Megan Christie-Copeland

Megan joined JMW Solicitors as Partner and Head of Court of Protection in September 2020. She studied Law at the University of Manchester, graduating in 2009 and immediately studied her LPC at Manchester College of Law where she obtained a distinction. Following her studies, Megan completed her Training Contract at Pannone Solicitors, qualifying as a solicitor and building her Court of Protection expertise at Linder Myers before joining JMW in 2020.

Megan heads up the 80-strong expert team, who specialise solely in Court of Protection work, supporting the most vulnerable children and adults in society who need help with management of their property and financial affairs. The team manage over 1,000 cases and clients, managing assets at a value of over £1 billion, plus circa 350 properties.

The team is ranked as Tier 1 in Legal 500 and Band 2 in Chambers for UK wide Court of Protection and Megan is ranked by Legal 500 as 'Leading Lawyer' which is reserved for 'The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike'. Megan is described in Legal 500 entry as: "Megan is a natural leader. She inspires the team through leading by example. She has built a talented client-focused team. Megan is always looking for ways to improve the department and find new and innovative ways to improve the services which they deliver.” “Megan has transformed the team into one of the leaders in this specialist area with a great team focused on providing excellent service at all times.”

Megan is heavily involved in business development and delivers training, troubleshooting sessions and guidance to third party organisations, care providers, charities and local authorities across the UK. She collaborates with many of these, promoting awareness and sharing best practice, to support vulnerable children and adults.

Megan is also a director of the JMW Trust Corporation Limited and a court appointed deputy. Megan has supported clients with the most profound disabilities, reduced life expectancy and challenging behaviours. She builds trust with clients, their families and their support network.

Feedback for Megan

• "I feel very reassured that we now have you as our contact. I appreciate and thank you for the consideration, empathy, and support you have given to us over the past months, and look forward to meeting with you and having the opportunity to introduce you to our family and welcome you into our home."
• "Thanks for kind message again, but feel you must take much more credit for some hard work in recent weeks. I must thank you for the attention given where you have directed matters and coordinated everything really well."
• "Many thanks as ALWAYS for your continued support and putting up with us!"
• "You have all really helped tremendously and it has been appreciated more than you will ever know!"
• "A big thank you - I think you’ve cut straight to the heart of the matter in dealing with this in the best way possible and offering expert advice."

Feedback for the team

• "Their team takes the time to understand individual client needs, tailoring their legal strategies accordingly."
• "JMW go the extra mile, putting the client first. They appreciate your time and always act quickly when requested to do anything."
• "The individuals I have dealt with at JMW are passionate, hard-working people who work in the industry due to their love for helping people. They put the client first and value their relationships. If they say they are going to do something, you can trust them to get it done."
• "The Court of Protection team at JMW set a high bar in their expectations for their clients. They work very hard to achieve the best outcomes and are creative and collaborative in doing so. They listen carefully to their client's wishes and work with other professionals to deliver on the wishes, always in the client's best interests."
• "The JMW team go above and beyond the usual service provided within the sector. Their passion for helping vulnerable adults is clear, and their service is efficient and bespoke. They are always looking to improve the way in which the service is delivered and sharing that knowledge with other areas."
• "The team has very considerable strength in depth. There is a range of both experience and specialism, and the size and depth of the team compares very favourably to other firms."

• "Megan has transformed the team into one of the leaders in this specialist area with a great team focused on providing excellent service at all times.”
• "Megan Christie-Copeland provides excellent client outcomes and has proven leadership skills through leading the JMW Court of Protection team."
• "Megan Christie-Copeland is very strong in the sector and cares a lot about her clients and the service JMW provide."
• "Megan Christie-Copeland has expert knowledge in the best practice around deputyships. Megan is a friendly face and always willing to help."
• "The firm has a large Court of Protection team who are highly skilled and experienced in the area of trusts, as part of a deputyship. They have a wide range of clients, both adults and children, and often handle complex situations. They manage an individual's finances responsibly, often discussing funding requests and budgeting with the case manager."

• Megan Christie-Copeland and her colleague Andrew Cusworth brought a pro bono TEST case Cumbria County Council -v- A [2020] EWCOP 38 to clarify the law in this area (Mental Capacity Act 2005), which was silent as to whether and when a deputy could be discharged or a deputyship be transferred. It was so fundamental that it was escalated from the Senior Judge of the Court of Protection to the Vice President of the High Court due to it “having such public significance”. The successful outcome continues to support the most vulnerable in society, as well as many local authorities, because of the judgment in our 'TEST' case, which we are very proud of.

Megan and her COP team have received the following accreditation and awards since joining JMW in 2020:

• Finalists for Private Client Team of the Year, Manchester Legal Awards 2026
• Winners of National CoP Team of the Year, Private Client Awards 2025
• Winners of Deputyship Firm of the Year, The UK Probate Industry Awards 2025
• Finalists for Private Client Firm of the Year, Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards 2025
• Megan was shortlisted as “Lawyer of the Year” for Private Client, Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards 2023
• Winners of Deputyship Team of the Year, British Wills and Probate Awards in 2022
• Winners of Private Client Team of the Year, Manchester Legal Awards 2022
• Megan awarded Lawyer of the Year, Made in Manchester Awards 2022
• Megan awarded the Chairman’s Rising Star Award, Made in Manchester Awards 2022
• Megan awarded Highly Commended in Legal Professional of the Year, Manchester Young Talent Awards 2021
• Finalists for Private Client Team of the Year, The Manchester Legal Awards 2021

• Megan actively lobbies for best practice and legal change and is an active, voluntary member of professional bodies including PDF (Professional Deputy Forum), COPPA (Court of Protection Practitioners Association), CUG (Court User Group), and APAD (Association of Public Authority Deputies).

Outside of work, Megan loves travelling, festivals, theatre, live music and comedy.