Blog Articles
Use of Mediation in Resolving Litigation
This week marks “Mediation Awareness Week”, and so we thought that we would share with you our own views about the process of mediation in the context of litigation matters.
There has been a recent increase of people going to court for family law matters without instructing, or at least visiting, a Solicitor to gain professional legal advice about their case.
There have been many stories in the press of late, concerning the gig economy, but were you aware that foster carers are not classified as employees but as workers? This means they do not receive the benefits that employees do.
The Low Pay Commission recently carried out a report which concluded that it is women who are routinely paid less than the national minimum wage, and the main rationale behind this is because they are less likely to complain about it
The recent furore regarding the gender pay gap at the BBC has highlighted that, even in the biggest and most reputable organisations, there is still a way to go. It was notable that the best paid male BBC star earned 5 times what the best paid female star earned and that two thirds of the on-air high earners were men.
The newspapers have been filled with stories about Ryanair’s cancellation of over 2,000 flights affecting over 400,000 travellers. And, quite rightly, the emphasis of these stories is on the poor people who have had their flights cancelled or those who are stranded in their holiday destinations and are struggling to arrange flights home.
Fibromyalgia is a form of chronic pain syndrome, the symptoms of which leave people with overwhelming pain, headaches, sleeplessness and depression. Managing such a condition at work can be challenging but you should not be placed at a disadvantage if you are a sufferer.
It is widely acknowledged that the continual changes in employment law have made it tougher for employers to stay well informed of their obligations. This in turn with the already hard hitting tribulations which come with running a business, have meant that more and more employers are faced with situations which can lead to upset and disgruntled employees with potential for an increase in Employment Tribunal Claims.
CRAR is only available to landlords of written leases of commercial premises and will not be available where the premises are let or occupied as a residential dwelling...
In or about 2004, our Client experienced respiratory difficulties. These included a chest infection and wheeze, and were treated as a chest infection with underlying asthma. Our Client’s GP prescribed an inhaler, the use of which made no difference to the symptoms...
Family Solicitors are finding that their clients are using social media to talk about, or ‘bad mouth’ their ex-partners. It may be done in the heat of the moment or without much thought but these types of actions can have lasting consequences.
Previously, the Court of Appeal set out guidance for calculating awards given to parties who have suffered an act or multiple acts of discrimination - this award is known as an injury to feelings award. The scale to establish what a person can be awarded has been guided by the leading case Vento v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police since 2002. These are known as the Vento guidelines.
This week is migraine awareness week. Many employers do not understand the awful effects of migraines and they could do more to support staff with the condition.
Yesterday (5/9/17) there was a landmark decision by the European Court of Human Rights who ruled that a worker had his rights breached when his private emails were monitored by his employer without his knowledge. .
This case involved an engineer in charge of sales between August 2004 and August 2007. As part of his role, he was asked to set up a Yahoo Messenger account to handle customers’ queries.
Employers are being urged to offer support to workers who give birth to premature or ill babies.
The conciliation service Acas has urged employers to be flexible in giving time off to parents so they can attend hospital appointments.
A recent report carried out by XpertHR concluded that employee absence has increased to 6.6 days per person, per year meaning that employers are losing out on a rate of 2.9% productivity due to staff not being at work.
Roughly speaking, this means employers with 1,000 or more staff loose on average 8.8 days per employee.
If you are unsure about what you should tell your conveyancer, err on the side of caution and give us the information. If you don’t - and it turns out to be important - it could lead to delays in the process and in the worst cases, the sale or purchase falling through.
As we have previously reported, supermarket chain Asda was taken to an employment tribunal last year due to a high volume of pay discrepancies between male and female staff.
There has been a 10% increase in private law cases reported to Cafcass (the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) for applications for divorce, separation and child arrangements.
The abolishment of Tribunal Fees has paved the way for the possibility of people getting a second chance to pursue their claims if being unable to fund the fees prevented it previously being heard.
When you first instruct us, we will ask you questions about the property. We’re not being nosey – we just need to understand every part of your move. This is to ensure you get what you want and expect.
We know you’re excited about your move and we also know it’s easy to forget things. You might not think to tell us something because you don’t think it’s important for the house purchase. But by letting us know things such as requirements to park a caravan or commercial vehicle or plans to extend the property in the future – you could stop delays in the process later on.
Newspaper stories published on Tuesday, report that the majority of his £17 million wealth has been left to his wife of 34 years in order to avoid Inheritance Tax. The reports have also said that current UK law states that spouses can hand over their assets without being taxed – something the Wills and Probate team at Lawson-West are keen to put into perspective.
At Lawson-West, we are able to offer clients a number of funding options. One of the most accessed, especially for Employment law matters, is ‘no win no fee’. But what is it and what does it mean?
On Thursday 3rd August we had a big party at Dominus Way for our clients and contacts commemorating 40 years of Lawson-West being in business.
Client feedback is so important to us because it provides the opportunity to deliver constructive criticism and to make suggestions if there is something we can do better, or to let us know they are pleased with the service we provide and the results we achieve.
We are aiming to raise vital funds for nine of the UK’s best loved charities, after signing up for Will Aid, the annual charity will writing campaign.
Ella also told us about the Canine Care Card, a card that a person registers that reflects their wishes for their dog to be rehomed by the Dogs Trust if they pass away first.
This scheme is so valuable and will hopefully encourage people who may have been reluctant about rehoming a dog (perhaps due to age) that it will continue to be cared for when they are no longer able to care for the dog themselves.
A good Landlord and Tenant relationship can often mean that the renewal of a commercial lease is done so privately and without the help of a Solicitor.
The daughter of a successful London businessman recently went to court to claim £300,000 of his estate after she was left out of his will...
A case taken to the High Court has ruled in favour of a mother who wanted to prevent her parents bringing up her children after she gave them up for adoption. She did not even want them to know she had given birth to twins and this ruling means they never will.
The Law Commission for England and Wales has said that current will writing methods need to be modernised, they have suggested that electronic communications such as text messages and emails could be used as a will in certain circumstances.
A female City trader, who earned over £10.5 million in bonuses over five years, has won her case at the Appeal Court to overturn the original ruling that her ex-husband was entitled to half of their £5.45 million fortune.
Recent surveys have discovered four out of five local authorities do not provide sufficient care for the older generations in their community, with the shortage affecting some of the most vulnerable in society...
Recent statistics show that 32% of British people are adding provisions to their Will to ensure that their social media pages are maintained and updated after they die...
In short, the answer is no. We often hear the phrase quickie divorce used by the media which gives the impression that the rich and famous have the ability to divorce in seconds, rather than months...
Whilst the Government Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee Scheme may have ended on 31 December 2016, there is still time to open a Help to Buy: ISA.
There have been two stories in the media recently which relate to the subject of Wills and Probate – an area which Lawson-West are experts in.
A woman who divorced her husband 15 years ago has won the right to remain being supported by her ex because she has spent all of the £230,000 she won in the divorce.
There has been a story is the press recently about a daughter who was written out of her mother's Will. The older lady passed away in 2004 and had been estranged from her daughter since 1978 when they fell out over the daughter’s choice of boyfriend.
Senior judges at the Court of Appeal recently ruled that a woman cannot divorce her husband on the grounds which she cited. The woman states she is "trapped in a loveless and desperately unhappy marriage."
You Gov recently surveyed more than 1,000 cohabiting couples. The results show that 1/3rd believed that purchasing a property together afforded them the same legal rights as a married couple.
Property website Zoopla carried out research which concluded that it only takes people a mere 27 minutes to decide whether or not they wish to purchase the property they are viewing.
Settling finances as part of a divorce can be complex. A Financial Remedy Order covers the financial aspects of your divorce including the house, the car, the savings, the pensions, the bank accounts, the contents of the house, the debts, the income, the outgoings, etc...
In a landmark decision today, it has been decided by the Supreme Court that the Government’s decision back in 2013 to charge Employment Tribunal fees was unlawful and will be quashed.
Recently, the University of Exeter carried out a study that focussed on the attitudes of almost 300 workers regarding a fictional female employee who was expecting a baby and her intentions towards the duration of her maternity leave and return to work.
Is a £1 starting price for a property at auction the lowest on record? A Liverpool based Estate Agency have put the low price on a one bedroom flat in order to help first time buyers get on the property ladder...
The support offered by the employer when she first received the diagnosis was as you would expect – she was shown sympathy, concern and arrangements were made to fit treatments and appointments in around her work.
When a relationship breaks down and the couple decide to divorce, their finances are taken into account as part of the asset division process.
