Government rejects calls for legal protection for cohabiting couples
December 1st 2022The government has ruled out introducing changes to family law to provide greater legal protection for cohabiting couples. Amy Fallows Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of our Family Law team reports. Family lawyers have been pressing for more protection because many people still believe there is such a thing as common law marriage giving them the same legal protection as married couples. Unfortunately for them, this is not true. Cohabiting couples have very…
Legal trainee named apprentice of the year
November 28th 2022A TRAINEE solicitor who showed drive and determination to pursue a career in law has been named Apprentice of the Year at a regional awards ceremony. Holly Moxon from Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors picked up the award at the 2022 in-Cumbria Business Awards which took place at The Halston in Carlisle on Thursday (November 24). Holly was the first apprentice solicitor in Cumbria and is currently five years into a six-year…
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…
