to fund care and therapy packages, specialist equipment and property purchases/ adaptation projects.
Jill has a wealth of experience in the following:
Expert Witness work and litigation support
Applications to the Court of Protection for the appointment of a Deputy, the approval of Gifts, Statutory Wills and for the discharge of a protected party
Day to day management of both Deputyships and Trusts
Financial management and investment of the settlements
Supporting lay Deputies to help them carry out their role
Elderly client law
Lasting Powers of Attorney
Trusts
Wills and Probate
Jill is also a TEP, a member of Solicitors for the Elderly and a Dementia Friend.
Jill Rushton | Hugh Jones Solicitors
Catherine Eassom
Catherine is the Head of our Expert Witness Team. She is a Director of the Hugh Jones Trust Corporation and a Senior Associate Solicitor and has over 13 years’ experience of Court of Protection and Deputyship matters.
Catherine has an extensive background in working with clients who have suffered catastrophic injury including serious brain injury as a result of personal injury. Catherine has worked with many clients and their families to manage large damage awards to maximise their rehabilitation and quality of life. Catherine is closely involved with the management of damages both pre and post settlement of the litigation.
As Head of the firm's Expert Witness team, she co-ordinates the work of the firm's four expert witnesses, who are instructed by 40 leading Defendant and Claimant Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence firms, in claims where significant damages awards are involved. This is in addition to acting as an expert herself and managing a caseload of complex Court of Protection work.
Catherine is a specialist solicitor with a great deal of experience in Court of Protection and mental capacity work in which includes:
Management of the professional deputyships of a large number of vulnerable people including those who have lost capacity due to catastrophic accidents or birth injury,
Advising and drafting all types of Court of Protection applications including those for the appointment of a lay or professional deputy, statutory will applications, gift applications and applications for the discharge of a Protected Party
Advising and drafting Personal Injury Trusts
Catherine is a full member of STEP.
https://www.hughjonessolicitors.co.uk/people/directors/catherine-eassom/
David Jones
David is a Director in the Court of Protection team.
David has a wide understanding of the Court of Protection and mental capacity law, managing a case load of files that ranges from young children with acquired brain injuries to elderly clients living with dementia.
In the past few years, David has been very successful in taking the lead to develop fruitful relationships with Local Authorities in the region, which has produced work from Manchester, Lancashire, Rochdale, Cumberland, Salford, Wirral, Cheshire East, and Cheshire West. In 2025 he delivered three training sessions across Salford and Wirral, covering both property and affairs & health and welfare scenarios. A previous highlight was being asked to present on health and welfare scenarios to the brain injury and mental health clinical teams at Salford Royal, including six consultants.
Throughout his varied caseload, David works to assist his clients across a broad range of issues, including:
Property and Finance applications;
Care funding and benefits claims;
Deprivation of Liberty questions;
Personal Welfare; and
Care proceedings.
Other than helping to manage the property and financial affairs of his clients, David also has experience of representing both Applicants and Respondents in contested Court of Protection proceedings, having successfully acted both for and against lay attorneys and deputies under investigation by the Office of the Public Guardian. David also has extensive experience undertaking financial conduct investigations in to both lay and professional attorneys and deputies, accepting instructions from lay clients, the Court of Protection and various Local Authorities in recent years.
In addition to his usual caseload, David regularly works with social workers in local authorities across the North West both in a professional capacity and to provide training and guidance on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and The Court of Protection generally.
Outside of work, David works with the Manchester Legal Advice Centre, offering free legal advice on capacity and welfare issues in the local community, which culminated in his being nominated for Best Contribution to Pro-Bono by an Individual at the LawWorks Awards 2017.
David is a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in Legal 500 2026 L500 | Hugh Jones Solicitors > Personal tax, trusts and probate > North West | Legal 500 law firm profiles
David Jones | Hugh Jones Solicitors
Rachel Duxbury
Rachel is a Senior Associate solicitor, having trained with the firm and received accelerated promotion, due to her outstanding ability. Rachel works in the Court of Protection and Expert Witness teams.
She was promoted to Hugh Jones Trust Corporation Limited Director in 2025.
Her Court of Protection work involves:
Taking decisions and giving directions as Deputy in all kinds of deputyship matters including complex deputyships;
Supporting lay deputies to help them carry out their role, including initial or renewal applications;
Working with clients, their families and any professionals involved to empower the injured person, improve their quality of life with the implementation of care/support teams, therapists and the purchase and adaptation of properties.
In the expert witness team, Rachel supports our four expert witnesses in drafting reports and statements. Rachel is meticulous in her approach to this work and has a great deal of experience in addressing the complex and technical scenarios that arise.
Prior to joining Hugh Jones Solicitors, Rachel worked as a paralegal within the areas of child abuse and clinical negligence at several different firms and she assisted solicitors on a wide range of complex and high-profile cases. Rachel has considerable experience in working with vulnerable clients and in using her skills to assist those who lack mental capacity.
Rachel Duxbury | Hugh Jones Solicitors
Kirsty Morley
Kirsty is a Senior Associate solicitor, having trained with the firm and received accelerated promotion, due to her outstanding ability and now manages a complex caseload of Court of Protection work, including multimillion pound assets, judicial review and financial abuse investigation work.
She was promoted to Hugh Jones Trust Corporation Limited Director in 2025.
Kirsty is listed as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in the Legal 500 2026 L500 | Hugh Jones Solicitors > Personal tax, trusts and probate > North West | Legal 500 law firm profiles
Kirsty manages a diverse caseload of Court of Protection matters, assisting clients who have lost capacity due to clinical negligence, personal injury, or illnesses such as dementia. Kirsty works closely with clients, their families and any professionals involved to protect the interests of vulnerable people, being committed to empowering clients to improve their quality of life with the implementation of care/support teams, therapists and the purchase and adaptation of properties.
Kirsty’s work includes financial abuse investigations, administering panel deputyships referred to the firm, statutory wills, applications for approval of gratuitous/family care payments and care funding claims.
Prior to joining Hugh Jones Solicitors, Kirsty spent time studying international law at Uppsala University in Sweden and previously worked in Hong Kong and Japan.
Kirsty Morley | Hugh Jones Solicitors
Ariella Jones
Ariella joined our Court of Protection team in April 2024 as an Associate Solicitor, from Irwin Mitchell where she worked in their Court of Protection department.
Ariella qualified in 2019 and is a specialist solicitor in Court of Protection Finance and Property work, her experience includes working with adults and children with complex needs and high value litigation awards, including Protected Persons with pre-settlement litigation claims.
In her work, she liaises with Protected Persons, their families and multi-disciplinary teams with regards to day-to-day income and expenditure, therapeutic input and care packages including directly employed and agency support workers.
Her experience includes
Management of the sale and purchase of Protected Persons’ properties and property adaptation works to meet their needs, including the instruction of building professionals and architects.
Instructing and liaising with investment managers and financial advisors with regards to the management of clients long-term investment portfolios.
Before specialising in Court of Protection work, Ariella gained valuable experience in actions against public and private bodies arising from child sexual abuse and acted for clients in applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and advocating on behalf of clients at CICA Tribunal hearings
Kirsty Nickson
Kirsty joined the Court of Protection Team in June 2021. She initially worked within serious injury litigation which involved acting for those with an acquired brain injury. Kirsty was naturally drawn to Court of Protection work as a result, assisting those lacking financial capacity as a result of acquired brain injury to manage their affairs. Kirsty worked with clients, their families and professional team to improve their quality of life post accident; implementing case management, care/support teams, therapists and arranging for the purchase and adaptation of properties.
Kirsty worked in this role before diversifying to spend a number of years focusing solely on welfare related issues, also falling within the jurisdiction of the Court of Protection. This mainly involved close working with the client, their family and professional support network to explore and identify the most suitable care and accommodation options; often assisting clients with learning disability or a progressive cognitive decline condition. This breadth of experience allowed Kirsty to develop a compassionate understanding of the impact that cognitive impairment, in whatever form it transpires, has on the lives and relationships of those affected by issues concerning independent decision making and capacity.
Kirsty has over 10 years’ experience as a solicitor and for the past 5 years has specialised solely in Court of Protection work. Kirsty has a great deal of experience working with both clients and their families, assisting with the management of financial and property affairs and promoting independence.
Owen Cafferty
Owen is an Associate solicitor with 5 years' post qualification experience of Court of Protection finance and property work. He joined HJS in October 2023. He has worked with a wide range of clients, working with them and their families to manage their funds and budgets.
He enjoys visiting clients to keep them on their affairs, including reviewing portfolio reports and meeting with Independent Financial Advisors regarding clients investments. He works closely with case managers and experts in multiple disciplines in providing care for clients.
Many of his clients have had directly employed care teams and he works with HR and Payroll teams in managing these matters, and communicating with Employers Liability Insurers to deal with matters that arise.
Team Services
A professional Deputy is appointed by the Court of Protection to manage the affairs of people who have lost the capacity to do this for themselves. Professional deputies are usually required when there isn't a family member available or able to undertake the role. Read our clients comment here
We have a large team of solicitors, supported by experienced staff who look after our clients' financial affairs, properties and home support workers, dealing with all aspects of the necessary administrative and legal work. Our team is hand-picked for their caring and expert understanding of the needs of clients and their families. We keep in regular contact with the client, families, carers and care professionals including home visits.
We work within the framework of the Mental Capacity Act, to ensure that Clients who lack capacity are empowered to make as many decisions for themselves as possible and that any decision made on their behalf is in their best interests.
Our services for Clients can include:
- Investment of compensation awards, in conjunction with specialist investment advisers
- Managing bank accounts
- Employment of support workers - contracts, DBS checks, payroll, training and employment disputes
- Preserving and claiming of welfare benefits
- House purchase and specialist adaptations
- Tax affairs
- Wills, gifts or applications to the Court
- Funding reviews or disputes
- Welfare issues
- Continuing treatment decisions including Judicial Review
- Court of Protection mediation - welfare and property/financial issues.
Our professional Deputy work is often referred to us from other law firms, whose clients have personal injury or medical negligence claims on-going or concluded. We will liaise regularly with the referring firms where litigation is not yet settled to provide support, information and interim payment management.
Please contact us on 0161 871 3680 or Head of Team Chris Gallagher for a free initial discussion with a specialist solicitor in our team