Next week, between 25th and the 30th of November we are taking part in Dr Kershaw’s Will Week.
Where in return for a donation to the hospice (£100 per single will, £150 for mirror wills) we will provide clients with a free will.
Simply call us on 0161 624 6811 and book an appointment for next week.
At this time of year, our thoughts are focused on gifts for our nearest and dearest. We will also hear requests from Charities asking us to include them in our Christmas list and to make a donation to them.
One way to do this and at the same time get our own affairs in order ready for the New Year, is to make a Will under one of the Charity Schemes available and leave a gift to the Charity under our Will, the Charity then covering the cost of the Will.
It is important to make a Will because your Will tells everyone what should happen to your money, possessions and other property after you die. If you don’t make a will the law decides how your estate is passed on and this might mean some people benefiting that you do not wish to do so and other important people missing out. It also makes it easier for your family and friends to sort everything out when the times comes.
A Will is especially important if you have children or other family who depend on you financially or if you want to leave gifts to people outside your family or to Charity.
Wrigley Claydon are members of the Free Will Scheme with Cancer Research UK. The only condition for making a Will under this Scheme is that you are aged 18 or over and consider pledging a gift in your Will to Cancer Research UK to help fight this battle against cancer. Cancer Research UK will then in return pay for the cost of your Will.
If you would like to discuss making a Will or find out more information about the free Will Scheme the team at Wrigley Claydon will be happy to help. Please call Rachel Damianou or Jyoti Patel on (0161) 624 6811 option 3.
As Christmas approaches, the nation is busying themselves with all the tasks that need to be undertaken prior to Christmas; the shopping , present buying, food shopping and other essential housekeeping tasks. Plans are being made to visit relatives and friends over the festive period.
However, in all the hustle and bustle leading up to Christmas, have you agreed arrangements for the children?
It is important to all concerned that arrangements are agreed if possible, at an early stage, so that there are no misunderstandings about the time the children are to spend with each parent.
The children themselves can look forward to the time they will spend with their parents and wider family.
If it is possible to reach an agreement directly, it is always a good idea to write down what has been agreed and each parent keep a copy for reference purposes. Be willing to compromise in any arrangements. Most parents would like to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with their children, so it will not be possible for both parents to have the children at the same time. Consider agreeing to compromise on the basis that the parent who has Christmas eve and Christmas day morning this year, will agree to alternate the arrangement, so that the other parent spends time with the children Christmas Eve and Christmas morning next year in 2020.
Also consider arrangements for the New Year. If one parent has Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with the children, the other parent could have New Years Eve and New years day with the children.
It is hoped that most parents can agree the arrangements at an early stage before Christmas. This will clearly be in the children’s best interests and will avoid any conflict over Christmas.
If however it is not possible to agree arrangements, the best way forward would be for either party to make a referral to the Family mediation service, who are a body of professionals who can assist separated couples to reach an agreement in respect of the arrangements for the children.
If it is still not possible to agree arrangements after the mediation process, then either party would be at liberty to make an application to the Court. The court can then adjudicate on the arrangements in respect of the children and make an order setting out the terms of the arrangements for the time each of the children spend with their parents.
If you like to talk to a member of our family team please contact either Corinne Bailey-Brown, Terri Pickup or Rhona Royle on 0161 624 6811
Click here to find out more about Family Lawyers
Click here to find out more about Divorce Lawyers
Click here to find out more about Finances on Separation
The Family Law Team:
Rhona Royle
Terri Pickup
Bake Off Judge, Paul Hollywood and his wife have reportedly decided to resolve their financial matters through arbitration rather than the courts. Arbitration is one of the ways to resolve disputes outside of court.
There are a variety of methods by which to resolve financial matters on separation, court proceedings are always the last resort and during an initial appointment with a client, we would explore the various options for determining financial matters.
If appropriate, the first option would be to see if an agreement can be reached via negotiations through solicitors. At Wrigley Claydon, we take a constructive but robust approach on behalf of our client’s at what is undoubtedly a difficult time both financially and emotionally.
Another option would be for both parties to attend mediation (as presenter Ant McPartlin is). This process is often a quicker and cheaper way of reaching an agreement, although it would require both parties to voluntarily attend and neither party can be forced to mediate.
Unfortunately though in some cases, court proceedings are the only option.
Early advice on financial matters is always wise, if you would like to arrange a quick 30 minute consultation to discuss financial issues on separation please contact a member of our family team on 0161 624 6811 (Option 5)
Click here to find out more about Family Lawyers
Click here to find out more about Divorce Lawyers
Click here to find out more about Finances on Separation
The Family Law Team:
Rhona Royle
Terri Pickup
Sara Asif
(Since this blog was prepared, the Law Society Gazette has reported that unfortunately “Domestic Abuse legislation will fall…as a result of next month’s general election”)
More and more we are seeing clients who have been the victim of a financially controlling partner. It is not always evident to a client that they may have been subject to financial control, until we explain that Domestic Abuse is not just physical and emotional abuse.
The Domestic Abuse Bill 2019 brings about further change to the definition of Domestic Abuse to include Economic Abuse. This is defined as any behaviour that has a substantial adverse effect on a person’s ability to a) acquire, use or maintain money or property or b) obtain goods or services.
This definition is in addition to financial abuse. It does not just relate to money, food, transport but also to credit ratings and running up debts in another person’s name.
Resolution, an organisation of family justice professionals who work together with individuals to manage conflict, “also welcome the recommendation to future proof the definition of Domestic Abuse, while at the same time including specific abusive behaviour”.
Issues regarding domestic abuse need to be handled in a sensitive manner, the team at Wrigley Claydon solicitors can assist you if you believe that you are the victim of this behaviour. For a quick consultation please contact us on 0161 624 6811.
Click here to find out more about Family Lawyers
Click here to find out more about Divorce Lawyers
Click here to find out more about Finances on Separation
The Family Law Team:
Rhona Royle
Terri Pickup
External Sources:
Draft Domestic Abuse Bill
Resolution: Domestic Abuse Draft Bill – Report of the Joint Committee
Law Gazette: Domestic abuse legislation to fall due to election
Each year, the 09th to 15th October marks Baby Loss Awareness Week, which gives bereaved parents, family and friends the opportunity to unite to remember their babies’ lives. It also aims to raise awareness about pregnancy and baby loss as well as promoting improvements in care and support for those so affected, and reducing preventable deaths.
The campaign confirms that the care that bereaved families receive from health and other professionals can have long-lasting effects, but unfortunately, the standard of care in the UK varies between regions meaning that some parents and families do not receive the quality of bereavement care that is essential to them following pregnancy or baby loss.
The campaign is led by Sands, a stillbirth and neonatal death charity, which aims to reduce death figures and improve bereavement care. Sands works in alliance with Bliss, The Lullaby Trust, The Miscarriage Association, The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust and Tommy’s as well as a vast range of other charitable organisations who are committed to achieving these aims. Details of the charities involved can be found at https://babyloss-awareness.org/organisations.
If you are thinking of leaving a gift to a charity in your Will, the Wills and Probate team at Wrigley Claydon will be happy to help. We offer a free initial consultation. Please call Rachel Damianou or Jyoti Patel at our Oldham office on 0161 624 6811 option 3, or Emma Piszkalo at our Todmorden office on 01706 815712.
Good SAM is a community of Good Samaritans, happy to assist if they are the closest person to an emergency. They are trained in first aid and may have additional skills. Many are off duty doctors, nurses, paramedics and other members of the emergency services.
If you are trained in first aid, you can download the GoodSAM Responder App. You’ll then be alerted when you are in the immediate vicinity of a cardiac arrest.
By connecting a community of appropriately trained and accredited volunteers, the GoodSAM app has the potential to save lives by providing quality CPR in the first few minutes following cardiac arrest.
Suffering an accident can have serious implications on you and your livelihood. Our injury solicitors will quickly and efficiently put your case together and act on your behalf. Call Vijay Srivastava or Shalish Mehta in injury department on 0161 624 6811(Option 6) or email vjs@wrigleyclaydon.com or sm@wrigleyclaydon.com. We can advise you on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur.
South Lakeland District Council (SDLC), who invoice for certain services and charges is owed £576,000 in debts dating back to 2014.
SLDC officers said the debt represented a small fraction of the £46 million it had issued invoices or credit notes for from 2014 to 2019-20.
Helen Smith, financial services manager for SLDC, said “It’s fair to say we are very reluctant to write off the debt and do our utmost to gather whatever we feel is collectable.”
Unpaid debts can have various unpleasant consequences ranging from cash flow difficulties; refusal of prompt payment discounts, and banks not recognising long term debts as collateral.
Call Shalish Mehta in our Debt Recovery Department on 0161 624 6811(Option 6) or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com. We can advise you on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur.
ACL stands for Anterior Cruciate Ligament. That’s the tough band of tissue that sits at the front of the knee joint, connecting the thighbone (femur) to the shinbone (tibia). It provides control and stability to the knee. Sometimes, during an accident, it can tear and the joint will then give way. Normally you will feel a sudden pain and the knee will usually begin to swell generally in a few hours.
You might not be able to bear weight on the affected leg, and could feel unstable either when playing sport or, if the injury is more serious, during normal day-to-day activities.
Specific exercises may strengthen the knee however, one might also need surgery. A number of methods can be used to reconstruct an anterior cruciate ligament. The most common method is to use a tendon from elsewhere in your body to replace the ACL, such as part of your hamstring tendons or your quadriceps tendon.
At Wrigley Claydon, we have over 40 years’ experience of helping our clients receive the compensation they deserve following accidents where they have suffered personal injury and financial loss. We have dealt with a number of injury cases where we have obtained compensation for those clients who have suffered cruciate ligament damage.
Call Vijay Srivastava or Shalish Mehta in injury department on 0161 624 6811(Option 6) or email vjs@wrigleyclaydon.com or sm@wrigleyclaydon.com. We can advise you on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur.
The Government has thankfully abandoned plans to increase the probate fees which would have seen a rise from the current fixed fee of £155 (with a solicitor) or £255 to a sliding scale of up to £6000 depending on the size of the state. Several organisations including the Law Society vigorously campaigned against the proposed hikes, which were seen as unfair and a tax on grief.
The Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said ‘that the government has listened very carefully to the strong views aired on the proposed new probate fees, while fees are necessary to properly fund our world leading court system they must be fair and proportionate.
The current proposals will now be withdrawn and the court fees will be considered as pare of the annual wider review.
The news will be welcomed by all those involved in the administration of an estate.
If you are dealing with Probate and need help and guidance, the Wills and Probate team at Wrigley Claydon will be happy to help. We offer a free initial consultation. Please call Rachel Damianou or Jyoti Patel on 0161 624 6811 option 3.