Charity Day at Mullis & Peake LLP 23rd December 2011

On the last working day before Christmas, all members and staff at Mullis & Peake LLP are involved in two charity events.

The first is a "Dress Down Day" organised by Member, Andrew Fidler - all members and staff will pay a sum of money to wear their out of office clothes.

The second is a cake sale organised by Licensed Conveyancer Ashley Avis.   Ashley and her team of helpers have been furiously baking delicious cakes to sell to staff.  The "Property Patisserie" will open for business at 1pm!

All proceeds from the above events will be donated to our charity of the year the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund.

We close today at 4.30pm and re-open on the 3rd January 2012 at 8.45am.

May we take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

NEW YEAR LEGAL RESOLUTIONS

Further to the entry set out below please click here for the Private Client Resolutions.

Private Client Resolutions

NEW YEAR LEGAL RESOLUTIONS

With Christmas only a few days away, and the end of the year shortly thereafter, our thoughts turn to the New Year and making changes for the better.

Some may be contemplating giving up chocolate, abstaining from alcohol or embarking upon a new exercise regime but we have produced New Year LEGAL resolutions for you to consider too.

The first set are designed for private individuals whilst the second set are aimed at business men and women.

Please have a read and if you think we can help then please do get in touch.  We close tomorrow afternoon (23rd) and re-open at 8.45am on the 3rd January 2012.

Merry Christmas!

Private Client Resolutions
Business Client Resolutions 

MULLIS & PEAKE LLP CHRISTMAS PARTY 2011

The Members of Mullis & Peake LLP hosted a Christmas party at Top Meadow Golf Club on Thursday the 8th December 2011 to thank staff for their hard work over the year.  The food was excellent and all calories consumed were expended on the dance floor later on in the evening!

Here are a selection of photographs of our Members with the team 

HOW BAD CAN IT GET?

This explains what can happen to a couple who live together but are not married, have a child or children from a previous relationship and have no Wills or Declaration of Trust.

We have recently advised a client whose partner had died suddenly.  There was no warning and no time to make arrangements.

They had been living together for a number of years with her son but had never married. The property was held as tenants in common in equal shares but there was no Declaration of Trust confirming who owned what share. There was a mortgage outstanding and life cover had been taken out for this sum but following current practice this was not assigned to the Bank. 

Under the intestacy rules, the deceased's share of the property passed to her Son.  As our client does not have Parental Responsibility for the child, the child is being cared for by the Grandmother.  This relationship is difficult.  There is a dispute as to whether the life cover should be used to repay the mortgage.  All in all the position is complicated, fraught and challenging at a time when feelings are raw and emotions are running high.

If our clients had taken advice earlier, for example, when they moved in together, a parental responsibility order could have been obtained, a declaration of trust could have been drawn up supported by wills and the family would have been protected.

It is better to make plans for the “What if” than to wait for something to happen

If the above strikes a chord with you, and you require further advice, then please do not hesitate to contact us on 01708 784000.

CHRISTMAS PARTY CHAOS

The festive season is in full swing, and with that comes the annual office Christmas party.


Office parties are held by a large number of employers as a way of boosting morale and thanking employees for their hard work over the year. However, while employers want their employees to enjoy themselves, it should always be remembered that the office Christmas party is a business event.

For employers, the office Christmas party can be a worry. Problems such as harassment, excessive consumption of alcohol, discrimination, not to mention absences the day after the night before can cause a huge headache for employers. Most concerning of all is that in some cases employers can be found to be liable for the actions of their employees during the Christmas party.

If you require expert advice on how to deal with the aftermath of a Christmas party or on employment law generally please contact Ryan D'Souza on 01708 784090 or ryandsouza@mplaw.co.uk

LEASE OPTIONS BEWARE!

The Government have made changes relating to sale and rent back (SRB) agreements in order to close loopholes and protect the public. However, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has warned that consumers still need to be on their guard. Since the 16th September 2011, anyone who conducts an SRB agreement must be authorised by the FSA, unless they are related to the client.
The FSA has also issued a warning to the public about rogue firms who try to avoid regulation by offering products that pay off consumers' debts thereby allowing them to stay in their own homes, with the actual sale of the property delayed. These products are often called "Lease Options", or "Exchange with Delayed Completion" arrangements, but are in fact regulated SRB agreements, even if the sale of a property is not fully completed. Firms offering them must be authorised by the FSA for SRB activities and are subject to the usual regulatory requirements.

If you have any queries relating to the above then please contact our Residential Property experts on 01708 784000.

Alzheimers Society reports on financial abuse of those with dementia

The Alzheimers Society has reported that of the 750,000 people in the UK who have dementia, 15% are reported by their carers as having been the victims of financial abuse.  This can range from cold callers to unscrupulous family members, friends and neighbours.

The report also highlights the difficulties encountered by those with dementia when dealing with banks, especially with the new technologies required to manage accounts.

A Lasting Power of Attorney allows you to plan for your future by appointing an Attorney of your choice so he/she/they can assist you with your financial affairs if the need arises.  You are also able to appoint an Attorney, under a different type of Lasting Power of Attorney, to make Health & Welfare decisions if you lose capacity to decide for yourself.

For more information on Lasting Powers of Attorney please contact:

Samantha Hamilton on 01708 784064 or at samanthahamilton@mplaw.co.uk

or

Helen Beach on 01708 784055 or at helenbeach@mplaw.co.uk

Also, see our website: http://www.mplaw.co.uk/lasting_powers_of_attorney.html

Sparkling for Charity

 On Wednesday 30th November Mullis & Peake LLP hosted a jewellery party in association with Silpada jewellery in support of Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund.

Our Silpada Representative, Kelly Saunders, generously agreed to donate 25% of the proceeds from sales on the night to our charity.

With wine and mince pies flowing everyone was in the mood for spending and we raised a fantastic £295.50.

Thank you to everyone who came along to support the event. We hope you enjoy your new gifts.

APIL comments on Regulation of the Hairdressing Industry

Following Martyn Trenerry attendance at a reception at the House of Commons hosted by David Morris MP who introduced a 10 minute Bill promoting better regulation of the hairdressing industry. Deborah Evans, Chief Executive of The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers has made the following statement

 “Terrible injuries, including chemical burns, anaphylactic reactions, scarring and blood poisoning are too frequent for the hairdressing industry to continue to be left to its own devices. As a result of Parliament’s failure to act we will unfortunately continue to see these injuries in their hundreds each year. For MPs to dismiss this issue so quickly is very disappointing.

We can hope that, at the very least, the Bill has made people aware of the risks carried by particular treatments so they will seek to visit a qualified, professional hairdresser who can handle them with the expertise they need and deserve.”

FIRST TIME BUYER RELIEF - THE CLOCK IS TICKING!

George Osborne's Autumn statement contained some initiatives to improve the property market. However, the temporary first time buyer stamp duty land tax concession for properties worth less than £250,000.00 will end on the 24th March 2012. If you are thinking of buying a property, and are eligible for the relief then now is the time to do it!
If you require further advice as to whether you are eligible then please do contact our Residential Property team on 01708 784000 who will be more than happy to help.
If you want to buy - then instruct us NOW!

STATE REGISTRATION FOR HAIR DRESSERS: THE FACTS

Martyn Trenerry, specialist personal injury solicitor, president of the Trichological Society and founder of HairLawyers recently attended a reception at the House of Commons hosted by David Morris MP who has introduced a 10 minute Bill promoting better regulation of the hairdressing industry. The event was supported by the Hair Council

The following information is extracted from the Hair Council’s Leaflet.

• Hair dressing has a £5 billion turnover
• There are 245,000 people working in the  hairdressers industry in the UK- that 1% of the total UK workforce
• There are 34,000 salons
• There are 38.8 million consumers
• Most consumers believe hairdressers have to be qualified before they can practise on the public and are shocked when they find out this is not the case
• Outside of family members, women now rank hairdressers as one of the top five professionals they confide in alongside their doctor, nurse and priest.
• Hairdressers are expected to use dangerous chemicals to achieve a desired look.

YET THE HAIR DRESSING INDUSTRY IS COMPLETELY UNREGULATED

Unlike other 'hands on' industries ranging from doctors, nurses, dentists, chirop­odists and dentist hygienists, hairdressing stands alone in being unregulated. Other profession such as gas fitters, taxi drivers and electricians all have a regis­ter of qualified practitioners. Hairdressers should be drawn into line with these other professions

The Current Situation

Currently anybody without a single day's training can set up as a hair­dresser, open a salon and practise on the public. They can employ other unqualified hairdressers who also practise on the public using chemicals that can ruin lives. They can even show the new unqualified hairdressers what to do without really knowing themselves.

There is currently an Act of Parliament (The Hairdressers Registration Act 1964) where qualified hairdressers can voluntarily become regis­tered. Currently there are only 5% of hairdressers on the register. Despite this, the entire hairdressing industry are behind the campaign for regis­tration.

What the Hairdressing Council are campaigning for

The Hairdressing Council are campaigning for the current Act to have a simple update to make it mandatory for all those coming into the hair­dressing industry to be taught to a standard where they are competent in whatever aspect of hairdressing they carry out. David Morris MP is a member of the Hairdressing Council and is looking for support for his ten minute Bill - the first step to achieve this.

AA REPORT CONFIRMS THAT UK ROADS ARE ‘PLAGUED WITH POTHOLES’

According to the AA roads in many parts of the UK are already plagued with potholes  even before any winter freeze sets in.

The survey, conducted in October, involved around 1,000 AA Streetwatchers walking around their local neighbourhoods for an hour noting a number of road and path-related issues.  Overall, they found that the average pothole count per AA Streetwatcher was 14.9 potholes compared to 12.5 a year ago. The survey defined a pothole as being at least six inches in diameter and at least two inches deep

The report concluded that the North East of England and Scotland have the most potholes.

AA president Edmund King said: "Our streetwatch volunteers have once again shown that the UK has a pothole plague which has not gone away despite extra repairs this year. Highways authorities need to get to grips with the pothole problem, as compensation claims will soar when cold weather strikes and roads start breaking up again placing greater burdens on already strained budgets."

If you have had an accident on a footpath or on the road, then please contact Holly Nichols on 01708 784066 to discuss the possibility of making a claim.