Father ordered to return daughter to her mother’s home country
February 9th 2023A father who abducted his three-year-old daughter has been ordered to return her to her mother’s home country. Shannon Bateson, Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. The mother and father were from different countries. They met in 2017, married in 2019 and moved to the mother’s country as a family in 2020. The mother worked and the father was the homemaker. In 2022 they planned to move…
Legal firm expands family department with new appointments
February 1st 2023A LEADING legal firm has strengthened its Family Law team with the appointment of two experienced solicitors. Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors, which has offices across Cumbria and Northumberland, has welcomed Jo Grey and Sara Budniak to its Family department which deals with all aspects of marital law, divorce, children, cohabitation and domestic violence. The pair bring a wealth of experience to the team, having practised for several years in their specialist…
Child abducted by her mother must be returned to her home country
January 31st 2023A mother who abducted her daughter has been ordered to return the child to her home country in accordance with the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 1980. Joanne Grey Associate Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. The case involved a Bulgarian couple who had lived in the UK. Their daughter was born in the UK and, following the breakdown of…
Woman fails to overturn mother’s Will that benefited estranged sister
January 24th 2023A woman has failed to overturn her mother’s Will, after claiming it left too much to her estranged sister. Peter Stafford, Managing Director and Head of Business Services reports on this recent case. The mother was 78 years old when she died. She had always been close to one of her daughters but was estranged from the other. In 2012, she made a Will that left her entire estate to…
Father ordered to pay into housing fund for son and former partner
January 13th 2023A father has been ordered to contribute to a fund to buy a home for his son and former partner, and to pay their rent until he had paid his share of the fund in full. Shannon Bateson, Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. The parents had cohabited but never married. They separated in 2018, after which the mother sought financial provision for their seven-year-old son. In…
Mortgage Guarantee Scheme for first-time buyers is extended
January 5th 2023The government has extended the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme for another year to help more first-time buyers get on to the property ladder. Elizabeth Crouch Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of Residential Property provides an update. Under the scheme, the government offers lenders the financial guarantees they need to provide mortgages that cover the other 95%, subject to the usual affordability checks, on a house worth up to £600,000. Launched in April…
Redundancy criteria that led to dismissal of nurse was unfair
December 20th 2022A nurse has won her claim of unfair dismissal after she was made redundant simply because her contract renewal was coming round earlier than her colleague’s. Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment & HR reports on this recent case. Karen Regan worked as a Band 6 nurse for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Her employment had consisted of a series of fixed-term contracts since 2016, There was another Band…
Child can stay with mother in his place of habitual residence
December 16th 2022A mother has successfully appealed against a decision ordering the return of her eight-year-old son to Germany under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 1980. Shannon Bateson, Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. The mother was Ugandan and the father was German. Their son was born in Uganda in 2014. The relationship ended and the father returned to Germany. The boy spent…
Large increases to minimum wage rates to combat inflation
December 5th 2022The Low Pay Commission has announced large increases in minimum wage rates to combat falling living standards caused by rising inflation. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. It means the National Living Wage (NLW) will rise to £10.42 from 1 April 2023, an increase of 92 pence or 9.7 per cent. The full changes are: Rate from April 2023Current rate (April 22 to March 23)IncreaseNational…
Government rejects calls for legal protection for cohabiting couples
December 1st 2022The government has ruled out introducing changes to family law to provide greater legal protection for cohabiting couples. Amy Fallows Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of our Family Law team reports. Family lawyers have been pressing for more protection because many people still believe there is such a thing as common law marriage giving them the same legal protection as married couples. Unfortunately for them, this is not true. Cohabiting couples have very…
