September 2009 Archives

THE LAW Society is recommending divorcing couple's follow the lead of TV celebrities Katie Price and Peter Andre by seeking expert legal advice from specialist family law solicitors to achieve the best possible outcome for both parties.

The advice comes as many couples are reaching breaking point due to pressures related the economic downturn.

The Law Society is advising anyone facing the prospect of divorce to seek expert legal advice from a specialist family law solicitor.

Katie - who is also known as glamour model Jordan - and Peter were granted a quickie divorce in London's High Court three weeks ago. (For news story, click here.)

ATLANTIC Chambers today announced the launch of their Financial Provision team.

The team, specialists in cases which raise financial issues arising from relationship breakdown, are launching the new service at the Family Law Group Finance Conference on Friday October 2.

The half day Conference at the Hard Day's Night Hotel will include talks from the Atlantic team on The Effect of POCA on Ancillary Relief, Financial Agreements following MacLeod and Radmacher, and Current Developments in Ancillary Relief.

CORPORATE lawyers at Mace & Jones have advised Harrow Estates on the £15m sale of its business to house building giant Redrow in a transaction forming part of Redrow's fund raising of £150m announced today.

Mace & Jones Liverpool based corporate partner Ian Hodgkinson worked on the sale of Preston Brook based Harrow Estates from the Bridgemere group of companies owned by Redrow chairman Steve Morgan.

The deal involves the acquisition of five freehold land assets and options to acquire seven further strategic land assets, together with the business of Harrow Estates, for £15m.

FIRSTLY, I would like to reassure our clients and contacts that despite the extremely sad news that Lees Lloyd Whitley filed for administration on the September 18, Lees Solicitors LLP is a completely separate firm and the closure of Lees Lloyd Whitley therefore does not affect our practice or staff in any way.

We wish to express our support on behalf of the Wirral legal community to those affected at Lees Lloyd Whitley.

Over the past 18 months the country as a whole has experienced a turbulent economic climate, with many businesses facing difficulties due to the downturn in the market.

THE ROYAL family "made the right judgement" on Prince Harry's inheritance from his mother, Diana Princess of Wales' estate, a Merseyside lawyer said today.

The third in line to the throne has only started receiving the money after turning 25, it has been reported.

Mace & Jones trusts specialist Paul Bricknell said by law young people can gain access to their inheritance aged 18 but in many cases the youngster is too young to handle the cash sensibly.

I HAVE to 'fess up immediately and say that if you expect this blog to be about law this week, you should stop reading now.

Having said that, these blogs are only ever about law tangentially in any event so if you're a repeat customer, you must know by now what to expect.

This week, readers and fellow bloggers, I am going to unashamedly plug my rugby team - the darlings of the North West or, as we are commonly known, the Park Panthers. Grrrrr.

ONE characteristic of the downturn in the property market is a swing in the balance of power towards business tenants involved in lease negotiations.

Unsurprisingly the last twelve months has seen a general decline in new commercial property tenancies coupled with an unfortunate but inevitable rise in tenant insolvencies.

The result has been a significantly reduced demand for business tenancies causing landlords to suffer lower rental incomes and increased rates for the empty properties, this is something tenants can exploit to their advantage.

BRABNERS Chaffe Street has appointed Lindsay Yateman as a senior associate in its family practice.

Lindsay, who joins from Chester-based Storrar Cowdry, is a specialist in collaborative family law, which involves four-way meetings between the couple and their lawyers where everyone aims to reach amicable agreements, without the added pressure of settling differences in a courtroom.

Brabners Chaffe Street say it has seen an increase in couples looking to resolve family issues in this way because some couples find it less confrontational and it is often quicker than the traditional court process.