If you have ever been unfortunate enough to become involved in an OPG investigation, there is only one man you want in your corner, David Steene. His knowledge in this area is beyond peer, but what sets him apart is his humanity. He listens and owns your story. He comes up with a practical roadmap to a solution with empathy , firmness and skill. He knows this area like no one else and will be available and with you every step of the process. I could not recommend him highly enough 5 stars is not enough, and I feel very blessed to have found him. Gratitude and respect David.
Andrew Kerrich
Excellent understanding and advice regarding an unfounded OPG investigation into a Lasting Power of Attorney.
Definitely worthwhile contacting David, his knowledge and experience are invaluable.
Gill Fox
I was recommended to David Steene by a client that had similar issues with their parents care and in particular funding issues with the Local Authority.
The service I received from Steene Law was quick and very thorough, I am now in a position to move forward with a plan of action, having got nowhere with the Local Authority in 5 months.
You can only get this help and advice from people that really care about the people they are working with.
Thankyou David.
Steve Piacenti
I can’t recommend David and the team enough for the superb advice they gave us regarding my elderly father-in-law. They were 100% Professional and gave thorough advice across the board and potentially saved us a lot of unnecessary stress. Definitely worth five stars .
Bilko
Many thanks for all your advice and for pointing me to the best path for dealing with my contentious LPA problem, David.
I’d happily recommend Steene Law to anyone.
Trevor Millward
Invaluable service and advice from David and Dianne. Later life care is a minefield, so it was good to get some initial advice from David as to how to plan our parent’s affairs in order to best mitigate any issues further down the line. I would highly recommend them if this is an area of issue for anyone else.
Ajay Shah
I have no doubts posting a recommendation for David Steene. It can be a minefield navigating your way through a Google search seeking legal support with integrity and professional guidance based on knowledge of the law and the impact of misinterpretation of the care act. Confidence is vital when you have been intimidated by the practice of a large organisation when at your most vulnerable. Be confident – David Steene has a great understanding of the complexities involved with taking action or responding to claims in this area.
Lorna Sargent
I found David and Dianne’s number on line when I was desperate for help to deal with my brother and sister who had managed to circumvent my mother’s LPAs and making my life a misery. David has extensive knowledge of the Court of Protection and the OPG and he advised, guided and supported me through the next few months to enable me to get the best outcomes for my mum. I am immensely grateful to David and Dianne for supporting me on this stressful journey and can’t thank them enough for all they helped me achieve.
Maria Adlam-Apps
We contacted Steene Law in regards to a family care matter having seen the many positive reviews which, I can confirm based on our experience, are fully justified. Whilst we didn’t have the need for David’s services to solve an immediate issue, he was able to offer us valuable insight into what we may be entitled to in terms of care, as well as how we might go about getting it. He also offered insight into financial matters and how one might best protect assets. And might I add, this was all part of a free initial phone consultation, which was followed-up with an email. Thanks for your time David, and should we require further services we’ll be in touch.
Rich Mitchell
David called me on a Sunday within hours of my enquiry. That was the surprising start of a very thorough, excellent service which was handled brilliantly on both a personal and professional level. Don’t think twice – have the initial meeting with David and Dianne. Very safe hands, extremely well managed. They moved us through a complex process with exactly the right amount of honesty, care and attention.
Adam Hill
Both of you are truly amazing in everything you do, from listening, talking, responding to emails and phone calls, personally in everything.
MN
I would highly recommend David and Dianne, who personally assisted me. Each time I rang them, they happily listened to me and further correspondences to determine the best route forward. Their guidance and reassurance was most appreciated.
LH
Myself and my brother were facing a really complex and not very nice case from the OPG. After becoming Power Of attorney for our grandmother, as no other family members would do anything to help. We found ourselves in a not very nice position, following some extremely bad advice of making investments to be able to grow her money to pay for her care fees/ set her up in the best way possible. This also resulted in outstanding care fees as we could not get the investment back.
David liaised with all parties, put our case across in a detailed and truthful manner and managed to reach the best possible outcome.
I would highly recommend getting in touch with Steene Law solicitors for anything POA/LPA related and would recommend reaching out to them first to assist setting power of attorney up the right way.
Although you can fill in the papers yourself, POA/LPA is an extremely complex legal area, especially if the person in question becomes lacking in mental capacity. It is also far more work than you will ever anticipate to act for someone in this way. If you have family of your own and full time jobs etc. it can be a real struggle.
Thanks David
JJ
I cannot speak highly enough of the efforts that both David and Dianne Steene made on my behalf, upon my receiving notice from the Office of the Public Guardian that I was under investigation for failing to exercise my Attorney responsibilities sufficiently, in respect of my wife’s health and wellbeing.
The accusations were false and were being made in an attempt to silence me, and to cover up the failings of both the NHS and the local County Council.
An OPG investigation is a frightening and distressing experience, and the support of both David and Dianne was comforting and reassuring.
They both worked tirelessly in ploughing through the vast amount of evidence that I provided, which wasn’t just going the extra mile, it was a marathon.
Their letter to the OPG was a masterstroke in presentation and their advice in answering the OPG’s questions was spot on.
Their knowledge of how the system works is faultless and I would urge anyone in a similar situation to me to contact Steene Law and in so doing receive the very best advice befitting their circumstances.
The OPG closed their investigation and stated that I had acted in the best interests of my wife.
Thank you David and Dianne.
MF
Hi David
I just wanted to say what a pleasure it is to see a brilliant, ethically driven and kind lawyer at work and helping the way you have. It’s really appreciated as this is such a stressful situation for my parents and your guidance is so clear and informative.
All the best!
PR
We found David & dianne of Steene Law at a dark time for our family when our mother had to sadly be placed in a care home after she became a danger to herself and others. The council were trying to misinform and bully us as her children, sending us bill after bill for ten of thousands of pounds we did not have. We didn’t have experience in these matters and were scared and without assistance being directed from person to person with no empathy or assistance. Without the help of David & Dianne, I am sure we would still be in that position. From Day 1 with Steene Law, we were listened to and heard, and a plan was formulated to support us at every turn. After many months of persistent on David’s part, we won the battle against this council and had all matters reviewed in line with the law which is all we ever wanted. Without David & Dianne this would not have been possible. This is the best money you will spend for peace of mind and obtaining the knowledge you couldn’t possible acquire yourself in such a complicated and cluttered genre of law/ regulation. Thank you both for everything you have done for our family we are eternally grateful.
Anne MEDLYCOTT
David was the first person I spoke to on the phone at the very beginning of all this and he was the only person who actually “spoke” to me about the whole process. I knew it wouldn’t be quick and you both put my mind at rest straight away so for that I’m again thankful.
DH
This whole situation has been one of the worst things we’ve ever experienced and sadly made the last years of our Dads life so much harder to deal with.
The one positive point was that we were fortunate enough to find Dianne and David.
You’ve both helped us a huge amount, been very patient, gave us honest and realistic opinions on how you could see things progressing, guided us through an awful process we have no experience in and most importantly, made us feel that we had someone on our side who understood our position and who knew we were always only trying to do what our dad had wanted.
R and J
Thank you so much for the invaluable guidance you provided to my family.
Prior to your involvement, the Local Authority were standing by their claim and accusing us of ‘asset deprivation’ as wanted the house to pay for my mum’s care costs.
After the guidance you provided on this complicated situation, they have now agreed there is NO ‘Asset Deprivation’ and have closed our file!
Total success, my family can now live without the fear of being evicted from our family home.
Fill Mill
We wish we knew David earlier!
During a 9-month battle over grandpa’s LPOA we met with a lot of toothless, clueless and frightened solicitors and a lot of equally toothless, clueless and frightened officials.
One call with David and that all changed. He’s knowledgeable and tough.
He’s also very on the ball – no waiting or chasing (which seems to be common in this situation). He cares and he’s someone you want on your team. I couldn’t rate him more highly.
Thanks David!
Jordan Baker
David helped us to fight a long battle with a council who were wrongly claiming deliberate deprivation with regard to my mother’s care home fees.
David has complete knowledge of the law surrounding such cases and gave sound advice throughout. He knew many of the people who we came to deal with from similar cases, including the council’s accounts team and their own lawyer. He was able to predict next moves and to deal with various issues with a phone call.
He was also able to keep me updated on the decisions being made in similar cases across the country, updating our strategy as required.
This could have been extremely stressful but David’s calming tone and confidence and his very solid understanding of the law kept the engagements with the council factual and on track, and meant that I felt protected.
I strongly recommend David for complex care home fee cases. He will be honest about the legal position of the case. If you follow his advice you will have your best chance of achieving the right result.
LH
“My father and I were subject to an OPG investigation that came out of the blue, a very unsettling and worrying time after receiving the 16 odd page letter from them.
A quick google search and I found David at Steene Law, I jumped straight on the phone and almost immediately felt like I was in good hands.
His calming tone, reassurance and professional help throughout the whole investigation was nothing short of perfection.
His “I’ve got this” mantra really showed he cares, always on the end of the phone or an email if you need him. His knowledge of this area brought the investigation to a swift and successful conclusion for us as a family.
I honestly couldn’t recommend David and Dianne highly enough. He really does have a vast knowledge of this area of the law and I can’t quite put my finger on exactly how he made me feel, but needless to say I knew I was in good hands.
Anybody that thinks they know more or better than David I guarantee you don’t !! Let him take the reins and follow his lead.
David I salute you and thank you ever so much for all your professional help.
Mike Perkins
I cannot recommend Steene Law highly enough. I was lost when my mother who has moderate dementia came to live with me and my family unexpectedly. Thankfully David has been fantastic in every single way, especially as my mother’s situation was very complex. Everything achieved by David and Dianne was more than I could have every achieved on my own. Prior to speaking with Steene Law I was lost and had no idea what my rights were, social services had been very good, but without Steene Law we would not have the care home that has now been agreed. Thank you David and Dianne, I truly cannot thank you both enough.
KH
Trying to deal with a very stressful situation, I came across Steene Law via a Google Search. I read the reviews and was reassured that this was the firm that could help us. This proved to be 100% true. I initially dealt with Dianne who is an excellent first point of contact. She was calm, professional, friendly and gave sound advice. Once formally instructed, David dealt with the case thereafter. He too was always honest and pragmatic; He never guaranteed anything; He was, of course, right not to do so. Nothing in life can be guaranteed. What he did do was outline various scenarios based on the information we had given him. I always plan for the worst and hope for the best and in this case the best outcome was what ultimately happened thanks to his advice. People may hesitate at paying for professional legal advice but in my opinion it is a must in cases where you are dealing with Local Authorities. Another piece of advice would be not to try to start handling things yourself and only when things become tricky involve Steene Law, as you might unwittingly do or say something which is at best difficult or at worst impossible to undo. Local Authorities can be very determined when it comes to trying to extract money from people for care home fees. One wrong word or deed early on can have catastrophic consequences later. It is also important to listen to David’s advice, even if it is not necessarily what you want to hear. He is the expert after all. David is also extremely thorough and professional. He answers emails and telephone calls as quickly as he possibly can. This was a real help for me who has a tendency to worry and overthink things. All in all I can wholeheartedly and unreservedly recommend Steene Law.
PH
I don’t know what I would have done without the help, understanding and professionalism of David and Dianne. I was finding it impossible to achieve anything with the local council but David made everything clear to me, explained what was needed and solved every problem. I cannot speak highly enough of the service they provide. David and Dianne are both caring and compassionate people who helped me survive one of the toughest times in my life. It is so difficult when one’s parent has to be looked after in a Care home without having to deal with the financial intricacies and red tape of local councils! I recommend Steene Law wholeheartedly.
JB
Ensuring that things run as they should, when elderly parents start to need care is emotional and stressful. To add to that you find yourself dealing with local authorities and issues of law, that are impossible to know your way around. We tried to cope with all these issues, but it all became too much. Thankfully we found Steene Law via the Alzheimer’s society and thank goodness we did. They have been the most incredible help. Decent, dedicated and totally reliable. David and his team have enabled us to get on with our lives, knowing that they can deal with things on our behalf, with their outstanding knowledge. I have absolute faith in them as an organisation. They operate with transparency and genuinely want the best outcome, that is fair and honest. They explain things clearly, and never over promise so you know where you stand. We were so pleased they agreed to take our case on and would highly recommend them to others.
DR
“I became aware that David and Dianne Steene at Steene Law Ltd were experts in Office of Public Guardian (OPG) investigations. They guided me through a complex process to a completely successful outcome and it is clear that both David and Dianne not only have a depth and breadth of understanding in mental capacity law/Office of the Public Guardian/Court of Protection but also they are prepared to go that extra mile”
GC
You are THE most sensible, helpful person I have spoken to since last summer when I realised that I needed to sort mum and dad out. The amount of forms I’ve had to fill in, and the hours I’ve spent waiting on the phone – and then there’s you! Fabulous! If I can ever put some work your way, I most definitely will!
Thank you so much once again for being a complete star!
Best wishes,
SB
From start to finish, David and Dianne provided an outstanding level of advice and support. They are extremely skilled professionals who offer a level of care that is exemplary. They provided a very safe pair of hands and they have my unconditional recommendation.
Your service could not have been better. Once again from Ann and me, thank you & Dianne for your service that went far beyond what anyone could have imagined.
Many thanks for your exemplary work over the past year – it has been a pleasure working with you.
You need these guys by your side as their knowledge and expertise is truly impressive.
I am extremely satisified. They delivered on everything. I was accused of so many things and they proved all the allegations to be false.
MF, London
You sir are an absolute legend …… on a personal level, it’s thank you so much for all of your help, advice and professional support.
Dear David,
I just wanted to say thank you once again for all of your time and advice yesterday. I really appreciate you being so no nonsense and to the point, it has stood me in good stead to begin my new mission.
Thank you David, you are a great motivator, especially in times when sometimes you just feel like you’d like a break from it all.
Continuing Health Care Enquiry
I really felt that you had our interests at heart and that it was not just about the money.
Case: Financial assessment (means testing), deliberate deprivation of assets and care home fees dispute
“I’m so glad I rang at the beginning and didn’t wait longer…”
I’m so glad I rang at the beginning and didn’t wait longer… You need these guys by your side as their knowledge and expertise is truly impressive.
“Whilst grappling with unfamiliar issues concerning care arrangements for an elderly relative, I discovered Steene Law during an internet search.”
Whilst grappling with unfamiliar issues concerning care arrangements for an elderly relative, I discovered Steene Law during an internet search. From the outset, David Steene was able to offer sound advice and his knowledge of the complexities involved in dealing with the local authority care and assessment protocols proved invaluable.
The satisfactory outcome eventually achieved would not, in my opinion, have happened without the support and intervention provided by Steene Law. The professional expertise offered, facilitated matters throughout a tortuous process.
It should be noted that the circumstances surrounding the financial affairs of my elderly and severely infirm relative turned out to be more complex than originally anticipated. Legal advice was definitely required and in this respect, David Steene’s in-depth knowledge was a much appreciated asset.
Notes: Successful challenge to Local Authority Financial Assessment (means test) resulting in client saving property.
David, could I sincerely thank you for all your help and support over the past two and a half years or so, it has been much appreciated and a sheer delight dealing with you. You have succeeded in making what would otherwise have been an awful matter into one that was not only tolerable but actually enjoyable. A rare talent.
Case notes: Court of Protection issues
Dear David and Dianne, I hope all your family are keeping well. I must apologise for not writing to you sooner as I know how much you did for “C.”
I can’t believe it’s a year since “C” has gone. I think about her every day. Our granddaughter is two now and growing into a proper little madam but she is still gorgeous. My only wish is “C” could be here to see her grow up and to teach her all the things she taught “E”. I enclose a photo of our granddaughter and hope you won’t mind if I write to you in the future.
Case notes: Continuing Health Care, on behalf of a client who had devastating brain injuries. Steene Law fought multiple Local Authorities and branches of the NHS to obtain and keep her care package.)
Thank you once again for your tremendous support and advice in what turned out to be a vexing and tortuous case. From dealing with snotty solicitors to distasteful opposing parties to emotional outburst from your own client, you handled it all with much professionalism and astonishing tactical planning. I truly couldn’t have wished for a better legal team to have my back and look out for my interests. Thank you!
Case notes: Court of Protection issues and the law relating to care fees
First class service. Prompt courteous replies to all questions. Excellent advice given with great patience. I would, without hesitation, recommend Steene Law Ltd. They have helped me and my family through a very difficult time.
Case notes: Assisting client following the collapse of Universal Wealth
I cannot thank David and Dianne enough for the effort and knowledge they displayed helping me deal with my Grandfather’s care and the subsequent legal battle that came with it.
I had a complicated and, to me, bizarre yet worrying situation that David and Dianne both worked tirelessly on.
My Grandfather was a WWII veteran and was neglected and treated as a statistic by a care home and a rather unforgiving council.
I’m grateful that David and Dianne not only got the result I needed, but made it simple to understand and took away a lot of stress. I have recommended them to many others and will continue to do so. Forever grateful!”
Case notes: A successful challenge against a Local Authority that had attempted to act as Deputy to the client’s grandparents. As a result, we prevented their eviction from a care home.
Meantime, once again, thank you so much for all your hard and very professional work on our behalf. I trust, and suspect, that you enjoyed the challenge of something a little out of the ordinary in taking this case!
Thank you so much for all your help with this matter! – it’s very much appreciated.
We would like to thank you for your patience and kindness to us and your professionalism when dealing with Hertfordshire and the NHS. We think we would not be in this position without your input and advice”
After having our world turned upside down by the NHS, we found and made contact with David and his team. For the first time in a fortnight I stopped crying. I stopped being stressed and I could concentrate on nursing and caring for my father as our time together was so precious.
We could not have been better supported and informed. Communication and patience were very much appreciated. Thank you so much.
The first words that comes to mind when I think of the service we have received from Steene Law is professionalism and empathy. It was this together with their patience and commitment that we were able to negotiate the maze of ambiguity and the many obstacles that the authorities laid before us.
We would like to thank them for bringing everything to a successful conclusion and to do it in such a way that it kept stress levels to a minimum.
Keep doing the wonderful work you do, helping folk that would be lost without your kindness and expertise.
We couldn’t have anyone better fighting our corner David, we thank you for your honesty, patience and approachability.
As a result of an internet search and then speaking to Dementia Law, I have been able to secure my family’s financial future and we are not going to lose the home that our parents worked so long and hard for.
For all your hard work and dedication to our cause.
Thank you so much again for your kindness and support, without us even being clients as yet. It is hugely appreciated.
I am so happy that I approached you to handle my friend’s affairs, which I consider to have been carried out in not just a professional manner but also with a caring and humane attitude.
I must not end this communication without saying ‘congratulations’ on successfully conducting this case.
I can’t tell you how glad I was to find you. The care home was being very aggressive in chasing invoices for money that my mother-in-law just did not have. David dealt with the council, the care home, and any other official body that needed to be contacted. You kept me informed at all times and your advice saved me thousands of pounds as the council was out by a whole year with regard to help towards fees. I would never have been able to get through all the red tape on my own and you 100% took the stress out of me having to deal in unfamiliar territory.