An estate planner has been banned from the profession after admitting to falsely witnessing the signatures of a donor and two attorneys to a lasting power of attorney (LPA), rendering it invalid.
Ian Heslop, who was working as self employed estate planning consultant at Co-Operative Legal Services (CLS) at the time, has admitted gross misconduct after falsely stating he witnessed the signatures on an LPA.
CLS were instructed in October 2024 to draft an LPA. In November 2024 the draft LPA was sent to the donor and the two attorneys for them to review and sign. Heslop then falsely signed the LPA as having witnessed the donor and the two attorneys’ signing the LPA. However, he was not in their presence when they had signed it.
In an agreed outcome with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Heslop admitted to signing the LPA and falsely stating that he had witnessed the signatures of the donor and the two attorneys; agreed his conduct makes it undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice; and admitted his conduct was dishonest.
In mitigation the SRA considered Heslop’s claims he thought he was acting in the best interests of the donor for their needs and circumstances and he has since shown ‘insight and remorse’ acknowledging the distress caused.
Heslop was not a solicitor and was working under the supervision of a solicitor as CLS. The section 43 order means he can no longer be involved in legal practice and will pay costs of £300.
