Latest figures show slight reduction in gender pay gap
May 28th 2019By Joanne Stronach Head of Employment & HR The latest figures on the gender pay gap in large businesses show a slight reduction on last year. Legislation introduced in 2017 means that every employer with 250 or more employees has to publish the differences between what they pay their male and female staff in average salaries and bonuses. This is the second year that employers have been required to report…
Dementia Action Week 2019
May 24th 2019This week is Dementia Action Week and it was amazing for #TeamCartmells to get involved in our local communities and show support. It is important for us, as businesses, to make ourselves more accessible to those living with dementia and to help shape a wider community that strives to be more inclusive to those with disabilities. Cartmells are active members of the Local Dementia Action Alliance and work within our…
Judge orders homeowner to pay builder in full for repair work
May 20th 2019By Laura Bright Solicitor The High Court has ordered a homeowner to pay the full cost of repair work carried out on his property by a building company. The court heard that the homeowner, Sylvein Pinto, had asked ICCT Ltd to stop leaks in his basement. The work was not paid for so ICCT took the matter to arbitration and Mr Pinto provided the adjudicator with pictures of the leaking…
Director ordered to pay £20,000 after breaching his duties
May 13th 2019By Mark Aspin Director A director has been ordered to pay £20,000 for breaching his legal duties shortly before his company went into liquidation. The director had run a freight-forwarding company from 2011 until its voluntary liquidation in 2015. He had been the sole shareholder. His father had previously been a co-director of the company and continued to work for it. The company operated from the father’s home. The director…
How the Hague Convention can help if your ex-partner abducts your child
April 29th 2019By Laura Ousby Solicitor Disputes between parents over who their children should live and spend time with are among the most common causes of ongoing tension between couples after they separate. Most families manage to work out reasonable compromises over such issues but unfortunately, amicable agreements are not always possible and in some extreme cases, can lead to one parent abducting their children and taking them to another country. This…
Husband and wife lose £40,000 deposit in failed company purchase
April 24th 2019By Mark Aspin Director & Head of Dispute Resolution A husband and wife who tried to buy a business have lost their £40,000 deposit after the High Court ruled they could not claim a refund when the deal fell through. The couple wanted to buy a waste collection company. They were introduced to the sole shareholder and a tentative agreement was made that they would buy the business for £210,000.…
Try before you buy – the importance of getting a horse vetted
April 18th 2019By Laura Bright Solicitor Finding the right horse can be difficult, and when you finally do, it can be ever so tempting to rush into purchasing him/her without carrying out the necessary checks. It is unlikely you would buy a car without an MOT so why treat purchasing a horse any differently? In order to protect yourself you should have the horse vetted by your own vet or an independent…
Prestigious recognition for our dedicated team who ‘go beyond the extra mile’ for clients …
April 12th 2019Our team of dedicated solicitors who ‘go beyond the extra mile’ for their clients is flying the flag for Cumbria as finalists in the prestigious Northern Law Awards. Our private client department is now in the running to be named 2019 private client team of the year at a ceremony in Newcastle in June. Deborah Flynn, Director and Head of Department, said being shortlisted was fitting recognition of the extraordinary…
No-deal brexit and family law
April 9th 2019By Laura Ousby Solicitor Family law may not immediately spring to mind when considering the impact of Brexit. Most of the news coverage focuses on the value of the pound, businesses, the NHS, interest rates and house prices. A no-deal Brexit will, however, affect the current family legal system as we know it. The government have made a number of provisions affecting family law that are expected to come into force…
Asda loses appeal over equal pay for women workers
April 4th 2019Joanne Stronach Head of Employment & HR explains. The Court of Appeal has upheld a tribunal ruling that female workers in Asda stores were employed under terms and conditions that were comparable to men working in the company’s distribution depots. It’s an important decision as it could allow thousands of women working for major retailers and numerous other businesses to bring equal pay claims. Asda has 630 retail stores and…