With the stigma of mental illness now nowhere as strong or damaging as it used to be, more of us are now willing to express ourselves when something is wrong and seek the right diagnoses and treatments that we need in order to better manage ourselves and achieve greater happiness. Being diagnosed with a mental illness can be a relief for many, but what sort of impact can it have in a legal sense and when you deal with lawyers in Newcastle.  

Here at Bale Boshev Lawyers, we are committed to making sure that every individual knows what their legal rights are, no matter what kinds of conditions they live with. With that in mind, here is some vital information about what different kinds of mental health problems can mean for you in a legal sense.

• Advocacy 

Depending on the state of your mental health at any time, you might be able to appoint an advocate on your behalf to deal with any legal matters and decisions that need to be made. 

• Unfit To Plead 

Should you ever find yourself in trouble with the law and having to attend a court hearing, something that might be brought up is your being unfit to plead and therefore not qualifying for a ‘regular’ criminal proceeding. This will, of course, depend on the severity of your mental health issues, and the outcome will also be at the discretion of the judge overseeing your case. 

• Section 37 

If your mental health is taken into account but a criminal charge is still needed to be prosecuted, then you may find that a Section 37 order is put into place. This is essentially an order that means you are sent to a hospital instead of a prison. 

• Section 47

A Section 47 is something that might happen if you are initially sent to a regular prison system, but later on are deemed unable to live in such an environment due to your mental health. This is the process of sending someone from prison to a hospital facility.

So, if you would like to enlist the help or advice from expert lawyers in Newcastle, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Here at Bale Boshev Lawyers we are dedicated to achieving the best standards for our clients and helping them to achieve the best results in whatever they are fighting for. Please feel free to contact one of our team members if you have any specific questions.

For more legal news, read our previous blog post on How Lawyers Can Help With Workers Compensation!