Farming Wills: Why It’s Important to Keep Them up to Date
August 3rd 2026By 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…
Recognition for two Cartmell Shepherd solicitors
July 21st 2026Two 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…
Network Rail worker ‘unfairly dismissed after years of workplace bullying’
July 7th 2026An 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…
Pension Inheritance Tax Changes: Why 2026 is the year to review your estate planning
June 26th 2026From 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…
Nestlé worker ‘unfairly dismissed’ after refusing to admit vaping
June 10th 2026An 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.…
Court clarifies ‘parental responsibility’ for fathers named on birth certificates
June 4th 2026The 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…
Nuffield Health trainer awarded £148k after raising MOD safety concerns
May 27th 2026A 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…
Taking control of your future: the importance of Lasting Powers of Attorney
May 11th 2026Lasting 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…
Employer ordered to pay £392k for decades of unpaid holiday entitlement
May 6th 2026A property manager has been awarded nearly £392,000 after succeeding in a long-running claim for unpaid holiday entitlement built up over decades of service. Jennifer Cafferky, Associate Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. The Employment Tribunal found that Mr Mohamed Ageli, who had worked for Sabtina Limited since 1987, had accrued a substantial amount of untaken leave which had been carried forward year after year under a…
Wife awarded £13m in divorce case as judge criticises husband
March 30th 2026A woman has been awarded just over £13m following a long-running financial dispute with her former husband, a businessman, after a 20-year relationship. Sarah Tweedie, Associate Solicitor in our Family Law team, reports on this recent case. Mr Justin Warshaw KC, sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge in the Family Court, ruled that the settlement should leave the wife with around 43% of the couple’s total wealth, worth more…
