Emails are a great way to communicate and we use email as a natural ‘go-to’, about which we barely even think these days. I realize I may be showing my age, but actually something that happens with such an immediate way of communicating, is that we can easily fire off an email without thinking so much beforehand. There were benefits to having a letter sitting there for a bit before it was posted out. There was time to ponder and reflect. Time to review and redraft if needed. It is not just emails of course, social media has us sending messages with little more than a moment’s thought. The Send button makes it so easy. Divorce and disputes over the children are emotive times. If we are
Top Tip 3/10 Come prepared It might sound like common sense. But we understand that life can be so busy that at times of extra stress, just getting from A to B on time, is enough. We appreciate that for some, being able to take the time to prepare for your solicitor’s appointment, is just pie in the sky. There are however a few things that you can do to make the time you spend with your solicitor, cost effective for both of you. At the end of the day, if you spend an hour with your solicitor then they will charge you an hour. But if you could have covered all the issues in half the time, then being prepared will help you achieve that. When you come to your appointment to speak with your
Tanya’s ten top tips to help minimize your legal costs. Top Tip 2/10 Don’t bury your head in the sand Family breakdown is especially stressful. It can introduce stress where ideally we experience safety and security. Even when a couple are instructing solicitors to help them start their new (or even ongoing) relationship on the right foot, things can inevitably be stressful. The instinct for many is to avoid the issue, to bury one’s head in the proverbial sand, and hope that it all goes away. Sometimes the stress a person is experiencing can incapacitate them from taking positive action. The trouble is, a situation rarely gets better whilst your head is in that sand. It can often just ge
The case of JD and A v the United Kingdom has now had judgement handed down by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) following an appeal from the decision of the UK Supreme Court. The ECHR judgement found that the housing benefit rules known as the ‘bedroom tax’ (the under-occupancy penalty) prejudiced victims of domestic abuse and violence. A, as a victim of severe domestic abuse and violence (and therefore her identity was not disclosed), was living with her son under the ‘Sanctuary Scheme’ which is designed to enable people in such a situation to be able to live safely and securely in their own home. Under the Sanctuary Scheme, A and her son lived in their home, a three bedroomed p
Top Tip 1/10 Gather and Maximise your Support Network. And make sure it is productive, not counter-productive! Instructing a solicitor inevitably comes at a time of stress. This is not a hard and fast rule of course, but nine out of ten times, stress accompanies the situation that requires legal assistance. Having a support network around you can help you to ensure that the advice and support you require of us, is legal advice and support. We will be here for you, of course, but solicitors are legally trained and not usually also trained counsellors! We can help you with the legal side and the more you have others supporting you with the emotions and stress of the situation, the more thi
