Alisdair Douglas, head of the Family Team at Leathes Prior, has had his membership of the Law Society Advanced Family Law Accreditation scheme continued.
The Law Society operates accreditation schemes in order to promote high standards in legal service provision, ensure that clients are able to identify experts in a given area of law, help clients make informed choices about which solicitor to instruct and ensure that panel members maintain relevant standards of competency and expertise.
Alisdair has been recognised by the Law Society as an Advanced Specialist since 2002 in respect of both financial provision on divorce and children matters. Accredited members must regularly undergo assessment to ensure their continued high-standards and Alisdair’s panel membership was re-approved in July 2012.
Retaining the Advanced Accreditation means that Alisdair has continued to demonstrate his ability to provide advice and assistance to clients in particularly complex and/or high-value family law cases. The Accreditation acknowledges Alisdair’s experience and expertise in dealing with divorces involving large property portfolios, farming partnerships, family businesses and inheritances as well as matters relating to children such as contact and/or residence, specific issues and matters involving cross border issues, criminal allegations or cases involving psychological issues.
Wednesday 3 October saw a day of celebration at Steeles Law’s Mount Street based offices in Diss, with staff Karen Bacon and Janet Calver celebrating 30 and 41 years of working for the firm respectively.
Karen is head of Steeles Law’s wills and probate team and also has a particular specialism working with local agricultural clients.
Janet is the office’s team assistant, providing administrative support to legal staff and welcoming clients and visitors to reception.
Commenting on these fantastic long service achievements, Managing Principal Stephen Drake commented: “The firm would like to offer our warmest congratulations to both Karen and Janet on this milestone, which seems an increasingly rare achievement in today’s business world. We would also like to thank them for their hard work and dedication to Steeles Law throughout the years.”
Revised National Minimum Wage rates took effect from 1 October 2012. Professional Support Lawyer Elizabeth Stevens reports.
The new rates were accepted by the Government following the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission in its annual report published in February 2012. The revised rates, with effect from 1 October 2012 are as follows:
• Adult rate (workers age 21 and over): £6.19 per hour (up from £6.08) • Youth development rate (workers age 18-20): £4.98 per hour (no change) • Workers age 16-17: £3.68 per hour (no change) • Apprentices: £2.65 per hour (up from £2.60) • Accommodation offset rate: £4.82 per hour (up from £4.73)
The amending regulations also make minor changes to the apprenticeship schemes that will qualify for the national minimum wage, and clarify the rules regarding accommodation offset for educational establishments.
The Resuscitation Council (UK) is keen stress how important CPR is to the survival of a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. It is recognised that performing CPR becomes very difficult over a prolonged period of time. These issues have been addressed by the manufacturers of the Zoll AED Plus® . This unit incorporates the technology that Zoll calls Real CPR Help®. “Voice and message prompting helps the rescuer achieve optimal CPR compressions.” Zoll® READ MORE
We regularly run training sessions in Advisory External Defibrillation and are often asked about which units are best and where they can be purchased from. For this reason we have become the regions only distributor of Zoll AED Units. Do contact us for more information.
Award-winning PR agency Lexia Media,which hasoffices in both Norfolk and Suffolk, is celebrating a very successful summer which has seen the team win six new clients.
The agency was chosen after a competitive tender process to run the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’ event this October.
It has also been selected by New Anglia LEP to handle the event management and PR for their upcoming conference and Top 100 event, taking place at Wherstead Park on 22nd October.
The team has been taken on a retained contract by UKTI (East) to handle all PR and case study writing.
Other client wins include national recruitment agency Jark, the Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre, and local GP surgery Stowhealth, which has commissioned the Lexia team to provide a library of patient information videos.
Deborah Watson, of Lexia Media, said: “We are delighted to have been taken on to provide PR and event management services for both New Anglia and the new Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust which strengthens our position as a pan-county agency. The work with Stowhealth also adds to our growing portfolio of health clients. The team are looking forward to a busy autumn and winter period.”
Norfolk County Council has launched the new Apprenticeships Norfolk campaign, alongside City College Norwich, The College of West Anglia and BCTS, to help local businesses that may be looking for an apprentice, but don’t know where to begin.
An apprenticeship is an achievement to be proud of; it’s a work-based learning programme for an employee who gains a nationally recognised qualification. Businesses can also celebrate the success and the value their apprentices add by showcasing them in the annual Apprenticeship awards.
Today (1 October) occupational health providers Abermed is to open a new clinic in one of Norwich’s busiest business areas.
The clinic will be open for business at the Norwich Research Park where staff will provide a full range of occupational health services including offshore medicals, drug and alcohol screening and travel health advice and vaccinations.
Abermed is part of the International SOS group of companies and Ross Haworth, Abermed/International SOS’ General Manager, Medical Services for Northern Europe said: “We are delighted to be part of a thriving science and innovation business park that ensures Norwich is at the heart of research and scientific excellence. Abermed has a strong presence in Norwich and the new centre only emphasises our reputation as a premium provider of occupational health services.”
Staffed by an experienced clinical team, the Norwich Abermed unit will also offer health surveillance, medical assessments, sickness absence and rehabilitation and offshore medicals among other occupational health services.
Abermed’s national expansion was further emphasised today with a refurbished clinic opening in Edinburgh.
Snelling Business Systems has announced that it is expanding its operation, with the opening of new offices in the South of England in November 2012.
The sales office, which will be based in Uxbridge, also sees the creation of a new role within senior management and the company is delighted to announce the appointment of Sheila Egan to the position of Business Development Manager.
Currently head of Media Services at Brunel University, where she has had responsibility for a team of 20 people, Sheila brings with her a wealth of industry knowledge, management experience and audio visual expertise.
After studying theatre and drama at university, where there was an emphasis on the technical and practical elements of production, Sheila has embraced her love of technology and now boasts an impressive range of technical qualifications. She has been responsible for installations at both corporate sites and higher education facilities throughout the south, recently completing a complex 4½ year project to deliver a multi-function auditorium, which can offer users anything from a 400 seat tiered lecture theatre, to a flat cabaret style banqueting room.
In her new role within Snelling Business Systems, Sheila will be responsible for continuing to develop the company’s rapidly expanding operations and relationships with universities, higher education facilities and corporate clients across London and the South, as well as overseeing the development of the Snelling team across the same area.
Sheila Egan said:
“I am very much looking forward to joining Toby and the team at Snelling Business Systems. I have worked with the company on a number of projects over the last few years and I have always been extremely impressed with their product knowledge, grasp of systems and attention to detail, not to mention their outstanding levels of customer service. So I know I am joining a company with a solid foundation based on good quality and high standards.
Snelling Business Systems is also rapidly expanding, so my role will be instrumental in helping to grow the framework of their business in London and the South and I am honoured to be opening their first ever satellite office.
I am really relishing the new challenge and I look forward to seeing what it is like working on the other side of the tender process. I believe that my experience on the other side of commissioning will enable me to offer an additional level of service to the Snelling Business Systems customers, as I will have a unique understanding of their needs and requirements, in particular the challenge of selling the value of AV.
I love creating innovative solutions to problematic rooms, so to go from heading the team here at Brunel, back to the coal face and working one-to-one with Snelling clients will be really exciting.”
Founded in April 2003, when the company recognised a gap in the market for the design, supply, installation and support of high-end commercial audio visual systems, combined with the outstanding service for which the Snelling name is now so well known, Snelling Business Systems has seen growth year on year. It has been shortlisted for a prestigious AV Award for the last four consecutive years and has recently been shortlisted by the Eastern Daily Press for the Business Award for Business Development.
In September 2010, the company was appointed ‘Top Ranked Supplier’ within the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium, which lets and manages framework agreements on behalf of its member universities across the south of England and this has seen Snelling Business Systems’ revenues double between 2010 to 2012. As a result, the need has been identified to open a satellite sales office for London and the South, and premises have been secured in Uxbridge, giving excellent access to the M25, M40 and M4.
Toby Wise, Managing Director, said :
“We are extremely excited about the new satellite office and the appointment of Sheila Egan to this senior new role within the company. These developments really set down a marker of our intention to expand and continue the strong growth we have enjoyed over the past few years and we believe Sheila’s outstanding knowledge of the market and experience with AV will continue to consolidate our reputation as market leaders in our field.”
Three former Associates at Ashton KCJ Solicitors have been promoted to become Partners in the firm from 1st October. They are Damian Humphrey, Adrian Mundell and Simon Parker.
Damian is a Solicitor in the Company Commercial team in the Norwich office, playing a key part in developing the firm’s franchising work, Adrian heads the Court of Protection team which specialises in deputyships for people who have suffered catastrophic injury, and Simon leads one of the busiest Residential Property practices in Norwich.
All three have been with the firm for over five years and have recently successfully completed an in-house Partner Development Programme.
These promotions underscore the firm’s commitment to growth across all our service areas and come hard on the heels of our success in the recent UK Legal 500 rankings.
Steeles Law has recruited a new Solicitor to join the firm’s long established wills and probate team based in Diss.
Amy Taylor qualified as a Solicitor in 2008 and has strong regional ties, having studied Law at the University of East Anglia before completing her training and post qualification experience at a Suffolk based firm.
Amy specialises in Wills, Probate, Lasting Powers of Attorney, tax planning trusts and Court of Protection applications.
Commenting on her appointment, Amy said: “I’m excited to join Steeles Law and build on my experience in advising and assisting private clients with their personal affairs.”
This is the latest appointment for Steeles Law, a firm which is proud to retain its roots in Diss, whilst also serving clients from its headquarters in Norwich and offices in Central London.
Norwich Business Group (NBG), which this year celebrates its 21st year of running monthly business networking events in the city, is putting on a Charity Dinner Dance in aid of two worthy causes – Nelson’s Journey and Action for Blind People.
The black tie event will be held on Friday 19 October from 7.30pm at The Mercure Hotel, Boundary Road and will feature live music, sponsored by Steeles Law, and an auction, overseen by NBG committee member Nigel Morgan of Spalding & Co.
Speaking of the fundraising event, Carol Plunkett, Funding & Marketing Officer at Nelson’s Journey commented: “Due to an increase in referrals over the previous years, we have increased our residential therapeutic weekends for bereaved children from four to six and will be working with around 300 children this year. We rely entirely on donations to sustain this service to children and young people in Norfolk and are very grateful to organisations such as Norwich Business Group, who choose to support us in this way.”
Derek Rix, Head of Operations at Action for Blind People added: “We will use the money raised to fund our ongoing work for people with sight loss, helping them in many aspects of their lives, supporting them in finding the right services and products to live independently.”
Tickets sales for the event are going well and NBG are looking for individuals and businesses to take the final few tables. Priced at £25 each, tickets can be purchased from Nelson’s Journey (01603 431788), Action for Blind People (01603 455767) or Steeles Law (01603 598000).
When a relationship breaks down you are often faced with decisions surrounding several difficult issues. These issues include arrangements for looking after any children and paying child maintenance; how assets, debts and property are to be divided; and how pensions and benefits are to be adjusted. Naturally, many people will be conscious about finances during this uncertain and stressful time, and a “DIY” or online divorce, or one that is handled through a telephone call centre at a knock down price, may be appealing.
However, you should avoid falling into this potential trap as it can often be a false economy. Some providers of DIY legal services are simply charging for access to court forms and guidance that is already freely available from the court itself. Generally, DIY divorce services are marketed as being useful for uncontested divorce applications.
You must consider your position should the divorce application be contested. The one-off fee charged for these services does not normally provide access to immediate expert legal advice by a qualified solicitor, which you would undoubtedly need should you be in this situation. There may also not be an option to meet locally and in private to discuss concerns. Furthermore, as some of these service providers are not authorised or regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, options are very limited should there be a mistake or grievance.
Another, more practical consideration is that many of these services do not file the documents with the court on your behalf, unless an additional fee is paid. Even upon payment of such fee, the forms will not necessarily be filed with a court that is local to you – instead the provider will file with a court most convenient to them. In this scenario, should the divorce be successful and afterwards you want to file a consent order or a “clean break” with the court, then you will find yourself dealing with and possibly driving to a court that is nowhere near your home county.
As family law issues can be legally and financially complex, and personal by nature, most clients appreciate the support of a local dedicated solicitor who will provide direct access to good information, advice and support on these delicate matters. A professional will discuss your options and the potential consequences of your decisions, particularly those affecting children, assets and finances. Expert legal advice and representation that is local to you, such as that offered by Steeles Law, is essential to properly manage and mitigate the effects of family law matters. The professionals at Steeles Law are empathetic and approachable and enjoy building a rapport with clients, and can offer emotional support, as well as practical support, where needed.
Our family team have been praised in the latest edition of the Legal 500, an independent guide to the legal profession, with clients commenting that the team “treats clients well and is excellent value”. Head of team Amanda Owens is praised for being “incisive, with a delightful human touch” and Emma Alfieri as “thoughtful and grounded, and really puts clients at ease”.
To arrange an appointment either call on 01603 598000 or 01379 652141 or email family@steeleslaw.co.uk.