B Legal Limited

At B Legal we like to take a practical approach to the law and to consider a client’s goals and objectives rather than just providing legal advice. There are many occasions when we suggest to clients that other professionals may also be able to help them and I have talked in a previous blog about financial advice. This time I have invited a coach, Julie Hoather from www.jh-coaching.co.uk/ , to talk about how she helps her clients:-

Coaching has been shown to help people overcome and remove the barriers which are holding them back. The following case studies will provide you with an insight into the benefits of coaching and how it can help you to achieve your goals.

NB is a lady in her 40’s who was in a difficult relationship with her business partner and long-term friend. She felt that the relationship had become destructive and that it was disrupting their business. We talked through her feelings and concerns and progressed to a perceptual positions technique. She was able to view the relationship from different viewpoints, including her partner’s, and to see more clearly her own part in the conflict. From this we walked through how she may be able to deal with it more productively in the future.

She left with a new perspective on the relationship and less animosity. Their business is going from strength to strength.  
LM is a lady in her 50’s who had recently relocated from the UK to Barcelona. Her husband is an airline pilot instructor whose work requires him to be frequently away from their new home. She contacted me because she could see that the anxiety she was experiencing from this major life-style change was a barrier to her having an exciting and fulfilling time whilst in this new and vibrant place.

She had become very insular, only exploring beyond her front door on the days when her husband was with her. She wanted to find the confident and capable woman she used to be, to undertake a language course, explore the city and to get back into horse-riding. We talked through her issues and what she wanted to achieve; from this we conducted a ‘Circle of Excellence’ technique, asking her to recall a time when she was successful, confident and empowered and then used this to ‘future pace’ and to try using those skills in the current, difficult situation. We also undertook some voice work to extinguish any negative voices.

She left feeling more confident in her own abilities and has used the techniques to enable her to live a more enjoyable life.

If you’d like to find out more about coaching then contact Julie by email jules@jh-coaching.co.uk or by phone 07812 650531

The long awaited reforms to employment tribunal claims were finally implemented on 6^th April 2012.  The changes are the result of a consultation on employment disputes and the Red Tape Challenge Review.  The review of the Employment Tribunal claims are ongoing and further changes may be expected upon completion of Mr Justice Underhill’s “fundamental review” of Employment Tribunal procedures and rules.  Please click for full details of the employment reforms introduced on 6^th April 2012.

B Legal is opening their office on Saturday 28th April 2012 to ensure we are available at your convenience.  On this day only we are offering a Special Saturday Discount of 15% on our standard Will Writing Services.  Subject to your instructions and payment of our fees on that day we will endeavour to finalise your standard Will(s) within 7 working days.

Our solicitors have extensive experience in drafting Wills and can tailor your Wills to suit individual needs.  We offer a professional, personal service and legal advice upon:

• Individual/Mirror Wills ensuring your assets pass to your chosen beneficiaries.
• Ensuring financial provision is made for your family’s future.
• Choosing suitable Executors and appointing Guardians for your children.
• Tax Planning and reducing your Inheritance Tax liabilities.
• Trusts to provide and protect vulnerable individuals and/or disabled beneficiaries
• Reviewing and recommending any amendments to existing Will(s) to take account of any changing circumstances.

To book an appointment for Saturday 28th April 2012 please contact Fareed Kazi, Solicitor on 01628 496669
quoting “Wills on Saturday”
or
email: fkazi@b-legal.co.uk

The BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17558294) are currently reporting a 172% rise in demand for petrol and a 77% rise in demand for diesel.

Petrol stations are selling out all over the country with some polititions advising people to fill their cars and even “jerry cans”. This has caused some to panic buy fuel causing the current level of shortages and queues which we are seeing.

Many forecourts in Marlow, High Wycombe, Reading and the surrounding areas have sold out.

When filling please be aware that the legalities of storing fuels are as such:

A maximum of 2 suitable 10 litre metal containers and 2 approved 5 litre plastic containers.

The fire brigade are also warning that these should not be stored in the home, but securely in a garage or shed.

To be honest collaborative law has been around now for at nearly 10 years now so whilst not technically “new” I’m aware that the public, as a whole, are still unaware of its existence. In some ways it may not matter because whether you negotiate, mediate, litigate or collaborate the end goal is the same for clients: they just want to get through the Divorce process as quickly (and cheaply) as possible.

For some clients they could never imagine sitting in a room with their ex trying to sort out finances or arrangements for the children and so for them Mediation or Collaboration may not be the way forward. However there are some clients who want to sort out things amicably with their ex and don’t want to get involved in solicitors’ letters and court proceedings and the stress and costs that that can mean. It is with those clients that I will talk about the options of Mediation and Collaboration, both of which put clients more in control of their future.

So what’s the difference between Mediation and Collaboration? Find out full details here http://www.resolution.org.uk/editorial.asp?page_id=53 however in summary with Mediation, the Mediator doesn’t provide the couple with legal advice and works with the couple rather than with either the Husband or Wife individually. With Collaboration, Husband and Wife have their own lawyer and therefore they can take legal advice throughout the whole process. Collaboration is more meetings based than the more traditional process of solicitors writing letters to their opponents and this approach can often progress matters far more quickly because clients are in control of when meetings take place and what they want to discuss eg Divorce, money and/or children.

The very nature of Divorce means that some meetings are still very hard for Husband and Wife. There may be tears, anger, resentment and blame in meetings but provided that both Husband and Wife keep sight of their goal they can still move forward and resolve matters amicably. For a lot of couples the process makes sense particularly if children are involved. Putting their children’s interests first mean that the couple can work on solutions rather than focusing on the past. For some couples the aim of being able to foresee a time in the future when they will both be able to attend their children’s wedding without any atmosphere symbolizes why Collaboration is right for them.

For more information then contact Alison Whistler on 01628 496670 or awhistler@b-legal.co.uk

As part of my job as a Divorce Lawyer I often have to help clients sort out their finances so that they can become financially independent, if at all possible, in the future. Clients often assume that this simply involves splitting the house 50/50 but it’s rarely as straightforward as that and my factsheet on Finances explains why http://www.b-legal.co.uk/factsheets/divorce-finances.aspx. It’s always imperative, therefore, that you get advice from a specialist lawyer who deals with Divorce and Family Law so that you know where you stand.

Equally there are times when I advise clients to take Financial Advice as whilst I can advise on the law, the Solicitors Regulation Authority do not allow and Solicitors are not qualified to advise on certain financial issues. Clients are sometimes reluctant to engage Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs). This can be for a number of different reasons such as: thinking they don’t have enough money to warrant advice, feeling embarrassed that they have little financial knowledge or worrying that the IFA will simply see them as a victim to make money out of. There are good and bad Financial Advisers out there just as there are good and bad lawyers out there but as long as you choose the right Adviser they can make the daunting prospect of sorting out your finances after Divorce far less scary. Your friends, family or Lawyer may be able to recommend an IFA to you.

Most IFAs, these days, do not charge for initial advice as their main aim initially is to ascertain whether they can help clients and, if so, what financial outcome is best for them. If they do think they can help clients, then they will then normally set out clearly how they will charge for any work that they do so that clients can decide what step to take next. This could involve selling your home and starting a new life or taking some of the equity out of the home, starting a pension, ensuring that you are covered by insurance, paying university fees or changing your career path.

Divorce can sometimes shatter people’s dreams of a secure financial future but good legal advice and good financial advice can stop your future becoming a nightmare.

For further information on this subject and planning for your future the following then contact Alison Whistler awhistler@b-legal.co.uk.

B Legal Limited in Marlow, Buckinghamshire is warning home-buyers who turn to the “bank of mum and dad” and increasingly the bank of grandparents to buy their home to prepare for the all eventualities, as generous family members tighten their belts.

B Legal Limited, which is one of the national Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme members, says that many people have no choice but to turn to parents or other family members to help raise a deposit for a house without considering potential future pitfalls, even the possibility that their family lenders might need the loan back.

Nicola Chard, Managing Director said: “Handing over a large amount of money, which could be life savings, with no legal structure in place is a minefield. Circumstances can change drastically. Couples buying their first home might borrow from their parents when they buy, but what happens if they subsequently separate?

“There are potential problems in relation to who owns what and raises the prospect of disputes. It is important to consult a solicitor on loan agreement terms, even with family members, to avoid what could become a family fall-out.

“In these times of economic uncertainty, it is very possible that the bank of mum and dad needs to call in its debts. An agreed timetable for repayment can help to ease any potential problems for all parties involved.”

Stamp Duty Holiday

B Legal Limited says that with the stamp duty holiday for first-time buyers buying properties under £250,000 due to end on March 24, there could be a rush to buy amongst first time buyers.
Nicola Chard says: “With lending from the major banks still cautious, first time buyers will inevitably turn to other sources, such as family members, for help to beat the stamp duty holiday. Not seeking legal advice could cost you dear in the long run.

“At B Legal Limited we will also talk through all the options available, and provide alternatives, such as parents acting as loan guarantors or entering into a joint ownership agreement. We are trained experts and are highly experienced in navigating the maze of paper work and dealings with house purchases. Not only will B Legal Limited offer the best advice and service, as recognised by our CQS status, we will help to avoid some unforeseen hazards that may occur down the line.”

B Legal Limited underwent a rigorous application and assessment by the national Law Society to become part of CQS initiative, which recognises high quality in residential conveyancing.

If you’re new to the area of Family Law and a bit unsure of what to expect – you are not alone. As a Trainee Solicitor I had worked previously in the Litigation and Conveyancing departments here at B Legal – but how was that going to help me with the potentially heavy area of divorce?

Well, one of my passions is film, so perhaps that might give me an insight? Kramer v Kramer tells the story of a divorcing couple fighting for custody over their young son. Hmm, an American couple in 1979 New York City probably isn’t applicable to a Trainee Solicitor in 2012. Or perhaps it is – one of the storyline strands in the film is the judge awards custody to the Mum, on the basis a child is best raised with their mother. This is still very much the case today.

Ok, so perhaps something a little more up to date other than a movie which I couldn’t see in the cinema because I was one years’ old (they just refused me at the ticket booth). How would I deal with the potential emotions of divorcing clients? What does it really mean when a marriage split is “not amicable” are they going to be like Brad and Angelina in Mr & Mrs Smith happily married for years and then they try to assassinate eachother? Ok, maybe not. In fact, our clients come and see us at all kinds of stages of the marital breakdown – and we are ready to assist for all situations.

One area I have become accustomed to is Collaborative Law, a fresh and more cost-effective approach for dealing with your divorce, by simply sitting around a table to hammer out those issues rather than dealing with them in court (whether the clients want to assassinate eachother or not).

So whatever stage you’re at, whatever situation – be it the early stages of a marriage break-up, or a residency issue (who the child should live with) – come and talk to Alison Whistler and Richard Morris at B Legal.

TRIVIA: What do Jane Seymour, Elizabeth Taylor and Zsa Zsa Gabor have in common? Answer: They have been married for a combined amount of 20 times!

The link will run from London Euston to Birmingham, passing through the Chilterns and impacting on many local areas. Whilst many properties will be affected the route itself, many local people are also concerned about both sight and sound of the railway line once it is operational from its expected date of 2026.

Many home owners are already experiencing difficulty in selling their properties along the proposed route. The Government is still running the voluntary ‘exceptional hardship scheme’ to help home owners who have been struggling to sell properties whilst the route has been uncertain.

The Government will serve compulsory purchase orders on the properties it considers are most affected by the route, but this will not happen until at least 2015.

If you are concerned about what HS2 may mean for you and your property, please call us.

Talking about death and dying and making sure we have made provisions for our family and those closest to us is not a topic of conversation we all rush to have.  However our reluctance to talk about this subject often leaves us and those we leave behind ill prepared for the future. 

Talking about death doesn’t bring death closer – look at is as planning for life.  Fareed Kazi, a Wills and Probate solicitor at B Legal said “A lack of communication and conversation is perhaps the most important reason why peoples’ wishes go ignored or unfulfilled”.

To emphasise our commitment in providing the public with a valued legal service and also to encourage a more open discussion B Legal has recently joined the Dying Matters Coalition.  The aim of the Dying Matters Coalition is to support changing knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards death, dying and bereavement. 

The Dying Matters Coalition was set up in 2009 by the National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC).  There now 15,000 members of this Coalition which include organisations across the NHS, voluntary and independent health and care sectors, faith and community organisations, the legal profession and the funeral sector. 

“Talking about dying with your family and friends and seeking professional legal advice is essential if you want your wishes to be carried out on your death” states Fareed.  “It will make things easier for those you love and care for and will help avoid any complications when dealing with your property and other assets after your death”. 

Fareed strongly advises people to start talking about these important issues to ensure their assets are protected and also that they maintain control over how their wealth is managed and distributed during their life and on death.  At the very least we should all look to discuss making a Will and consider whether we require Lasting Powers of Attorney to manage our finances and/or health and welfare should we become unable or incapable of doing so ourselves.  We should think about our future planning for long term health and care requirements. 

For more information visit Dying Matters (www.dyingmatters.org) or contact Fareed Kazi a solicitor in our Wills, Probate and Private Client team to discuss your affairs on tel: 01628 496669 or email: fkazi@b-legal.co.uk