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Complete legal solutions for you and your businessAlsager | Chester | Congleton | Crewe | Nantwich | Sandbach
Issue 10 • April 2017
poolealcock.co.uk0800 389 7093
Our pledge: Committed to ExcellenceOur pledge: Committed to Excellence
1
Congratulations and welcome aboard
2
Spotlight on Congleton
3
Mobile phone use while driving – tougher penalties
4
New employment advice website and Jargon Buster
5
News and Events
6
Managing Partner
David Gaut
Celebrating our NEW offices in CongletonNearly 100 people joined us to celebrate the grand opening of our new offices in Riverside, Mountbatten Way last month.
See PAGE 3 to read more about our people and services.
has been providing legal support to individuals, families and business owners for over 125 years.In a world of call centres, we offer a personal service, developing relationships with our clients. We are proud to have acted for generations of families for all of their personal legal needs.
For business owners, our Commercial team provides practical, expert and cost effective advice to organisations in many sectors from manufacturing to agriculture, retail to education. We develop a strong understanding of our clients’ requirements so that we can deliver what they need, when they need it.
To read our pledge in full, CLICK HERE
We do things differently to other law firms. We understand that we handle some of the most important, difficult and stressful moments in our clients’ lives and we aim to reduce their worries and concerns to a minimum. We look after our clients – because our lawyers care.
This approach is summed up in our Committed to Excellence Pledge – a 14 point promise which details how we deal with each and every one of our clients.
It is founded on our belief that our clients deserve the highest possible standard of customer care and legal advice, delivered by highly skilled professionals with a passion for delivering excellent service focused on individual needs and circumstances.
Alsager | Chester | Congleton | Crewe | Nantwich | Sandbach
poolealcock.co.uk0800 389 7093
...to four members of our legal team who have just been promoted to Associate.
Amie Pine After completing her training with Amie qualified as a Solicitor in 2013 and has been in the Family Department at Nantwich since 2010. She has a particular interest in financial matters, including high value and complex cases involving business interests and overseas assets. An additional role is debt recovery which manages not only in her own Department but across other areas of the Practice.
Fiona Sims Fiona first joined the firm in October 2005 as a Paralegal. She went on to serve her traineeship with us and qualified as a Solicitor in October 2009, specialising in Personal Injury. She said: ‘I have recently moved into the Civil Litigation department, where we deal with dispute resolution. This new challenge has proved to be incredibly exciting. The Litigation team at Sandbach and I are looking forward to being involved in growing the Practice in this specialised area of law.’
Kate Heath A Chartered Legal Executive, Kate specialises in all aspects of Residential Conveyancing including property auction work and she has significantly developed the Department at our Sandbach office where she is based. She said: ’We now have two dedicated Conveyancing teams working here, and I’m looking forward to growing our business further over the next few years.’
Jane Jacques A Family Law Solicitor at our Congleton Office, Jane also practices in partnership with Cheshire Constabulary. She is one of only two lawyers in the County selected to join their panel, working alongside the Cheshire Police Federation. She holds monthly surgeries for police officers and civilian staff providing specialist legal advice and support.
Congratulations... Our pledge: Committed to Excellence
1
Congratulations and welcome aboard
2
Spotlight on Congleton
3
Mobile phone use while driving – tougher penalties
4
New employment advice website and Jargon Buster
5
News and Events
6
Joining our Sandbach office as Assistant to Colin Watret in the Wills and Probate Department is helping Jade’s plan to broaden her career.
Previous posts have been in Life Insurance and PPI Claims Management, but she has always been interested in the Law. In fact she used to volunteer in a Community Support role with her local police, working with Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).
Asked what prompted her to apply to join us, Jade explained: ‘I live in Congleton and my parents have always used ’s service, so I knew they had a good name. When I read about this opportunity – I jumped at the chance!’
Away from work she’s a keen rider, competing at show jumping events around the country including on her own horse Macauley.
Very much a ‘people person’, Naomi has joined our new Client Support Team, based at our High Street office in Nantwich.
She’s already enjoying her role, but it’s a big change: she graduated with a History and French degree in 2015 and has spent the last year in France.
While there, she was acting as a volunteer with an English charity supporting refugees in Calais.
‘It was an incredible experience,’ she told . ‘We had a converted van and were giving teas and coffees to people, but a lot of the time it was simply about befriending and giving them someone to talk to.’
Back in the UK, Naomi enjoys donning her running shoes and can be found at her local parkrun most Saturday mornings.
With a background in HR, most recently with Stockport Council, Sally has also been recruited to our new Client Support Team. As a Nantwich resident, she says she won’t be missing that commute one bit!
She’s delighted to be back in work after taking a career break to look after daughters Tilly, aged five and Betsy aged three, who are now at school and nursery respectively.
Having previously used ’s services she says she knew the firm’s reputation, and she’s not been disappointed. She’s already enjoying getting to know our systems and processes.
Outside of work she’s loving her new hobby of dressmaking and has already signed up for an evening class after husband Stuart bought her a sewing machine last year.
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Jade Worthington Naomi Kelly Sally Hutton
Alsager | Chester | Congleton | Crewe | Nantwich | Sandbach
poolealcock.co.uk0800 389 7093
Our pledge: Committed to Excellence
1
Congratulations and welcome aboard
2
Spotlight on Congleton
3
Mobile phone use while driving – tougher penalties
4
New employment advice website and Jargon Buster
5
News and Events
6
We’ve been in Congleton for many years, but our move to new offices in the beautiful old Riverside Mill in Mountbatten Way will enable us to expand our practice in this thriving community.We offer a full range of legal services including Wills and Probate, Family Law, Conveyancing, Personal Injury, Commercial and Employment Law.
Partner Claire Ellis told : ‘I think the move here has already raised our profile in the town. We are still easy to find for private individuals, but now we are in a more commercial area, which is also helping to promote our name with other businesses.
‘Being in a shared building enables us to develop relationships with the other organisations based here – and we’re also planning to get even more involved with our local Chamber of Commerce. There is huge potential and it’s very exciting – as well as being a lovely environment to work in.’
Claire Ellis (seated) and her Congleton team proudly show off their new office to colleagues on a recent training course.
Spotlight on Congleton
Originally built to produce fustian (a type of heavy woven cloth), the Mill was later turned into a state-of-the-art cigar factory at the start of the 20th century.
It now provides modern office facilities for around 20 businesses and organisations – Congleton MP Fiona Bruce also has her constituency office in the building.
Our new Congleton office hosting a Cyber Security Business Breakfast Seminar with Barclays UK in February.
Alsager | Chester | Congleton | Crewe | Nantwich | Sandbach
poolealcock.co.uk0800 389 7093
Our pledge: Committed to Excellence
1
Congratulations and welcome aboard
2
Spotlight on Congleton
3
Mobile phone use while driving – tougher penalties
4
New employment advice website and Jargon Buster
5
News and Events
6
Put your phone away before driving so you won’t be tempted to use it. Make the glove compartment the phone compartment.
Don’t call other people when they’re driving.
Use hands free devices responsibly.
Tougher penalties for using your handheld mobile phone while driving now in forceUsing a handheld mobile phone while driving has been illegal since 2003 – and from 1st March this year, the penalties increased dramatically.It’s now six points on your licence and a fine of £200 – double the previous tariffs.
For many people, using their mobile on the move has become a habit, whether it’s to give someone a call, change their music choice or to use satellite navigation. Yet statistics show mobile phones are one of the biggest causes of road traffic accidents (RTAs): it is estimated that one in four crashes are linked to the use of mobile phones.
Under the new sentencing regime, if you are a new driver, i.e. one who has held their licence for less than two years, then one conviction for this offence will see your licence revoked and you will then need to take another full driving test to get back on the road. As to the effect on your insurance – well you can imagine!
It is worth noting that, at least as the law currently stands, it is not illegal to use a ‘hands free’ mobile phone while driving: pushing buttons on your phone held in a cradle is not an offence. That said, use of your phone in this way opens you up to allegations of Driving Without Due Care and Attention – if you had an accident in such a scenario you would almost certainly face prosecution which carries even harsher penalties.
The new sanctions are expected to act as a deterrent and promote a different mindset for drivers towards using their mobile phone behind the wheel.
...the organisation that promotes road safety – is holding its own campaign to raise awareness among drivers – see their
‘Switch off before you drive off’ CAMPAIGN HERE
If you’ve been charged with a road traffic offence, then visit our Motoring Advice Lawyers website to speak with one of our specialist road traffic solicitors to find out how they can help you.
It is the date the offence is committed that counts, so if you have been caught prior to the 1st March, but are awaiting prosecution, then the penalty is still three points and £100.
Alsager | Chester | Congleton | Crewe | Nantwich | Sandbach
poolealcock.co.uk0800 389 7093
Our pledge: Committed to Excellence
1
Congratulations and welcome aboard
2
Spotlight on Congleton
3
Mobile phone use while driving – tougher penalties
4
New employment advice website and Jargon Buster
5
News and Events
6
Declaration of Trust: a document which sets out the respective shares of the property owned by more than one person.
Deeds: or Title Deeds to give them their full name – are legal documents showing the chain of ownership for land and property through its history. They can include details about conveyances, contracts for sale, wills, mortgages and leases. Deeds are kept by the owner, or by the mortgage company if the property has been bought with a mortgage. A digital copy is held by the Land Registry in the UK.
Deed of covenant: a document stating that someone will comply with the rules and conditions affecting a property, for example, paying ground rent or prohibiting access or certain uses of the land for subsequent owners.
Deposit: part of the purchase price on a property which is paid on exchange of contracts to confirm the buyer’s commitment to complete the transaction. If the buyer unjustifiably refuses to complete, then the seller can keep the deposit.
Disbursements: expenses incurred by the Conveyancer or Solicitor during the purchasing process, which are passed on to the buyer. Items such as searches to check certain aspects of the property – perhaps if major roads are scheduled to be built nearby – and land registration fees are typical ‘disbursements.’
Discharge of Mortgage: the repayment of a mortgage or the document that confirms that the borrower has paid off all the money due to the lender in respect of the loan.
Drainage and water search: in this search, the local water authority confirms whether the property is connected to mains drainage, shows the route of possible sewers and drains and answers various standard questions including whether or not the property is served by a water meter.
Conveyancing The legal process of transferring ownership of a property from one owner to the next.
JAR GO N BU S T ERNicola’s
In the legal world and conveyancing in particular, there’s lots of jargon – Nicola Fury helps to shed a little light.
C D E F G H I J K L M O P QN
We have just launched a new website specifically to help people who may need help in terminating their employment through a settlement agreement.
A settlement agreement is a legally binding document between an employer and employee and it plays an important role in ending an employment relationship, particularly if there is some kind of dispute.
Our specialist employment law team can advise you, ensuring you understand your rights, potentially what you are being asked to waive, and also negotiate with your employer if we think that you are entitled to more.
Settlement agreements can also include references from your employer in an agreed form – which could be vital in finding your next role.
CLICK HERE to find out more.
New Employment Advice website
Alsager | Chester | Congleton | Crewe | Nantwich | Sandbach
poolealcock.co.uk0800 389 7093
Our pledge: Committed to Excellence
1
Congratulations and welcome aboard
2
Spotlight on Congleton
3
Mobile phone use while driving – tougher penalties
4
New employment advice website and Jargon Buster
5
News and Events
6
Hiring, Firing and Retiring...
Business people from all over the county came along to hear facts and advice on employment issues this month when we co-presented a South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce event alongside Business Advisors and Accountants Howard Worth.
Solicitor Adam Pavey, who specialises in Employment Law, gave our main presentation supported by Partner Sarah Jarratt, Solicitor Luke Pritchard and Digital Marketing Executive Becky Aitken.
Valentine’s Day
Well done to staff across the Practice for supporting St Luke’s Hospice ‘Go Red for a Bed’ campaign on Valentine’s Day. Our picture shows the very colourful Sandbach team.
Women’s Day ChampionsThe theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was ‘Be Bold for Change’ and supporters were urged to help forge a better working world – a more gender inclusive world.
Many members of staff took turns in supporting the cause at awareness raising events staged by community organisation Motherwell Cheshire at their centres in Crewe and Winsford.
Legal eagles of the futureWe’re always interested in talking to young people about potential careers in a legal practice.
The law is so varied – there really is something for everyone and it’s great to be able to share it with students making those big decisions about their futures.
Digital Marketing Executive Becky Aitken, Solicitor Verity McKay and the Client Support Team’s Naomi Kelly loved their morning over at South Cheshire College for their HE & Employment Fair in March.
Said Becky: ’The College has just started offering a Law Degree Course and we had a constant stream of interested students coming along to talk to us.’
Congratulations!Well done Helen Stoller who became a fully qualified Solicitor on 1st March.
Meanwhile, back in February, Verity was also on the team with fellow Solicitor Eve Lakin and Trainee Emily Brown when they met pupils from Brine Leas School, Nantwich at their Careers Fair.
Our picture shows Solicitor Nicky Deakin and Legal Executive Cheryl Cooper at the Winsford event.
She will be working in the Family Department, based at Crewe. Head of Family, Richard Barratt presented her with bubbles and blooms to mark the occasion!
