Employers ‘need strong policies against workplace harassment’
February 13th 2020Employers are being urged to draw up comprehensive policies to protect their employees from workplace harassment. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) says the policies should cover everything from physical intimidation to office banter and jokes. Commission chief executive Rebecca Hilsenrath has written an open letter to employers reminding them that “their employees must come to work knowing they will be safe and protected from discrimination, victimisation and harassment…
Woman ordered to pay rent after partner died without a Will
February 3rd 2020A woman has been ordered to pay rent for the time she spent living in the house she shared with her partner after he died without a Will. The partner had been married in the 1980s and had two children. He later began a relationship with the woman involved in this case. They had similar incomes and bought a house together in 1989 with a joint mortgage. They had a…
Government to provide cheaper homes and end leasehold abuses
January 30th 2020The government has pledged to provide more affordable homes and to clamp down on leasehold abuses on newbuild properties. The measures were announced in the Queen’s Speech at the start of the new parliament. The new First Home scheme will be designed to make homes available at a discount for local first-time buyers. Councils will be able to use housing developers’ contributions to discount homes by 30% for people who…
Where would your Estate go without having a Will?
January 29th 2020The UK Government are changing the rules which govern where your estate goes if you die without having a Will (i.e. die intestate) leaving a spouse or civil partner and children. Currently, under the intestacy rules, if you die without having a Will and have no children, your spouse or civil partner will inherit all of your estate. If you have children, your spouse or civil partner will be entitled…
When court action becomes necessary in divorce cases
January 27th 2020Court action is generally considered to be a last resort in divorce cases. It’s much better to reach an amicable agreement over how you should divide the marital assets and reach a financial settlement. If that proves difficult, your solicitor is likely to suggest that you try mediation, arbitration or collaborative law services to overcome any problems. Sometimes, however, court action becomes unavoidable. This could be for several reasons. For…
Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors secures Law Society’s conveyancing quality mark
January 21st 2020Cartmell Shepherd in Cumbria and Northumberland has once again secured membership to the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme – the mark of excellence for the home buying process. This is the 8th year in a row that Cartmell Shepherd has achieved CQS accreditation. Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors underwent rigorous assessment by the Law Society in order to continue to hold CQS status, which marks the firm out as continuing to meet…
Royal Mail employee unfairly dismissed after manager’s false report
January 20th 2020A Royal Mail employee has won her case of unfair dismissal in a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court. Ms Kamaljeet Jhuti joined the Marketreach unit of Royal Mail in October 2013 on a trial basis as a media specialist. She quickly raised concerns about potential regulatory breaches in the processes. She made the comments under the company’s whistle blower policy, in which her comments were…
Footballers in tax avoidance scheme lose negligence claim
January 14th 2020Wealthy professional footballers who took part in a failed tax avoidance scheme have lost their claims of breach of contract and professional negligence against two banks. The case centred on schemes advertised as vehicles through which taxpayers could contribute funds to limited liability partnerships for investing in films, offsetting their share of the partnership losses against other taxable income. The investors were professional footballers who became clients of an independent…
Nurse wins discrimination claim but loses over harassment
January 7th 2020A mental health nurse who was subjected to abuse by patients has won a claim of indirect race discrimination by his employer. However, his claim for harassment was rejected by the Employment Tribunal. Colleridge Bessong, from Africa, worked for Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust (2019) at a secure residential unit. In 2017 he was seriously assaulted by a patient who also racially abused him. The patient had a history of…
New legal recruit loving life in the north-east
January 3rd 2020LIFE in the north-east is proving just the ticket for solicitor Alice Whittome who has just landed her dream job. Alice, a Newcastle United season ticket holder, has joined leading legal firm Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors as a private client solicitor in Haltwhistle. Alice is now preparing for her first Christmas as a homeowner with fiance Robbie, a trainee GP at Hexham General Hospital, and their two miniature dachshunds Evie and…
