News
Harlow Business Awards Winners!
We are delighted to announce that we were awarded Medium / Large Business of the Year in this year’s Harlow Business Awards, which took place on 5th October 2017.
How to protect children in divorce or separation
With over 100,000 couples divorcing every year, many families go through a challenging and upsetting time, and this is especially true for children.
Experts agree that in most cases, children benefit from having a relationship with both parents. This is recognised in Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that a child has the right to maintain contact with its parents in the event of separation, unless this is incompatible with the child’s best interests.
Maternity, paternity and shared parental leave
Many new parents find themselves juggling work with childcare, and it's often the mother who shoulders much of the burden. While maternity leave is a well-established right that is widely taken up, paternity leave is less well understood and fewer organisations offer more than the statutory norm. Meanwhile, shared parental leave still causes some confusion amongst parents and employers alike.
Government proposals to limit the sale of newbuild leasehold homes
When you’re looking to buy a property, it’s not uncommon nowadays to find not just flats but also new-build houses for sale on a leasehold basis. With leasehold properties, buyers can have the option to buy the freehold - the land the property stands on - at some point. Leasehold property owners must pay ground rent – an annual charge – to whoever owns the land, the freeholder. And it’s the cost of the freehold, and the spiralling amount of ground rent that has been charged in some instances, that are now under scrutiny.
Who can you cut out of your Will?
Family dynamics are never simple, and family members can and do fall out badly. This can sometimes go as far as disinheriting someone, and cutting off their entitlement to a share in the estate.
Wills – new proposals could see the advent of the email Will
An estimated 40 per cent of adults die each year in the UK without making a Will. Sadly, this means that under the laws of intestacy, which apply where no Will exists, a deceased’s estate could go to blood relations that they may not have been close to, rather than loved ones they would have chosen to be their beneficiaries.
Does your Will benefit from the new tax-free allowance?
The Residence Nil-Rate Band (RNRB) is a tax-free allowance, introduced in April this year, that is available when you pass your main residence on to a direct descendant.
It’s quiz time! Sold Out
On 16th November, we will be holding our annual quiz night to raise money for our charity of the year, Grove Cottage.
Grove Cottage provides social and educational activities for people of all ages with learning disabilities, to develop their potential, avoid social isolation by supporting lifelong friendships and; to provide respite for their families.
We’d be thrilled if you could join us, to help fundraise for such a worthy cause.
A Family Favourite – Attwaters Jameson Hill is shortlisted in 2017 Lawyer Monthly Awards
We are delighted to announce that our Family department has been shortlisted for the Lawyer Monthly Awards 2017 in the category of Family Solicitor of the Year – UK.
Elderly medical negligence cases in jeopardy
Cases of maltreatment towards elderly people in hospitals and care homes is a common topic in today’s media, but a proposed Government change could result in many future incidents slipping through the net. Lord Justice Jackson recommends that there be a limit to legal fees, where claims for damages are worth less than £25,000. We believe many cases will not get the justice they deserve.
