Telecoms firm must pay damages for delay in relocating phone mast
November 24th 2022A telecommunications infrastructure company has been ordered to pay damages to a property developer after it failed to relocate a mobile phone mast in the scheduled time. Stephanie Johnson Senior Associate Solicitor reports on this recent case. Barkby Real Estate Developments Ltd had a commercial site it planned to develop and sell on to the local authority. Part of the development included removing a mobile phone mast from the site. Barkby…
Separated couples should avoid Christmas disputes over children
November 21st 2022Christmas and other holiday periods should be among the happiest times of a child’s life but sadly they are often marred by divorced and separated parents arguing over access rights. Shannon Bateson, Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. Tensions between couples often come to the fore at this time of year but it’s the children who are likely to suffer the most as they find themselves at…
Director breached his duties by assuming too much control
November 17th 2022The director of a family farming business has been found in breach of his duties under the Companies Act 2006 after he had taken steps to appoint a board within his control. Mark Aspin Director and Head of Dispute Resolution reports on this recent case. The company had been incorporated in 1960. David Metson and his brother Samuel were both directors and owned shares themselves and for other family members. David was one…
New law designed to protect pregnant women against redundancy
November 15th 2022Pregnant women and new parents will receive greater protection from redundancy under new legislation currently going through parliament. Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment & HR reports on this recent case. Under current rules, before offering redundancy to an employee on maternity leave, shared parental leave or adoption leave, employers have an obligation to offer them a suitable alternative vacancy where one exists. The Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination Bill, introduced…
The sixth edition of our Agricultural Newsletter is now live
November 14th 2022“You couldn’t write it, could you? If you had said 12 months ago that we would be on our third Prime Minister in 2 months, with inflation in double-digits and interest rates rising fast, few would have believed you. But here we are. For farmers, the transition to ELMS and SFI is still unsettled. The window to apply for the lump sum exit scheme has closed, with a reported several…
Cost of creditor bankruptcy and liquidation deposits rise
November 10th 2022The Insolvency Service has increased the cost of deposits paid to initiate creditor bankruptcies and compulsory liquidations. Carly Davies, our Debt Control Manager reports. The petition deposit, the amount that needs to be paid up-front to seek an order, has increased in all cases where a petition is filed at court after 1 November 2022. There will be no change to the adjudicator petition deposit where the individual applies for their own…
Boy granted £50k from aunt’s estate as she had ‘taken on the role of mother’
November 7th 2022A 12-year-old boy has been granted £50,000 from his late aunt’s estate on the basis that he had been treated as a child of the family. Rebecca Armstrong Associate Solicitor in our Will Claims team reports on this recent case. The boy was taken in by his aunt shortly after his birth because his mother was unable to care for him herself. The aunt acted as the boy’s main parental figure until her…
Divorce applications reach 10-year high as new law takes effect
November 1st 2022The number of divorce applications has reached a 10-year high, with the sudden increase thought to be largely due to the introduction of the no-fault approach to ending a marriage. Sarah Hinett, Paralegal in our Family Law Team reports. The figures for April to June 2022 show there were 33,234 applications, the highest number for a decade. Analysts suggest the increase is down to people holding off making applications until…
Legal ruling has implications for farming inheritance rows
October 26th 2022A LANDMARK legal ruling could have far reaching implications in disputes over the future of family farms. Rebecca Armstrong, a Contentious Trust and Probate Specialist with Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors, said the judgment by the Supreme Court on Wednesday (October 19) would impact farming families who find themselves in legal battles over who will inherit the farm. Rebecca said: “The ruling was unusual in that it offered the parties a choice…
Legal firm’s agriculture team among best in country
October 21st 2022A LAW firm is celebrating after its agriculture team won national recognition for its services. Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors’ Agriculture and Estates department has been named as one of the best in the country by a top UK legal guide. It is the third consecutive year that the team has been ranked in the top tier of legal firms in The Chambers UK Legal Guide. The Agriculture and Estates team, which…
