Staff

Emma Pringle, Senior Associate Solicitor at Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors provides an update on the government’s inheritance tax (IHT) reforms and their impact on succession planning for farmers. After 14 months of campaigning and protests across the country, the government has watered down its proposals to tax inherited farmland. The new £1 million threshold on IHT relief will be increased to £2.5 million when the changes come into force in April…

The Insolvency Service is setting up a new team to tackle rogue directors who try to avoid paying their company debts. Carly Davies, our Debt Recovery Manager, reports. The Abusive Phoenixism Taskforce will have a staff of 50 people to investigate suspicious company insolvencies. It will have a budget of £25m. The service’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement Services, Dave Magrath, said:  “This is welcome funding which will help the Insolvency Service tackle rogue directors…

A father has successfully appealed a decision that would have allowed his three-year-old son to move to Cornwall, after a High Court judge found the mother’s relocation plan lacked the evidence needed for such a significant change. Sarah Tweedie, Associate Solicitor in our Family Law team, reports on this recent case. Recorder Williams overturned the earlier ruling made in March 2025, concluding that the district judge had been wrong to…

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a brief exchange of emails was enough to create a legally binding commercial contract, even though the parties expected to sign a longer written agreement later. The court said that where key terms are agreed and both sides behave as if a deal is done, the law will treat it as binding. Joseph Halvorsen, Solicitor Apprentice, reports on this recent case. The case…

A divorce case in which the husband allegedly arranged a ‘sham £1.6m loan’ as a way of thwarting the wife’s financial remedy claim is to be reheard. Liz Wilson, Senior Associate Solicitor in our Family team, reports on this recent case. The husband said the money had been advanced by his brother’s company and used in part to help buy the family home in London. He argued that the debt reduced the…

Managing Director Joanne Stronach reflects on a successful 2025 at Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors Like many businesses, the run up to Christmas at Cartmell Shepherd is a busy time, as our teams work to meet deadlines and plan for the year ahead. Amidst the Christmas rush, it’s easy to forget to pause and reflect on progress made over the past year, so in this article, I’d like to do just that.…

Late payment is one of the most common causes of financial stress for businesses. A company can be profitable on paper but still struggle if cash is not arriving in time to meet wages, rent and supplier invoices. For many firms, the difference between stability and insolvency lies in how effectively they manage credit. The first step is ensuring that payment terms are set out clearly from the very start.…

By Carol O’Donoghue, Marketing and Business Development Director at Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors. Securing sponsorship and funding can be a vital lifeline for organisations, whether you’re running an event, a community project, or a charity. But approaching businesses effectively requires more than just asking for support. It’s about building a mutually beneficial partnership. As a Marketing and Business Development Director in a large regional community driven law firm for many years,…

AN EXPERIENCED solicitor has joined Cartmell Shepherd’s Wills, Probate and Inheritance department. Emma Pringle joins the firm’s Hexham office as Senior Associate, bringing nearly two decades of experience and a specialist knowledge of rural estate management. Emma previously worked for respected law firms in Manchester and Newcastle and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the global professional body for experts in inheritance and succession…

Following the Renters Rights Act 2025 receiving Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, the government has published its roadmap for implementation. The legislation will be introduced in three phases, with several key changes taking effect from as early as 1st May 2026. These include the banning of no-fault evictions (otherwise known as Section 21 evictions), fixed-term tenancy contracts and rent bidding, among other changes. The MHCLG Policy Paper, published on…