Meet the minds behind Dovestone Law
Mental Health and Mental Capacity issues can affect us all at any stage. Our specialist solicitors understand our clients’ lives have been disrupted, whether through experiencing a mental disorder personally or as a relative watching a loved one struggle.
Our Ethos
Matters arising out of Mental Health and Mental Capacity issues are rarely straightforward. Our solicitors have a real understanding of the law and recognise the complexity of the issues involved providing focused and expert advice. Our approach is to consider cases holistically to provide quality representation that meets the needs of each individual client and to secure the best outcome.
Our team of solicitors undertake meticulous preparation of cases and give careful consideration to our client’s instructions, where an individual lacks capacity to conduct proceedings we ensure their voice is heard through their litigation friend and that any welfare decisions are taken in their best interests.
Our Team
Guided by Compassion, Driven by Excellence: Meet the Dovestone Law Team.
Kate Luscombe
Director
Kate is a longstanding member of the Law Society’s Mental Health Accreditation Scheme, and a member of the Mental Health Lawyers Association. Kate is a peer reviewer for the Ministry of Justice and is committed to ensuring strict quality standards are met by mental health practitioners.
Andrea Spyrou
Director
Andrea is a leading solicitor within the field of forensic mental health law and specialises in the representation of clients detained in high and medium secure hospitals. She conducts her own advocacy before First-tier Tribunal hearings but also works closely with specialist counsel on legally complex hearings lasting many days.
Lara Patrick
Director
Lara qualified as a solicitor in 2005 and is a long standing member of the Law Society’s Mental Health Accreditation Scheme. In 2007 Lara was made a partner of the firm she qualified with, before moving on to Head of Department at the largest provider of publicly funded services.
Frances Rattray
Consultant Solicitor
Frances trained as a barrister and was called to the Bar in 1998, cross-qualifying as a solicitor in 2007. She has higher rights of audience in all proceedings in England and Wales. Committed to representing those confined within the mental health system and disadvantaged by mental illness, she began exclusively to practice mental health law in 2004.
Nicola Gordelier
Consultant Solicitor
A law graduate from the University of Nottingham who qualified in 1999, Nicola has always been dedicated to Legal Aid work and committed to representing people detained under the Mental Health Act. She was employed as a partner at a large Bristol firm before relocating to Reading, where she ran a successful and highly regarded mental health department for many years.
