Vicky Rossi
Vicky is a Paralegal in our Older and Vulnerable Client team. She supports our qualified solicitor Victoria Wood, and the partners in the firm who act as Professional Attorneys and Deputies for individuals who cannot manage their own affairs. She carries out much of the day-to-day management of people’s affairs and general administration.
She also drafts legal documents, such as Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection applications and documentation.
Career
Vicky previously worked as a carer looking after elderly and vulnerable people. She therefore has first-hand experience of helping people who have difficulty taking care of themselves or making their own decisions.
Vicky is skilled at anticipating her clients’ needs, delivering the right level of assistance, and providing emotional support to her clients and their families.
Vicky started her legal career as a Paralegal for a debt collection agency and also gained experience working as a Secretary for the Local Authority Childcare Litigation Unit, before joining Longmores in 2013 as a Secretary. In 2019, with the advice and support of our senior private client lawyers, Vicky became a Paralegal specialising in older and vulnerable client care.
Expertise
Vicky utilises her valuable previous care experience to provide a uniquely sensitive and personal service to individuals who need extra help and support in their day-to-day lives.
Her expertise includes:
- Handling finances for people who lack mental capacity, for example, due to old age, illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, or conditions such as strokes or brain injuries. Her financial duties often include:
- Ensuring that bills are paid on time
- Managing bank accounts and ensuring that payments are received and debited as appropriate
- Assisting our in-house Professional Attorneys and Deputies with managing property affairs, such as selling property after the client moves into full-time residential care and dealing with house clearances and property maintenance
- Assisting our in-house Professional Attorneys and Deputies to ensure that the client’s money is invested properly to give them the best return
- Helping elderly people find the best care home for their specific requirements as well as handling care home fees and general administration
- Supporting people who have mental capacity but cannot or do not want to manage their own financial affairs, for example, people with physical disabilities
- Drafting Court of Protection applications to appoint a Deputy where someone lacks mental capacity but does not have a Lasting Power of Attorney in place
- Drafting Lasting Powers of Attorney
- Supporting our in-house Professional Attorneys and Deputies in their day-to-day management of clients’ financial affairs
Vicky always ensures that she acts in the best interests of her clients to safeguard their welfare and happiness. She is also sensitive to the needs of her clients’ family members, who may also be carers, a role which Vicky understands can be stressful and upsetting for those closest to the person who needs support.
Personal interests
Vicky dedicates much of her spare time to socialising with her friends and family. Her hobbies also include reading and yoga and looking after her pets, a leopard gecko and tropical fish.
