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…
Cumbrian legal firm shortlisted for national law award
August 28th 2025A Cumbrian legal firm has achieved national recognition after being named as a finalist in the British Wills and Probate Awards 2025. Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors is shortlisted for the best Contentious Wills & Probate team (Boutique) at the awards which celebrate legal excellence across the country. Rebecca Armstrong, who is Head of Will and Inheritance Disputes at Cartmell Shepherd, said: “We’re delighted to be recognised for our specialist expertise in…
Husband ‘tried to isolate wife from legal advice’ in £230m divorce
August 12th 2025A High Court judge has found that a wealthy husband deliberately tried to prevent his wife from accessing legal support during their divorce negotiations, contributing to what the court described as an unfair and coercive process. Liz Wilson, Senior Associate Solicitor in our Family team, reports on this recent case. In one of the largest divorce awards ever made by the English courts, Mr Justice Cobb ordered the husband to…
Cartmell Shepherd restructures Dispute Resolution team to highlight specialisms
July 29th 2025Leading law firm Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors has announced three senior promotions this week, as part of a move to highlight specialisms within its Dispute Resolution team. Director and Head of Dispute Resolution Mark Aspin said: “Dispute Resolution encompasses a broad spectrum of legal work. While our team deals with the majority of ‘Civil Disputes’, we also employ recognised specialists in the areas of Will & Inheritance Disputes, Property Disputes, and Court of Protection,…
Judge favours divorcing couple’s written agreement in ongoing dispute
July 23rd 2025A Family Court judge has settled a dispute between a divorcing couple who had reached a voluntary financial settlement but then continued to argue over specific details. He said the court should generally favour the contents of the written agreement reached between the parties. Joanne Grey Senior Associate Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. Sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice, His Honour Judge Hess was asked to…
More than half of first-time home buyers get help from Mum and Dad
July 7th 2025More than half of all first-time home buyers in the UK now get help from the Bank of Mum and Dad, according to research by the estate agents, Savills. Mandy Shum Conveyancer in our property team provides an update. Approximately 173,500 first-time buyers received assistance last year, receiving on average £55,572. This equates to just over half (52%) of all first-time buyers, which, although lower than the proportion that received assistance…
Robert Hudson steps into senior role at Cartmell Shepherd
July 4th 2025Cartmell Shepherd is proud to announce the promotion of Robert Hudson to the role of Senior Associate Solicitor within the Wills, Probate and Inheritance team. The promotion comes less than twelve months after Robert joined the firm in September 2024 which is one of the leading private client teams in the region. Robert qualified as a solicitor in 2009 after studying law at Cambridge University. He then went on to…
Landmark Supreme Court Ruling Clarifies Asset Division in Divorce: Standish v Standish (2025) UKSC 26
July 3rd 2025By Joanne Grey Senior Associate Solicitor in our Family Law team. Yesterday, the UK Supreme Court handed down a long-awaited decision in Standish v Standish [2025] UKSC 26, a case that will shape how courts approach the division of wealth on divorce—particularly where one party enters the marriage with significant pre-acquired assets. The ruling provides crucial clarification on the boundary between matrimonial and non-matrimonial property and narrows the circumstances in…
NHS worker awarded £28,000 after being likened to Darth Vader
June 25th 2025An NHS worker has been awarded more than £28,000 in compensation after a colleague likened her to Darth Vader during a workplace exercise. Jennifer Cafferky, Associate Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. Lorna Rooke, who worked for NHS Blood and Transplant for nearly two decades, was assigned the Star Wars villain as her personality type when a team-building quiz was completed on her behalf without her knowledge.…
Planning for the future when you have a blended family
June 3rd 2025Blended families are now more common than ever, with many people starting new relationships, getting married, and entering into civil partnerships later in life, often bringing children from previous relationships. Being part of a blended family comes with unique legal and financial considerations that need careful planning. When it comes to planning for the future, a “one-size-fits-all” approach simply doesn’t work. Without clear legal documents in place, your wishes might…
