I know of the work of ‘Peter Edwards Law’ (‘the firm’) through my practice in Liverpool and Manchester (as a barrister) from 1995-2014, and during my appointment as a Circuit Judge/Regional Lead Judge (Court of Protection) in Chester and Manchester (from 2014-2021), together with my appointment as a fee paid Tribunal Judge (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber/Mental Health Review Tribunals 2001-2024).
Firstly, in my opinion it is an outstanding example of a specialist firm (in mental health and mental capacity law) in a hugely important and complex area of law. This has been the case since it was created (in 1995). It was (and has remained) far ahead of the field throughout this period. As such, the service it has provided to the community in Liverpool and beyond is incalculable. The expertise of its employees and of Peter and Jola Edwards themselves rates (in my opinion) as amongst the best in England and Wales. It has no other comparable rival in Merseyside, and this has been the case since 1995.
What is particularly of note is that such dedication to such an under served area of law (in terms of availability of expert advice) has been maintained for nearly 30 years. I know of no other firms who have managed to keep up this level of service. Without the existence of the firm, clients across not only Merseyside, but the entire North West would have been very largely without locally accessible representation.
Since the enactment of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the firm has added to its expertise. It has also extended its client base to well beyond the North West. For example, I recall two specific cases with an international element (Australia and Germany) where the fluency of Ms Edwards in two foreign languages were particularly important in communicating with relevant family members.
This is a really very rare example of a firm that has made its mark on this area of law by doggedly sticking to one specialist area of law over three decades. It has grown and thrived as a result, and has (in my opinion) a deserved reputation for excellence that has travelled beyond just Merseyside. It is not part of a franchise, and has a definite and marked style which is of its own making, and which makes it an equal with other firms at a national level.