Personal Law

Buying or selling a property? Ashley Shepard, Solicitor Apprentice at Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors, explains how technology is helping to simplify the conveyancing process while retaining the personal service that clients value. Buying or selling a home is one of life’s biggest milestones, but it can also be one of the most stressful. From gathering paperwork and arranging searches to waiting for mortgage approvals and agreeing completion dates, there are many…

Life rarely stands still. Families grow, relationships change, finances evolve, and new opportunities arise. Yet one task that many people put off is reviewing or updating their Will. Deborah Flynn, Director & Head of Wills, Probate & Inheritance at Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors, explains why regularly reviewing your Will is just as important as making one in the first place. While making a Will is one of the most important steps…

By Robert Hudson, Senior Associate Solicitor and Head of Agricultural Wills and Probate For many farming families, the farm is a home, a livelihood, and often a legacy that has been passed down through generations. With many demands on your time, updating your Will may not be top of the priority list. However, taking the time to update your Will ensures that it remains fit for purpose in light of…

Two members of the Wills, Probate and Inheritance team at Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors have been promoted, rewarding them for the high level of expertise they bring to the team. Claire Wilson, who heads up the West Cumbrian office in Cockermouth is now Head of Trusts, while Robert Hudson, who is based at Rosehill, Carlisle, has become Head of Agricultural Wills and Probate. Claire has been a solicitor for 18 years…

An employment tribunal has ruled that a Network Rail employee was unfairly dismissed after years of workplace bullying and racial harassment which managers failed to deal with properly. Jennifer Cafferky, Associate Solicitor in our Employment Team, reports on this recent case. The tribunal heard that Parm Singh Bassi had worked for the company for 24 years before his dismissal. The case centred on a long-running breakdown in workplace relationships at a…

From 6 April 2027, the Government intends to bring most unused pension funds and death benefits within the scope of Inheritance Tax (IHT). This represents one of the most significant changes to estate planning in recent years and may affect many individuals who have viewed pensions as one of the most tax-efficient ways to pass wealth to future generations. Amy Shaw, Legal Assistant in our Wills, Probate & Inheritance Team…

An employment tribunal has ruled that a Nestlé employee was unfairly dismissed after being accused of vaping in workplace toilets, despite accepting that the company had reasonable grounds to believe the misconduct had taken place. Jennifer Cafferky, Associate Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. The case involved a long-serving technical operator who was dismissed for gross misconduct after a factory fire alarm was triggered in October 2023.…

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a man wrongly named as a child’s father on a birth certificate does not automatically gain parental responsibility if he is not the child’s biological father. Amy Fallows Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of our Family Law team provides an update. In an important judgment dealing with three separate family law appeals, senior judges said the legal meaning of “father” under the Children Act 1989 is…

A Nuffield Health employee has been awarded £148,000 after an employment tribunal found she suffered detriment and was constructively dismissed following concerns she raised about Ministry of Defence fitness testing procedures. Jennifer Cafferky, Associate Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. The tribunal heard that the claimant, a personal trainer, raised concerns in June 2022 about the way a pre-joining fitness test had been conducted. She believed that…

Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) allow you to appoint someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you are no longer able to do so. While many people assume this is something to think about later in life, the reality is that loss of capacity can happen at any time, whether through unexpected illness, injury, or a longer-term diagnosis. Putting LPAs in place sooner rather than later ensures…