Category: Litigation & Disputes

From 7 August 2017 new court proceedings came into force meaning anyone entering court, including solicitors and barristers, are now being asked to sip the drinks they are carrying to prove they are not filled with harmful substances or alcohol.

The rules will apply to all ‘customers’ who enter the building with an unsealed ‘drink can/carton/coffee cup/flask’.

The rules, which if breached will result in refusal of entry to the court, will also sometimes apply to sealed bottles.

Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunal Services said if they did not introduce this rule then the alternative would be to ban all liquids like at airports, to ensure security.

Court proceedings

If you need to issue court proceedings or defend court proceedings that have been served on you then our litigation solicitors will quickly and efficiently put your case together and act on your behalf. We can advise you on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur.

Call Shalish Mehta in our civil and commercial litigation department on 0161 785 3534 or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com.

The Government has confirmed details for a new pilot scheme to extend court opening times across England and Wales.

Six courts have been selected for the trial, including Manchester, adding either an early or a late slot. The early session running from 8am to 10.45am and the later one from 4.30pm to 7pm. The trial will take place over six months from this autumn.

Jurisdictions in the US, Australia and Singapore already have more flexible arrangements.

It is thought that the £300m cost of running the court and tribunals could be reduced by ensuring existing court buildings are in use before 10am and after 4.30pm.

Legal representation

At Wrigley Claydon we represent clients in many aspects of the law; from litigation to personal injury, business to family law, wills and probate to conveyancing. Suffering any sort of dispute, injury, separation or bereavement can have financial, emotional or even physical affects on you and/or your business. Our solicitors will quickly and efficiently put your case together and act on your behalf to resolve the matter.

We advise clients on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur. We will represent you in court, where necessary, and fight on your behalf at achieve a satisfactory outcome.

If you nee legal representation please call Shalish Mehta in our civil and commercial litigation department on 0161 785 3534 or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com.

A couple locked in a bitter dispute with their neighbours over a small wall came home to find a huge green lorry trailer parked right outside their home.

Sophia and Gwyn Hughes said the huge container blocks out sunlight and obscures the view when they look out of their window.

The trailer was positioned at the edge of the land owned by neighbour Mark Jones but is just inches away from the Hughes’ home in Anglesey.

Mrs Hughes said relations with Mr Jones and his wife were fine but turned sour when they asked if they could rebuild a small wall on the edge of their land.

Mr Jones claimed the Hughes’ view of the trailer would have been reduced had they not taken down trees that belonged to his family.

Mrs Hughes categorically denied the felled trees belonged to the Joneses.

After consulting with their solicitor, they decided to sign over the wall. Mrs Hughes said she had been told the Joneses would consider removing the lorry trailer if she would reimburse them the cost of their legal fees and offer an apology.

How can a neighbour dispute solicitor help?

If you find yourself in dispute with your neighbours we can advise you on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur.

Please call Shalish Mehta in our civil and commercial litigation department on 0161 785 3534 or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com.

How important is it to you to have good relations with your neighbours?

Lego have threatened to sue a removals firm over the figures painted on the side of their vans.

It claims Kwik Stix are infringing their copyright with the design and have ordered it to be removed within 28 days.

Lego is demanding Kwik Stix removes anything on the internet that displays the logo, and which means the owner of Kwik Stix will also have to get new uniforms and remove it from his vans.

Copyright infringement solicitors

If you have a brand, something you have invented, or an original piece of work that you have written and someone infringes your rights we can help. We can assist you in securing an injunction and/or damages or account of profits and the delivery up and destruction of the offending item. If you have been accused of infringing someone’s intellectual property rights then we can also help by raising various defences and minimising your liability.

If you feel you have an intellectual property case and need some legal advice then please speak to our copyright infringement solicitors Shalish Mehta, our civil and commercial litigation solicitor. Please call us on 0161 785 3534 or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com.

A new Pre-Action Protocol “PAP” for debt recovery claims will come into force on 1st October 2017.

The protocol applies to any business, including sole traders claiming payment of a debt from an individual, including a sole trader.

The PAP does not apply to business debts, unless the debtor is a sole trader.

• An individual will have 30 days to reply to the Letter of Claim.
• A more detailed Letter of Claim is required setting out the parties to the contract, the terms of the contract together with specific enclosures.
• Failure to comply with the PAP may result in a Claim being ‘stayed’ to allow time for compliance of the PAP. Alternatively, the Court may impose cost sanctions.

The impact of the changes could have a dramatic impact on your business’s cash flow. You may need to re-consider your current credit control procedures and enforce stricter time limits for payment.

Please contact us as this will assist your cash flow if the debt is paid promptly following receipt of a Letter of Claim from us.

Debt recovery claims

Suffering a financial or contractual dispute can have serious implications on your business. Our debt recovery solicitors will quickly and efficiently put your case together and act on your behalf to recover unpaid invoices. We can advise you on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur.

Call Shalish Mehta in our civil and commercial litigation department on 0161 785 3534 or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com.

This took place in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA…

A lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against, among other things, loss due to fire.

Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars, the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company.

In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost ‘in a series of small fires.’

The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason, that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion.

The lawyer sued and WON!

Delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company, in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be unacceptable ‘fire’ and was obligated to pay the claim.

Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the cigars that perished in the ‘fires’.

NOW FOR THE BEST PART!

After the lawyer cashed the cheque, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of arson!

With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine.

This true story won First Place in last year’s Criminal Lawyers Award contest in USA.

It’s claimed that this case is in fact a hoax, but what brilliant story!

Insurance dispute

If you find yourself in a real, similar situation, our specialist civil and commercial litigation solicitors can assist with your insurance dispute case.

For more information or to talk to us about your commercial or civil dispute, please call Shalish Mehta on 0161 785 3529 or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com.