Over the last few years there has been a drive from various agencies, charities and health organisations to ensure that mental health and problems associated with poor mental health are recognised in the same way as any physical illness would be.  Thankfully we are now seeing a positive impact from these campaigns.  This has resulted in legal routes being opened up to allow solicitors to provide support and assistance to people who may be suffering from mental health issues. 

As the stigma surrounding mental health issues diminishes over time we are seeing more and more people able and willing to open up about the illness.  Given the nature of the work we do as local solicitors within Fife, we very often see people during very difficult periods in their lives.  The difficulties they are experiencing might arise as a consequence of a diagnosis of a mental illness or the individual may suffer from a deterioration in their mental health due to the associated stress of dealing with the legal issue which they are contacting us about. 

An integral part of the role of a solicitor is to be considerate of the circumstances in which your client finds themselves in and to provide reassurance that each individual case is not simply a number to our firm.

Over the course of this week we intend to contribute to Mental Health Awareness week by publishing a series of short blogs highlighting the main areas of mental health work which we carry out.  We will cover the topics of employment, mental health law, guardianship orders and additional support needs within education.