By Michelle Simpson, Associate
A judge has dismissed a wife’s application to reopen their divorce settlement in a “big money” case even though the husband was found to have been dishonest and had attempted to keep the true facts about his finances from his wife and the court.
The husband and wife had reached a settlement during the course of a final hearing. The terms of the settlement were approved by the court ...
By Chris Reece, Paralegal
The British Bankers’ Association has recently issued banks and building societies with guidance designed to improve the experiences of those who manage an account on behalf of someone else. The guidance was developed in conjunction with the Building Societies Association and Office of the Public Guardian with assistance from the Law Society, Alzheimer’s Society, Solicitors for the Elderly and Age UK.
Previously, individuals ...
By Michelle Simpson, Associate
Not every husband and wife who separate want to get divorced straight away. They may choose to wait two years before starting divorce proceedings but still want to reach an immediate agreement about their financial arrangements.
In this situation a separation agreement can be used to record the financial agreement reached. This is a legal document and can be legally binding. The intention is to eventually have the terms ...
By Alison Close, Employment Law Solicitor
For many years now, employees who are classed as disabled have been protected against discrimination from their employers. What many do not realise is that disability for these purposes is wider than in normal day-to-day parlance and includes anyone who has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial adverse effect upon their ability to perform day-to-day activities. So those who suffer from mental health ...
By Leah Strange, Solicitor
Margaret Thatcher has always divided opinion and it would seem she continues to do so even after her death.
Whilst most of the nation seems very much undecided about The Iron Lady and how she should be laid to rest, one thing that should be noted is that her own wishes are being taken into account.
Although the Government has been heavily involved with the planning of ...
By Michelle Simpson, Associate
A barrister who took her ex-husband to court complaining that her original £26 million divorce settlement was not enough has ended up £8 million worse off while the judge presiding over the case criticised their £2.7 million spend on legal costs and their “point scoring” behaviour, describing the court’s intervention as “somebody has to come into the nursery to make some rules to dissipate all this nonsense.”
Mr and ...
By Michael Devlin, Solicitor
According to two recent government publications, residential possession claims are rising and this is likely to increase with the implementation of the Universal Credit Scheme. A recent pilot of the scheme showed a seven-fold increase in rent arrears in just seven months.
As residential landlords, when you need to obtain possession of your property you need to ensure you do it swiftly and cost-effectively. It ...
By Alison Close, Employment Law Solicitor
Allegations made by employees that they are being bullied or harassed are becoming more and more common in the workplace. Examples range from complaints that a manager is unfairly criticising an employee for their performance to inappropriate comments or physical contact by other members of staff.
In any of these circumstances the question to ask is what claims could arise for employers? If there is discrimination on ...
By Alison Close, Employment Law Solicitor
The Employment Rights Act 1996 requires employers to issue written terms and conditions of employment to all employees whose employment continues for over one month. These terms and conditions must include the following as a minimum:
1. The names of the employer and employee
2. The date employment started and the date of the employee’s period of continuous employment began
3. ...
By Michelle Simpson, Associate
From the 1st April 2013 legal aid will no longer be available for divorce proceedings; most cases about where children live and how often they see the parent they don’t live with and cases about how family money is divided on divorce.
You might be thinking “I don’t qualify for legal aid so these changes won’t affect me.”
There is concern across the legal industry, even from the most senior ...
