Profile
Work Department
Position
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. Catherine works closely with her clients, their families, litigation team and Case Manager to set up care and therapy packages, purchase and adapt properties for her clients and ensure that the damages award is used effectively and in her client’s best interest.
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 enjoys building professional relationships with clients and their families to ensure she understands their individual needs in order to provide all of the support required of their Deputy/Trustee.
Catherine is a full member of STEP
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Very helpful and knowledgeable team. A client-focused practice that strives to deliver a faultless service. Great with clients. Good with advice on wills, probate and Court of Protection issues.'
‘The Hugh Jones team are supportive, informative and extremely knowledgeable. They have been trustworthy and worked tirelessly to make our family life, and especially our disabled daughter’s life, happy and as enjoyable as possible.’
‘Hugh Jones is my go-to firm for Court of Protection work. They are responsive and the work is consistently high-quality. They always meet deadlines.’
‘Elizabeth Hughes and her team are great to deal with. Extremely responsive and efficient. Written work is immaculate.’
‘Elizabeth Hughes and Jill Rushton are excellent.’
‘Catherine Oakes is an excellent deputyship expert. Catherine's experience of managing personal injury funds means her advice is also pragmatic and based on real world experience, all of which is reflected in the confidence with which she can explain those recommendations which inspires confidence.'
‘Charlotte Crawford's work on my personal affairs has always been excellent and I have complete faith in the advice and professional ability.’
‘Chris Gallaghar is a true gentleman who has always made us feel at ease in sometimes difficult circumstances. A top lawyer!’