Wills In Contemplation Of Marriage
It is unlikely that the prospect of making a Will or addressing your financial security in the future is top of your list when planning a wedding- not when your mind is on a thousand other things. Addressing your Will may not be steeped in romance, but it is crucially important and something you really…
New Family Law Clinic Launch in Otley
We are pleased to confirm that starting on Friday 19th May, we are holding a Family Law clinic at the Courthouse, Otley. Initially running for seven weeks, the clinic will be held between 12-2pm each Friday afternoon- no appointment is necessary. The clinic will be hosted by Sarah Laughey, Family Solicitor at our Ilkley branch….
The Bank of Mum & Dad, (and Nan and Grandad)……How do Gifted Deposits Work in Practice?
Due to the continuing increase in property prices many people – generally First Time Buyers – are now reliant on help from the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ or another family member to help them get on the property ladder. Here Iain Gardner, a Residential Property Executive in our Morley branch, looks at what you…
What is a Settlement Agreement?
What is a settlement agreement? A settlement agreement is a formal agreement, usually made between an employer and employee. They are most often used as an alternative to the employee bringing a claim in an Employment Tribunal. You may see reference to a ‘compromise agreement,’ which is an older term for the same type of…
Concerns over Blood Tests by Forensic Science Company
The arrest of two staff members working within a forensic testing laboratory has made headlines this week. Both worked at the Randox facility in Manchester, and have been arrested on suspicion of Perverting the Course of Justice. James Vaughan is the Deputy Chief Constable for Dorset Police, but is also recognised as a key police…
Show Me the Money: The Criminal Finances Bill and its Implications
Successive governments have counted the cost of serious and organised crime, but just prior to dissolving parliament the outgoing Conservative Government introduced the most significant legislation in this area for decades. Ison Harrison successfully acting for clients in some of the most complex criminal and regulatory investigations performed nationwide in recent years. Now that the…
Ison Harrison to Attend the Northern Shooting Show 2017
The second Northern Shooting Show will take place on Saturday and Sunday 6th/7th May 2017 and Ison Harrison will be attending to offer shooting enthusiasts the opportunity to access expert legal advice. Last year’s inaugural event at the Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate was a great success, with 15,000 visitors over the two days and over…
Concerns Raised as to Fixed Fee Proposals in Clinical Negligence Claims
The Government have announced proposals to impose a cap on recoverable costs in Clinical Negligence cases, and ran a consultation until May 1st. James Thompson is a Solicitor in our Clinical Negligence department and here, he looks at the possible implications. What are the proposals? Currently, if a healthcare provider such as the NHS loses a clinical…
Hellewell Pasley and Brewer Firm Closure in West Yorkshire
A local law firm has shut its doors after 80 years following an intervention by the SRA. Hellewell Pasley and Brewer have 4 branches across West Yorkshire, in Halifax, Dewsbury, Ripponden and Birstall. A locally recognised name, 30 staff were employed at the firm as news of the closure broke this week. Are you a…
A Starring Role for Leeds in the new Business and Property Court
From June, specialist civil courts are to be known as the “Business and Property Courts of England and Wales”. An umbrella name for specialist business courts, it will incorporate the High Court’s specialist work, namely: The Commercial Court (dealing with cases such as contract/ business disputes); The Technology and Construction Court; and The Chancery Division…
Ison Harrison Continue Rewarding Partnership With Shipley College
In 2017 all successful businesses have to be socially aware. You can’t expect to recruit the best people and open your business up to the right markets if you limit your visibility and close your mind to vast areas of enthusiasm and potential, and this extends to all areas of the organisation. At Ison Harrison…
Promotion of the Online Court Begins with MOJ Video- ‘Justice Matters’
In March 2017, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) released a new video entitled “Justice Matters”, to promote and inform viewers about the forthcoming Online Court system. The video, which can be accessed on Youtube, allows for quick viewing time, being just over five minutes in duration. The MoJ is said to have an ‘ambitious vision…
Don’t be an April Fool!
It’s not just for April 1st– recommend Ison Harrison to anyone injured in an accident that wasn’t their fault and receive £100.00 as a thank you if they contact us and their case is accepted. This ends on 30 April 2017– please contact our specialist Personal Injury team on 0113 284 5000 for more information.
School’s Not Out: Supreme Court Rules on Term Time Holidays
Yesterday’s ruling by the Supreme Court, which brought to an end a high profile case relating to term time holidays, will be of interest to parents of school age children. Jon Platt requested permission from his daughter’s head teacher to remove her from school in order that she could attend a holiday during term time….
Grandparents’ Legal Rights to See Their Grandchildren: The Facts
In cases of family breakdown, grandparents can play a strong, stabilising role- bringing security, safety and normality for children and also welcome respite for parents. When a family is in turmoil, the relationship that grandparents have with their grandchildren is not always preserved. In such cases a solicitor is able to offer valuable assistance, recognising…
For Richer, For Poorer: Do We Need A Pre-Nuptial Agreement?
It’s fair to say that pre-nuptial agreements very much split opinion. To some, they’re unromantic; to others, they’re a practical safeguard. Essentially, a pre-nuptial agreement is a document signed before a couple marries, typically identifying what happens to their money, property, and possessions if they split up. They’re not just for celebrities. Many people are…
Cohabitation: What Are Your Rights?
In modern society it is increasingly common for couples to prefer to shun the traditional conventions of marriage, and continue happily without the expense and formalities of tying the knot. Often, such couples may have lived together under the mis-apprehension that if they separated they would be in some way protected by virtue of being…
Do new Inheritance Tax laws mean it’s time to change your Will?
What’s happening? From 5 April 2017 the residence nil rate band (RNRB) comes into force increasing the tax-free allowance on death. It allows married couples to leave assets with a value of up to £1 million free of inheritance tax. Does it apply to me? It applies to individuals who own a house which is…
Changes to Probate Fees on the Horizon
The Government have confirmed that they intend to introduce changes to probate fees, intended to reduce running costs for courts and tribunals. Gayle Mellard, a Wills and Probate Solicitor based at our Morley office, assesses the new measures and their potential impact. Probate fees are chargeable when an application is made to deal with a…
The Benefits of a Civil Partnership for Heterosexual Couples
A campaign to overturn a ban on heterosexual couples being allowed to enter into civil partnerships is thought to have gained considerable ground, despite a recent narrow defeat at the Court of Appeal in January. Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan have campaigned for three years to gain legal recognition for their seven-year relationship, gaining 72,000…
Personal Injury Case Study – Doug McQueen
Personal injury can be a very complex area- due to the very nature of the case, complexity of the law, serious injury and on occasions a difficult Defendant. In order to succeed with a personal injury claim the Claimant must prove negligence on part of the Defendant, and furthermore, that the negligence led to the…
Ilott v Mitson – Good Riddance or à bientôt?
The Supreme Court has today reduced the amount paid to the daughter of a lady who left her estate to charity rather than providing for her. In the summer of 2015 the case, not for the first time, hit the headlines, when the Court of Appeal tripled an initial award to Heather Ilott of £50,000. The…
Estate Planning Update
Spring hasn’t sprung quite yet, but changes in the area of Wills and Probate and Estate Planning are upon us. Rebecca Austin is a Wills and Probate Solicitor based at our office in Chapel Allerton. Here, Rebecca highlights both an upcoming rule amendment as well as a court case that could result in some alterations…
Timing is Everything: new rules for Guilty Pleas
It is widely known that defendants in criminal cases receive credit for guilty pleas; changes announced this week have refocused attention on the rules which govern the amount of credit available. s.144 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 requires a court to take account of two factors: The stage at which the plea is given;…
The Guardianship (Missing Persons) Bill: Important Changes on the Horizon
Certain areas of law see fewer updates and changes than others- you are much more likely to see revisions to criminal legislation than you are in the field of wills and probate, but an important change is on the horizon in an often-neglected area. One recent proposal put forward by the Government sees a significant…
Changes to Driving Offences
Driving offences which result in death or serious injury will often feature in news headlines, not least when the offender is convicted and subsequently sentenced. The Government has announced that in recognition of public concern in this area, it has reviewed current laws and published details of changes which it intends to make to the…
A Valentine’s Court Appearance and the Concept of a No-Fault Divorce
The press has reported on a rather unusual case which started in the Court of Appeal on February 14th. Tini Owens has been married to her husband Hugh for almost 40 years but issued divorce proceedings last year, on the basis that her marriage had irretrievably broken down. Mr Owens disagreed- and so did the…
Changes to cross-examination in domestic abuse cases
The Guardian reports today that proposals to prevent ex-partners from cross examining victims of domestic abuse have moved forward once again. Recent campaigning has seen the press, womens’ rights groups and victim support groups calling for a change in the law. Presently, someone cannot be cross-examined by their ex-partner in a criminal case- but there…
An insight into Gambling and Betting Law
Gambling and betting are big business in the UK. According to figures published by the Gambling Commission in 2016, there are some 8,709 betting shops in Great Britain, employing around 104,896 people. A licensed industry of this scale is no different to any other in terms of having recognisable regulatory and licensing elements- but the…
The cost of Informants
According to figures revealed by the BBC, various police forces across the country have paid around £22m to informants over the last five years. Payments to ‘covert human intelligence sources,’ as they are known, were highest in the capital- with the Metropolitan Police paying £5,270,659 from 2011 to 2016. Police forces are not required to…
Changes to Insolvency Practice for 2017
The new year is bringing with it a new set of rules for Insolvency Practitioners. Jonathan Finn, a Solicitor within our Company and Commercial department, provides a timely reminder of the upcoming changes. What is the background? The new Insolvency Rules, which come into force on 6 April of this year, replace the Insolvency Rules…
Brexit and the Law: Where are we now?
The Commons debates over the course of this week have been second only to President Trump’s first days in office in dominating the headlines. Equally impossible to escape was press coverage of the Supreme Court’s decision in R v Miller and others- the ‘Brexit’ court case, which of course came after the result of the…
Employment Law Changes in 2017
A New Year brings with it fresh perspective, and in the HR world, a chance to prepare for what we know is coming, although in some cases we don’t quite know when. With 2017, this means Brexit, or should we say Brexit, means Brexit and at least as the dust settles we are getting some…
Announcing Our Huddersfield Branch Launch Event!
January saw the latest historic chapter in Ison Harrison’s continuing success story and we are marking the occasion with a launch event this coming Friday (3rd February) the highlight of which will be a not-to-be-missed speech. Our Huddersfield branch opened on 30th January and is already proving a big hit with local people. Various branches…
‘Wheelchairs v Pushchairs’: the Supreme Court decides
On 18 January, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in First Group Plc (Respondent) v Paulley (Appellant) [2017] UKSC 4 illustrates a case for which in the words of Lord Sumption, ‘there is no ideal solution.’ On 24 February 2012, Mr Paulley, a wheelchair user, tried to board a bus operated by First, but…
Sindy Allen meets the Lord Mayor of Leeds
Our Wills and Probate Solicitor Sindy Allen rubbed shoulders with Gerry Harper, the Lord Mayor of Leeds, at a recent launch event. Sindy was invited to attend a new branch opening for a nationwide care company as a result of her involvement with Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE.) Her fully accredited membership of SFE reflects…
Personal Injury February ‘Sale’
Our Personal Injury team are pleased to announce that for the month of February, new clients will be able to take advantage of a very unique offer. Usually, our standard No-Win No Fee agreements include a 25% success fee. The fee represents a contribution towards our professional fees in the event of a successful claim,…
Vaccines stored at incorrect temperatures
Simon Helliwell, a senior Chartered Legal Executive within our Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Team, has recently been instructed in a number of cases involving a Leeds GP surgery which, following a routine inspection by the Care Quality Commission, was found to have stored vaccines at an incorrect temperature- for up to 18 months. Parents…
Help To Buy Scheme Ends – What Now For First-Time Buyers?
The Government’s Help to Buy Scheme was launched in 2013 to a chorus of disapproval but it ended on New Years’ Eve 2016 – as was always the plan – with most critics conceding that it had achieved its main aims. But where does it leave first-time buyers now and what options do they have?…
New Huddersfield Office Sees Ison Harrison Branching Out In 2017
We have some very exciting news! Ison Harrison will be opening an office in Huddersfield on 30th January 2017. Having originated in Leeds city centre over thirty-five years ago, Ison Harrison has grown through a series of mergers, change and adaptation to become one of the top twenty law firms in Yorkshire and with a national reputation…
New Pudsey Office Opening in January 2017
Weâre pleased to announce that Ison Harrison solicitors have opened a new branch of solicitors in Pudsey on 16th January 2017. The market town of Pudsey has a population of just over 22,000 people and as a thriving borough and a proud community, it is the perfect place for the latest branch of Ison Harrisonâs…
Dramatic Or Justified? We Review The Proposed Personal Injury Reforms
A government commissioned report pointed out in 2003, there is usually ‘very little analysis of what the term compensation culture means, let alone proof that such a “culture” exists’. However, the absence of evidence to support a catchy phrase is not stopping the politicians using it to try and rush through massive changes to the industry…
Five New Partners Appointed at Ison Harrison Solicitors
We are delighted to announce that from January 2017 we will have five new partners joining the board at our law firm. These five people are driven, motivated and highly experienced individuals that have made a real impact at Ison Harrison and will continue to do so in their new appointments to the board. The…
Record Levels of Prison Suicides In 2016
Chronic overcrowding and staff shortages have been blamed for prison suicides reaching an all-time high in 2016. The prison reform charity, the Howard League for Penal Reform, has reported 102 known suicides this year, which is the highest figure since records began in 1978 (when just 18 were recorded). The previous highest figure was 94…
The Autumn Statement: What Our Lawyers Think
For a combination of reasons, the 2016 Autumn Statement attracted more interest than other, ‘average’ Autumn Statements. There was plenty of speculation and curiosity about what it might contain with the post-EU referendum economic conditions and a new Chancellor of the Exchequer, in Philip Hammond. Our solicitors have picked out six key points to explain…
#RoadSafetyWeek: Playing It Safe On The Roads
This week is Road Safety Week, the UK’s biggest road safety event. According to the Department for Transport, 1,732 people died on the UK’s roads in 2015 – an average of five fatalities per day. So what can we all do to help keep ourselves and others safer on the roads? On foot The green…
A ‘Royal Visit’ To West Yorkshire As Part Of National Inter Faith Week
The head of our Employment Law Department Yunus Lunat was at the centre of a prestigious visit to his Batley area last week, in his role at the Mount Pleasant Islamic Trust. The Medina Mosque in Batley welcomed the Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Ingrid Roscoe, and her Deputy Lord Lieutenant colleagues as part of…
Case Study – Health and Safety Prosecution
A recent case highlights the importance of compliance with the Construction Design Management Regulations and Health and Safety at Work Act, after a contractor was fined £600,000 when a worker died and two others were injured when a platform collapsed at a construction site. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found a…
Ison Harrison Teams Up With Little Hiccups For Charity Ball
On Saturday 19th November 2016, Ison Harrison will be attending a charity ball in support of Little Hiccups, a Leeds based support group for families who have a child with disabilities or special needs. Representing our firm, we have a number of solicitors from different departments attending the event. Managing Partner Jonathan Wearing will be…
Will Aid – November 2016
November is now upon us and that means the annual Will Aid has launched; an opportunity for you to partner with Ison Harrison to make a will and support a national charity with a vital and much appreciated donation. Will Aid is a scheme where people are encouraged to make a will with participating solicitors,…