Two sisters, who were cut out of their father’s will on his deathbed, have launched a legal fight for his £4million estate – claiming he was mentally unbalanced by surviving the Hillsborough disaster. Thomas Fitzgerald was hours from death and speaking through an oxygen mask when he disinherited his daughters in 2012. The daughters did not need his money,…
A QC is facing a bill of hundreds of thousands of pounds after he lost a six-year court battle over the purchase of a £3.6 million 30 room 18th century manor. William Griffiths QC fought against Alan Hardy in a bid to avoid having to pay him for pulling out of a deal to buy Laughton Manor…
If football pundit Gary Lineker has recently attacked family solicitor fees because they “manipulate” the situation to increase their costs it is probably the thought of giving away all those crisp notes! In any event, his assessment is not borne out by the experience of Wrigley Claydon’s family team. Mr Lineker’s suggestion of a formula to assist in…
Two of our partners, Rachel Damianou and John Porter, are part of a new mentoring scheme at Oldham College. As part of the national Career Ready programmes, Rachel and John will meet monthly with their students to help prepare them for life as a law professional. An article detailing the scheme in Oldham Chronicle’s The…
Dying Matters Awareness Week, which runs from 9th-15th May, encourages people to talk about and prepare for dying. The national campaign aims to highlight the importance of talking more openly about dying, death and bereavement, and to make plans for the end of life. The year’s campaign is focused around the #BigConversation. The hashtag, to…
Prince, the singer who died on 21 April 2016 is believed to have left no will behind which opens up the possibility of a battle over his fortune. Londell McMillan, Prince’s former lawyer, said: “It’s likely there is no will. He couldn’t face it. He didn’t think he would die.” Prince left an estate variously valued at…
Led Zeppelin’s lead singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page will appear in a Los Angeles court on 10th May 2016, accused of copyright infringement. A judge in the case said there are “substantial” similarities between their track Stairway To Heaven and Taurus, a song written by the band Spirit in 1967. The lawsuit was brought by Michael…
Much has now been written about the benefits of a Lasting Power of Attorney. It is a way to ensure that if you ever are unable to deal with your own property and finances or make decisions about your health and welfare, someone else can. So, who should be appointed to make those decisions for you?…
Workers cannot be discriminated against based on age, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) recently re-inforced. The case of Donkor v RBS related to an appeal by an ex-Regional Director of RBS who had worked at the company since August 1978. Four Directors were placed at risk of redundancy, two over the age of 50; two under…
Actress Lynda Bellingham, who starred in the long running Oxo TV adverts and panelist on Loose Women, died in 2014. In her will she left everything to her husband, Michael Pattemore. Ms Bellingham’s two sons have criticised Mr Pattemore for ‘disrespecting their mother’s memory’ since her death. The sons stated they are in the process of challenging…