Meet the team:
David Harding has been practising in this field for over ten years. David specialises is Court of Protection work and is also a President of the Mental Health Tribunal Panel.

Russell Parkes has a special interest in schizophrenia and is a member of the National Schizophrenia Fellowship and the National Association of Relatives of the Mentally Ill.

Pippa Sahdra is the youngest member of the team and has a special interest in the impact of mental disorders on young people

With three members of the Mental Health Tribunal Panel, the Heringtons team is unrivalled in Sussex for its experience. As well as representing patients detained under sections 2 and 3 of the Mental Health Act, the department assists those who are voluntary and informal patients. The criminal law experience of the team also means that we can help those who are detained under section 37 of the Mental Health Act 1983, either with or without restriction. We hold a Legal Aid contract for this work, which means that we can help people with their appeals free of charge, irrespective of their income or savings.

But mental health work also extends to work helping people with Enduring Powers of Attorney, or applications to the Court of Protection, perhaps when an elderly relative is no longer able to cope. We have partners who are used to acting either as attorney or as Receiver, which can be particularly useful if there are no close relatives or family friends who feel able to take on that type of responsibility.