Search site
Call our office
Make an enquiry
How Can We Help
Are you looking for high quality legal advice? You have come to the right place.
We regularly write about different legal topics and welcome your comments on our posts. If you would like more information on our services, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
September often sees a seasonal spike in parents getting advice on separation and divorce, often seeking a new start with the new term and having waited until the end of the school summer holidays. A survey by Relate states almost one in five (18%) couples...
Introduction It is hard to start this commentary anywhere other than North Korea – or maybe crouching in Japan as a North Korean missile passes overhead. At the beginning of the month, Kim Jong-un threatened to bomb Guam, the US territory in the...
Recent research from Royal London has found that around five million people in the UK have ‘forgotten’ pension pots from final salary schemes of former employers. What’s more, many of these deferred members of defined benefit funds...
The total tax paid by those exceeding their lifetime pension allowance amounted to £36 million in 2014/15, climbing steeply from £20 million in 2014/15 and equating to an 80% rise. The figure has climbed in recent years from £12 million in...
Recent statistics from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) show that changes to employment legislation has resulted in four out of five UK businesses experiencing rising costs. The data comes from the BCC’s annual workforce survey, created from...
Yes, it's true - you can open a pension for your child or grandchild. There are various options where a child's pension can be opened and a maximum of £2,880 per annum can be paid in, net of income tax, in a single tax year. The plan...
There was a furore over the summer about developers making unfair charges on leasehold properties. The government is currently consulting on how to stop these practices. With the consultation due to end on 19 September, you only have days to give your views....
New debt recovery rules that come into force in October will make debt recovery more challenging for businesses. If you've been putting off collection, there's less than 2 weeks to start the process to take advantage of the current rules. New debt...
Have you made a Will? Do you need to update your Will? The Private Client team are proud to be supporting The Christie Make A Will Campaign by waiving their Will writing fees during 18-29 September 2017 and will be encouraging the community and beyond to...
Investigative Reporter Alistair Jackson’s investigation into the death of his mother on Monday night’s Panorama provided a disturbing insight into the epidemic of sepsis in the UK and, even more disturbingly, the NHS’ reaction to it. ...
Acas, (the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service), is committed to promoting diversity and respect in the workplace for all employees, regardless of their personal characteristics. The body has recently published a report setting out the latest...
Employers - have you checked out a candidate's profile on social media recently? If yes, you're not alone. According to a survey carried out by CareerBuilder, an online recruitment company, 60% of employers screen their candidates using social...
July got off to the best possible start when Janet Yellen, Chair of the US Federal Reserve, announced that there would be no more financial crises “in our lifetime.” Speaking on a trip to London, she said that the reforms of the banking system...
The deputy governor of the Bank of England has stated that the bank should not be tempted to increase interest rates due to “imponderables” within the UK economy. The comments from Ben Broadbent, an ally of the governor of the Bank of England,...
New research by the Open University has found that the cost of Britain’s skills shortages amounts to more than £2 billion annually due to higher salaries, temporary staffing bills and recruitment costs. The survey of 400 firms found that nine in...
A recent study has found that the average deposit first-time buyers need to pay on a home has now risen to nearly £33,000. This is thanks to the average price of a first home now climbing to a record figure of £207,693. The Halifax First-Time...
If a formal court claim is made against you, you must take prompt action by acknowledging service and serving your defence. If you don’t do this within the strict court deadlines, you might lose your chance to defend the claim. A recent case has given...
Clients could be due cash back from the Ministry of Justice after it announced that charges for registering LPAs have been too high in recent years. The Office of the Public Guardian (the OPG) has admitted to previously charging too much when registering...
Summer's here - and we have some top tips for you to consider if your business is quiet over the holiday period. If your business is quieter over the summer months, use the time to review your business procedures and do some housekeeping....
We’ve recently seen an increase in enquiries from people wanting to challenge a relative’s will or make a claim if they are not provided for – so much so that we have expanded our team. Laura Pracy rejoined us in June and is now working in...
In a significant decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that tribunal fees introduced by the Employment Tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunals Fees Order 2013 (the 2013 order) are unlawful. The decision opens up access to justice for those who need to...
According to the Office for National Statistics, divorce rates are falling, latest statistics revealed show there were 111,169 divorces in 2014, a reduction of 3.1% compared with 2013, but the question I always get asked in an initial interview surrounds the...
The number of unmarried cohabiting couples more than doubled in the 20 years between 1996 and 2006, from 1.5 million to 3.2 million. As a divorced financial adviser I know just what the tax issues surrounding marriages are. Recent research found that...
The property market in the North is, largely, holding its own and enjoying a brighter outlook than most other regions in the UK - despite the impending Brexit and economic uncertainty. This has been reflected in our results this year: Pearson's property...
The BBC's recent revelations about their gender pay gap is shining a light on the issue of equal pay. Last week, the BBC published the salaries of 96 stars who earn more than £150,000. Claudia Winkleman was one of the few women...
Recent proposals to bring the law around Wills up to date have been welcomed by solicitors after a recent statement issued by the Law Society on the changes. In a response to the Law Commission’s consultation, President, Joe Egan stated: “...
The Taylor Review makes recommendations on a multitude of employment law issues and seeks to establish “good work for all”. On 11 July 2017, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the Royal Society of Arts, published his independent review...
This was the interesting issue raised by Malcolm Mackay of United Employment Lawyers, a Scottish firm, a couple of months ago. He was very much of the opinion that it should – and I have to say, I agree with him. But then, as an employment lawyer,...
June was a fairly quiet month. Well, apart from the chaotic General Election in the UK. Oh – and the decisive win for Emmanuel Macron in the French parliamentary elections. And the start of the Brexit negotiations. And Italy was forced to bail out two...
A recent study by HSBC has revealed the main financial worries of the ‘millennial’ generation, recognised as those born between 1980 and 1997. As its title suggests, the ‘Future of Retirement’ survey focuses primarily on how...
Defined benefit (DB) pension schemes continue to be a hot topic in the business and financial worlds as an increasing number of people seek to transfer their pensions from a DB scheme. Recent figures suggest that more than four out of five (83%) of financial...
No matter how often we might have heard soundbites such as ‘strong and stable’ and ‘Brexit means Brexit’ which are intended to reassure us, it seems that every major political event of the past twelve months has delivered an...
... but only in limited circumstances. Can employers check an employee’s personal messages to ensure compliance with employment duties? Can an employee expect an employer to respect their private life and correspondence at work? These were two of...
Making a statutory demand for a debt can prove expensive – this process should be used with discretion. Creditors who deal with multiple debtors will know that making a statutory demand for payment from a debtor may be an effective means of...
As conveyancers, we want to make your house-move hassle free and as smooth as possible. When you first instruct us, we will ask you all sorts of questions about the property. We’re not being nosey – we just need to understand every aspect of...
Court proceedings have a reputation for being expensive and time consuming – and with some justification. Courts and solicitors therefore encourage disputing parties to settle their claims as early as possible to avoid the expense, sheer inconvenience...
A recent fraud case has highlighted how important it is to take legal advice before releasing equity from your property*. Edwin McLaren and his wife Lorraine were found guilty of property frauds that came to a total of £1.6 million. The police inquiry...
Local law firm Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers have been shortlisted for the "Best Small Conveyancing Firm" of the year in the LFS Conveyancing Awards announced this week. The conveyancing team, which deals with hundreds of property...
As we wrote last year, ‘It is tempting to think that Brexit is the only game in town.’ Cross out ‘Brexit’ and replace it with ‘General Election’ and the sentiment holds good. But the rest of the world keeps turning –...
Recent figures have shown that house prices in the UK fell again in May this year, making it the third month in a row which has seen prices go down. Nationwide, the UK’s biggest building society which carried out the research, stated that this is the...
Whilst the country takes in the latest developments in the ongoing saga that is contemporary British politics, one question that many will be looking for answers to, is how the result of the general election is likely to affect them financially. It’s...
Insurance companies have warned that a recent rise in tax could mean that the average family will end up paying £283 more for their premiums every year. The Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) has now increased from 10% to 12%, meaning that the cost of home,...
June is turning out to be wet rather than flaming and most employees will no doubt be looking forward to their annual holiday and a summer of events, festivals and sport. Employers on the other hand are probably wondering how many working hours they...
In a recent appeal hearing, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (“EAT”) decided that employees were entitled to receive holiday pay based on their basic wage plus their non-guaranteed overtime. The appeal in Bear Scotland -v- Fulton case (and...
Those of you who follow us on Twitter or read this blog will know that five of the Pearson team (Ian Wolstenhulme, Rosie Aldcroft, Marie Pauley and Jade Hegarty), set out to raise £1,000 by doing the Snowdon Zip Wire at Zip World in Bethesda on 14...
It’s now a year since the formation of the Professional Oldham networking group and over that time it’s been great to see the group go from strength to strength. The aim throughout has been to introduce some quality networking, some amazing and...
Employers processing job applications should ensure the process offers a level playing field for applicants with disabilities. In The Government Legal Service -v- Brookes , the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) upheld a tribunal’s decision that a...
Pearson Solicitors’ Clinical Negligence Team has recently secured a settlement of £7,500 in a case where the failure to adequately manage an evolving small bowel obstruction led to a patient’s deterioration and eventual death. Pearson...
Holidays should be a relaxing time, we all work hard for our weeks in the sunshine, but if you have been ill and had your holidays ruined through no fault of your own you can make a claim. Have you or anyone in your family suffered from food poisoning? ...
When a client turned to us following delays and misdiagnosis at we secured a £150,000 settlement after her symptoms of Cauda Equina Syndrome were missed. Our client was an active and independent lady in her mid 50s and had previously been diagnosed...
