Father jailed for breaching court orders in child abduction case
October 7th 2025A father has been sentenced to six months in prison for contempt of court after repeatedly failing to comply with orders to return his 11-year-old daughter from Iran to England. Joanne Grey Senior Associate Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. Mrs Justice Lieven, sitting in the High Court’s Family Division, ruled that immediate custody was the only way to secure compliance after what she described as “deliberate and…
Should You Outsource or Hire? New Guide Helps Employers Decide
October 6th 2025With changes to employment law and increased payroll costs, many UK businesses are asking: Should we hire in-house or outsource? As a proud member of the UK200Group, we are delighted to share this new guide “Outsourcing for Employers” – which walks you through the costs and considerations of both approaches. We explore: Key changes to employment rights and sick pay The hidden costs of hiring (from recruitment to training) How outsourcing…
Director’s ‘sincere belief’ no defence to breach of duty, rules Court of Appeal
September 30th 2025The Court of Appeal has ruled that a company director cannot avoid liability for breaching duties by arguing that they acted sincerely in what they thought was the best interests of the business. Lewis Jackson, Trainee Solicitor working in our Business Services team, reports on this recent case: The case, Saxon Woods Investments Ltd v Costa, concerned a shareholders’ agreement which required the parties to “work together in good faith…
Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors announces promotions in Private Client department
September 23rd 2025Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors has announced a new round of promotions within its specialist Wills, Probate and Inheritance team. Reflecting the firm’s ongoing commitment to staff development, Megan Wilkinson has been promoted to Senior Associate Solicitor, while Claire Ackerlay is promoted to Associate Private Client Executive. Cartmell Shepherd’s Private Client department is regarded as one of the largest and strongest in the region offering services including Will drafting, powers of attorney,…
Judge orders equal split in £9m divorce, with £897k lump sum to wife
September 23rd 2025The Family Court has ordered an equal division of the couple’s matrimonial assets, leaving each with £3.44m, and requiring the husband to pay the wife a lump sum of £897,092. Amy Fallows Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of our Family Law team reports on this case. The parties, anonymised as OS (wife) and DT (husband), married in 2014, have three children and separated in September 2023 after careers in London’s finance sector. Under…
Increase in registration fees for Lasting Power of Attorneys
September 18th 2025In August, the Ministry of Justice announced that the fee for registering a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) will increase later this year. Kathryn Ingram, Associate Solicitor and member of The Association of Lifetime Lawyers (ALL)* provides an update. From 17th November 2025, the fee will rise from £82 to £92 per application. Anyone submitting an LPA registration with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) after this date will be required…
Celebrating the Success of our Solicitor Apprentices
September 16th 2025Cartmell Shepherd is delighted to announce that two of its Graduate Solicitor Apprentices, Ashley Shepard and Joseph Halvorsen, have successfully passed the first part of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). The SQE 1 is a demanding assessment taken over two days. Successfully completing this milestone means Ashley and Joseph can progress to SQE 2, the final hurdle before becoming fully qualified solicitors. Unlike the traditional Legal Practice Course (LPC) route…
Companies House announces mandatory identity verification
September 15th 2025Incoming Managing Director Joanne Stronach takes a look at Companies House identity verification and what this means for your business. From 18th November 2025, the government will introduce mandatory identity verification (IDV) for company directors, under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. This is part of a string of reforms aiming to enhance transparency within the UK’s corporate registers and tackle economic crime. Who needs to verify? Company…
Home-grown talent joins legal firm’s top-ranked agriculture team
September 11th 2025A Cumbrian legal firm has welcomed one of its newly qualified solicitors to its nationally recognised agriculture team. Sam Fawcett began his legal career with Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors two years ago and has joined the firm’s agriculture department after qualifying as a solicitor earlier this month. Raised on his family’s dairy farm at Blencow, near Penrith, Sam brings first-hand agricultural experience to the legal firm, which operates across Cumbria and…
Legal firm strengthens marketing team with strategic appointment
September 9th 2025A leading Cumbrian legal firm has reinforced its commitment to innovation and client service by appointing an experienced marketing professional to its growing team. Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors has welcomed Joe Sanders as its new Strategic and Digital Marketing Manager. Joe brings a wealth of expertise to the role, having built a strong track record over the past several years, including the last three as Marketing Manager at Cumbria Chamber of…
