Welcome to Caroline Bielanska Consultancy

Caroline is a practising solicitor with over 30 years experience of advising older and vulnerable adults, and recognised as a leading expert on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and health and social care law.  

She is a full member of The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and a member of their Mental Capacity Special Interest Group. 

Caroline won both the Trusted Advisor of the Year and the Vulnerable Client Advisory Practice of the Year at the STEP Private Client Awards 2017/18  and  was a finalist in the 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 Vulnerable Client Advisory Practice Category.

Caroline is the former Chief Executive and former Chair of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE), an organisation she helped to found in 1999. Caroline was given a Life time Achievement Award by SFE in their 20th year and remains a full accredited member. 

Caroline is an honorary member of the Professional Deputies Forum.

Caroline is well known nationally as being an engaging and highly regarded public speaker.     

Caroline is editor, author and contributor of numerous leading legal text books on capacity and advising the older client:

• The Practitioner's Guide to the Court of Protection (Bloomsbury)
• Cretney & Lush on Enduring and Lasting Powers of Attorney (8th edition) (Lexis Nexis) 
• The Elderly Client Handbook (The Law Society)  
• Elderly Clients- A Precedent Manual (Jordans Publishing)
• Elderly People and the Law (Jordans Publishing)
• Contributor to Heywood and Massey’s Court of Protection Practice (Lexis Nexis)
• The Health and Social Care Handbook (the Law Society)
• Contributor to Finance & Law for the Older Client  (Lexis Nexis)
• Technical Editor of Coldrick on Personal Injury Trusts (1st edition) (ARK Publishing)
• A Safeguarding Strategy for Recognising, Preventing and Dealing with the Abuse of Older and Vulnerable People (Solicitors for the Elderly)
• STEP Advance Certificate in Advising Vulnerable Clients

Caroline was previously on the Editorial Board of The Elder Law Journal (Jordans Publishing)

• Law Society's Mental Health & Disability Committee
• Court of Protection Users’ Group
• Member of the Court of Protection’s Rules Review Committee, recommending changes to the court rules, practice directions and forms
• Caroline was a key stakeholder to the Public Guardianship Office and subsequently the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) from 2000-2012, and was heavily involved in the development of the 2009 LPA prescribed forms and guidance and continues to work with the OPG on various issues, including  guidance on disclosure of the mentally incapacitated client’s will 
• Panel expert convened by the Law Commission to input into drafting the consultations on the reform of adult social care