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Month: April 2024

Spring into Estate Planning… Embrace the Season of New Beginnings!

Posted on by Mike

The sun is finally peeping out, the daffodils are in full bloom and the 2023/24 tax year has (finally) ended! The end of winter always highlights how beautiful the start of new beginning are, and always offers an opportunity to start a fresh.

So whilst you’re going about your annual spring clean, consider extending the physical clean to your estate planning and take the opportunity to review your long term plans. The fresh start can help us to be more proactive a get those tasks “ticked off” our lists at long last!

Understanding the Basics of Estate Planning

Estate Planning is the concept of making a plan (both long and short term) for your affairs. It is important as often to make the most of tax advantages or legal documents, time is critical, and therefore should be planned well in advance (often years).

Estate Planning consists of considerations such as creating a Will, creating a Lasting Power of Attorney, investing, tax planning and much more.

How to Get Started with Your Estate Plan This Spring

  • Make a comprehensive list of your assets, including account details

  • Take a moment to consider your health and long-term living arrangements. Are you thinking of moving to assisted living, or is it likely you will require care, either at home in a residential setting?

  • Think about how much money you require for your current lifestyle and how much you may need should your requirements change in the future

  • Think about who should look after your financial and health decisions during your life should you become unable to do so

  • Review your asset list and think who should benefit from this money after your death

  • Consider who should be in charge of sorting out your affairs after your death

  • Consult with professionals: our job is to bring all of these considerations together and come up with a cohesive plan to achieve what you want, whilst keeping your assets protected for you, your family or others.

Common Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid

  • Procrastination – as above, estate planning can be time critical and leaving it too late can mean that options for planning are limited.

  • Not reviewing and updating your plan – life changes! People marry, divorce, have children and pass away. Your estate plans can change dramatically as your family changes, and it is important to keep up to date to ensure that your family don’t lose out.

  • Forgetting Digital Assets – remember to address online assets such as PayPal, Gambling Accounts and Cryptocurrencies.

Making Estate Planning a Family Affair

Estate planning can be stressful, and can often be difficult to navigate when there are complex family structures. Speak to your family and loved ones about what your wishes are as well as what their plans are and there may be a solution to encompass all of your needs and clarify any difficult decisions.  

Planting the Seeds for a Secure Future

So how do you get started? Once you’re ready to seek professional advice, contact us on 0116 212 1000 to speak to one of the Probate, Wills and Trusts Team for a one-off meeting to review your circumstances and obtain their advice.

Contact Us

Spotlight on Fiona Wilson – Head of Family Law

Posted on by Mike

As Fiona Wilson celebrates her second anniversary of being the Head of the Family Department at Lawson West Solicitors, we thought we would point the spotlight on her and find out what makes Fiona tick.

Who are you?

“I am Fiona Wilson. I am a solicitor, specialising in family law for 26 years. I work on a full-time basis and mainly in the office.  

I am an Accredited Member of Resolution. As an Accredited specialists I am considered highly competent in the areas I specialise in. Accreditation is a mark of excellence in practice, recognised by the public, members of Resolution and the judiciary. It demonstrates the outstanding level of skill and expertise in Family Law.

I live in Leicestershire, I am a mum to two teenage boys, one of whom is car mad and the other sports mad. One cockapoo, three cats and a tortoise. Never a dull moment!”

What do you do?

“As a family solicitor I am able to offer advise and assist clients on a full range of issues including:

Agreements

Co-habitation Agreements, Pre-nuptial Agreements, Separation Agreements

Separation

Divorce, Judicial Separation, Co-habitation breakdown

Financial matters on breakdown of relationships

Property, Savings, Pensions, Companies and Shares, Trusts, Maintenance (spousal and child), co-habitation.

 

Children

Live with Orders, Spend time with Orders, Prohibited Steps Orders, Specific Issue Orders, Parental Responsibility, Internal Re-location, Removal from Jurisdiction, Special Guardianship Orders, for parents, grandparents and  extended family members

 

On behalf of clients, I will always try to negotiate a resolution. This gives all parties a sense that they have had a voice, and their voice has been heard. Negotiations are an effective way to bring harmony to what probably started as disharmony.

I can refer clients to mediation or other non-court-based resolution schemes.

If all of this fails and court proceedings do become necessary, then I am equally comfortable guiding clients through the court process. Though I will always keep an eye out for a chance to negotiate.”

Why do you do this job?

“Because I love it!

I am a “people person”. I meet clients from all walks of life, but all are going through the same type of life experiences, where they need specialist advice and help. Clients come in to see me who are worried or even scared about what the future has to offer them. Talking through the clients’ concerns, advising them and helping my clients take the next steps is what I do best. My aim is to ensure that when each matter is concluded the client is happy and confident for their future.”

Where do you work from?

“In the offices – I travel between our Leicester and Market Harborough offices.”

And your first two years as Head of Department at Lawson West?

“The team at Lawson West is a joy to work with. Everyone has a great work ethic, conscientious and all put clients needs first. We work well together and whilst it may seem like a cliché, we are a family.”

Contact Us

If you would like to arrange a meeting with Fiona Wilson please call us on
0116 212 1000

Don’t let the costs of a Dream Home become a Nightmare

Posted on by Mike

Buying your first home can be as scary as it can be exciting, and sometimes there can be more things to pay for than you anticipate and therefore building this into you budget is very important. Here are few things to keep in mind budget wise as you embark on your first home buying journey…

While saving your deposit for your first home is one of the biggest things budget wise to consider, there are various other fees which also come into play…

Mortgage Brokers

If you are purchasing with a mortgage and arranging your mortgage through a broker this can ensure you have a better deal with your chosen lender but there will be a fee payable to your broker for arranging the loan. While this may often be in the region of couple of hundred pounds it is always a good idea to check with your broker what their fees would be and what it covers before instructing them.

Surveyors

It is always advisable to have the best survey you can afford, which is different to the lender’s valuation. You need to know the property you are buying is worth what you are paying and there are no major issues to be dealt with. There are different types of surveys that can be done, each with different depth of report and fees to match. You should research the type of survey you wish to have done and what the fee would be for it. 

Agents

Estate Agents are usually paid a fee by the seller to sell their home. However, as a purchaser there may be a very small fee that may be payable by you to the agent for carrying out ID checks. Once again this can be in the region of £50.00-£100.00. When you are interested in a property you should check with the estate AGENTS.

Buildings Insurance

Now while this may be something that we think needs to be put into place after your purchase has completed, it is in fact something you need to have in place on the day of exchange of contracts, not after you have bought the house. Therefore, it is a good idea to have a few quotes on your radar as you progress further into you Conveyancing transaction. 

Conveyancing Fees

Instructing an experienced Conveyancer is really important in this process. When purchasing your first home, you will need a conveyancer to deal with the legal aspect of your purchase. When you are viewing houses, it is a good idea to obtain fee estimates from a few firms for dealing with your purchase.

The fees can vary depending on the type of property you are buying, the tenure etc. It is also a good idea to check the experience of the person who would act for you, the level of caseload they have and whether they work in teams, or you would have one main contact. Also check if there are any hidden costs as the initial fees may have lots of extras that might add to the overall cost. 

We would say to all new/first time buyers that as you will be dealing with a lot of different parties i.e. agents, brokers, conveyancers etc it is always a good idea to hold on to all the documents in one safe place and to review all documents thoroughly. You should also keep them for when you sell the property in the future.

Having the right Conveyancer to assist with our purchase made all the difference and is extremely important as we were guided through the whole process which made the experience a lot smoother and less daunting. 

Contact Us

Our expert Conveyancing Team at Lawson West will be delighted to provide you with a fee estimate for your purchase and we are fully transparent as all our fees and anticipated disbursements are listed on our website. Call us on 0116 212 1000

“If you are going to play the race card, I am not going to speak to you” is itself racist.

Posted on by Mike

“If you are going to play the race card, I am not going to speak to you” is itself racist.

In the case of D Pile-Grey v Ministry of Defence: 2200649/2022 a Tribunal ruled that it is racist to say someone is playing the race card at work. LSgt Dwight Pile-Grey claimed race discrimination against the MoD after on 20th July 2021 he was denied entry to his barracks while wearing civilian clothes by a guard who did not believe at first he was a soldier.

When LSgt Pile-Grey a black Rastafarian French horn player in the Grenadier Guards, complained that the Lance Corporal wouldn’t have treated him that way if he had been white, he was accused of playing the race card by both the guard and his superior officer, who alleged he was turning the incident ‘‘into a racial thing’’.

LSgt Pile-Grey was eventually allowed access to the barracks therefore he then changed into his uniform and returned to speak to the guard to challenge his behaviour. This led to LSgt Pile-Grey being forcibly removed from the guardroom and an ‘‘aggressive’’ altercation ensued.

LSgt Pile-Grey, complained about his treatment to the garrison commander and agreed to a mediation meeting due to take place on 26th July 2021. However, the mediation was not attended by anyone and instead LSgt Pile-Grey faced a disciplinary investigation in September 2021 for the way he had acted. This resulted in LSgt Pile-Grey in October 2021 pleading guilty to insubordination, he was fined 1 day’s pay and a disciplinary entry was made on his service record.

LSgt Pile-Grey made a service complaint in December 2021 about the incident and the way his complaints had been handled, but this was rejected in November 2022 the following year. LSgt Pile-Grey then proceeded with an Employment Tribunal claim against the MoD in June 2023 and a hearing took place on 1st June 2023.

LSgt Pile-Grey’s successful judgment has only now been published now: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66190c13c1d297c6ad1dfe41/Mr_D_Pile-Gray_-v-_Ministry_of_Defence_-_2200649-2022.pdf

The Tribunal found these comments were discriminatory as,

“It was the tribunal’s finding that a hypothetical white comparator would not have been treated in the same manner by Mr Flower. It was clear from the wording used; “going to turn this into a racial thing” and “playing the race card” that the Claimant being black was at the forefront of Mr Flower’s mind and it seems inconceivable that he would have used such words to a white person and it therefore seemed likely that his entire approach to the interactions with the Claimant were influenced by race. As stated, this finding was intertwined with the finding relating to the reason for the conduct. The wording used by Mr Flower made it clear that race was the reason for his conduct towards the Claimant.”

This is an important judgment and a clear reminder that it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee or worker if the reason is connected to or because of their race. LSgt Pile-Grey’s complaints of being discriminated, harassed, and victimised by what had happened in July 2021 and the subsequent disciplinary proceedings against him were all successful.

If you find yourself in a situation where you are facing discrimination because of race we can help.

Please remember there are strict time limits in Employment claims and you should take good free legal advice as soon as possible.

How can we help?

In addition to No Win No Fee, Lawson West solicitors act for our clients on a variety of other funding arrangements including Legal Expenses insurance funding. We can assess your case to decide which is the best funding option for you.

With offices in Leicester and Market Harborough our employment solicitors and lawyers can discuss your employment law claim at any of our branches. In addition, we are a national provider of expert employment law advice and welcome a free discussion with you regarding your circumstances and potential claim.

If you believe you have a situation where you require free legal advice, please contact us on telephone 0116 212 1000 or alternatively fill in the free Contact Us form and we will get in touch as soon as possible.

We are here to help