Jakob Seger

Jakob is a solicitor in the Mental Health law department. He regularly assists clients with mental health law matters such as Mental Health Tribunal hearings, Hospital Managers’ hearings, Care Programme Approach meetings and aftercare arrangements. Typically, his clients are persons detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983, but he also advises community based clients and acts for the Nearest Relatives of mental health patients.

In addition to this, Jakob also deals with Court of Protection matters concerning issues of mental capacity, best interest decisions and deprivation of liberty applications.

Jakob has extensive experience dealing with standard Section 2 or Section 3 cases and regularly attends tribunal hearings or provides general advice and assistance in such cases. He is also experienced with Community Treatment Orders, representing restricted patients and tribunal appointments for patients who lack capacity.

Furthermore, Jakob has successfully appealed decisions from the First Tier Tribunal where he felt that the Tribunal had made an error in law. This includes taking the appeal all the way to the Upper Tribunal. As such, Jakob has managed to get erroneous decision set aside and cases re-heard.

Jakob is a resourceful advocate and works hard to achieve the best possible outcome for his clients at hearings. In addition to this, he is also sensitive to the therapeutic relationship between patients and their care team in carrying out his clients’ instructions. As such, Jakob explores all options and has often managed to achieve the desired outcome by liaising with his client’s care team.

Jakob first started working in Mental Health in 2014 as a Paralegal, before qualifying as a Mental Health Solicitor in 2018. Having worked in a number of different legal areas, Jakob decided to specialise in Mental Law out of a desire to help others. As such, Jakob frequently works with people who are vulnerable or who do not have anyone else to speak up for them.

In addition to this, Jakob was drawn to Mental Health as this is an area almost exclusively funded by Legal Aid. In carrying out work under the Legal Aid scheme, firms like TV Edwards are able to provide a legal service to clients who may not have the means to legal representation otherwise. In doing so, we provide an important public service and Jakob has always been a strong believer in the importance of Legal Aid work to ensure a fair society for all.

This desire to provide access to Justice for all also inspired Jakob to become an actively involved committee member of the Mental Health Lawyers Association (MHLA). The MHLA strives to uphold the highest standards of legal practice in the areas of Mental Health and Mental Capacity law. The MHLA also maintains regular contact with the Law Society, Legal Aid Agency and Tribunal Service in pursuit of this goal as well as their clients’ best interests.

Jakob frequently participates in fundraising activities for legal advice charities, including The London Legal Walk as well as smaller initiatives.

Languages

Jakob is also fluent in German and understands Hungarian.

Panel Memberships

• Mental Health Panel Accredited since summer 2018

Associations, Committees and Rep Groups

• Mental Health Lawyers Association Committee Member since November 2019

Recommendations

I am very grateful for all of the help Jakob gave me.

– Client

Jakob did a fantastic job representing me.

– Client

Friendly, prepared and professional.

– Client

Mr Seger represented his client to a high professional standard and dealt particularly well with the sensitivities of this case.

– Mental Health Tribunal Judge