Sue Mitchell will be holding a bonus episode of Podcast Shadow World: Willpower Detective at the end of this month.
She investigates how abuse of lawyers' powers leaves vulnerable people separated from friends and family and puts them at risk of financial abuse.
When the series aired on BBC Radio 4 just before Christmas last year, hundreds of listeners contacted the BBC with their own stories about the power of lawyers and how it is abused.
The series revealed that Ron Hiller, a partner at the Essex-based law firm, takes over the finances of his vulnerable clients, clears up and sells the home, leaving it to leave it to him without access to information about where the money went.
In many of these stories, it was the family of brothers, partners and grandchildren who controlled the assets and, in some cases, overseeing the drafting of new wills.
This additional episode reveals that a wealthy businessman who has already given away property to each of his grandchildren discovers what happens when his grandchild uses his power of attorney to take more.
The program highlights the difficulties involved in assessing mental competence, especially when it comes to determining who will manage financially and who will inherit what is often considered “family money.”
James Warner, a consultant in age psychiatry, says that mental competence issues must be considered in these situations.
“Elderly people who cause any confusion will lose control over their money and can quickly find themselves in extremely vulnerable situations. The system is not dealing with these cases well enough to protect people and needs to do more.”
A bonus episode of Shadow World: The Willpower Detectives will be available on BBC Sounds from March 31st.
