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Consultant Case Study - Glen Salt Find Out More Name: Glen Salt Area of Law: Commercial Property Why did you become a Consultant Solicitor? Following the death of my old boss, I realised I needed a change. I was always good at the client work but never really enjoyed all the practice management, training and marketing stuff that came with the responsibilities of partner. Why did you join Legal Studio? I was originally planning on working full time in house for an existing client. This then turned into a part-time job so the Legal Studio model enabled me to combine both roles and the best of both worlds. I have been with Legal Studio now for nearly five years and would never consider going back into private practice and have no regrets about the decision I have made. The last 12 months have been difficult for everyone but I have been fortunate to have a broad spread of clients who have kept me busy. What do you do in your spare time? I have a young family with two daughters still at school so weekends are taken up with the family (including the dog). When I can I like to hack my way around a golf course and I try and watch as much sport as possible; cricket and rugby being the preferred choices but I'm not fussy and will watch most sporting events. I have also just got my motorbike licence and new motorbike so sometime can be seen out and about. 2021 01 22 Glen Salt https://www.legalstudio.co.uk/Team/Glen-Salt
Life as a Trainee at Legal Studio Find Out More It is 16 September 2019, and my email signature has changed… it is official I am a Trainee Solicitor at Legal Studio! My training at the firm has encompassed Property, Commercial Litigation, Private Client and Personal Injury. Unlike a traditional training contract, I work in these different areas at the same time rather than taking seats. Therefore, I ensure that I organise my week depending on what work is taking priority or if there is a crucial deadline. I do enjoy working this way as it means that my working week is never the same and I am able to see matters through to the very end whereas if I was only working in a specific department for 6 months, it is unlikely I would get to see the end result (especially on more complex litigation cases) which is often highly rewarding for both you and the client. Over the year I have attended hearings on behalf of clients, managed my own files, taken over the firm’s social media pages and attended networking events on behalf of the firm. I have been given great responsibility which has enabled me to grow in confidence both as a person and lawyer. One of my trainee highlights is winning my first application hearing that I attended on my own with client which I never have thought would have been achievable by me a year ago. I am still eager to continue learning and I am very excited to see what the future holds post qualification! If you are due to start your training contract or are in the process of applying, the best advice I can give is to take every opportunity that comes your way as there is always something to learn from and do not be afraid to ask for help when you need it, it will benefit you in the long run! 2020 23 16 Mollie Wood https://www.legalstudio.co.uk/Team/Mollie-Wood
New Divorce Law Find Out More The New Divorce Law From Autumn 2021, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act will finally bring change to divorce law. As the law currently stands, couples who want to divorce in England and Wales must rely on one or more ‘facts’ to prove that their relationship has irretrievably broken down. These facts are: Unreasonable behaviour Adultery Desertion 2 years separation with the consent of both parties 5 years separation As only one party can petition for divorce, this can often lead to an acrimonious situation where the other party is “blamed” for the marriage breakdown, even though it may have been a mutual decision to separate. This can be difficult when the parties remain in each other’s lives because they have children. They could decide to wait and separate on the ground of two years separation with consent, but that can could lead to a delay in finalising financial claims which effectively prevents them from moving on with their lives. As a result of this unsatisfactory situation, there have been long standing campaigns from family law professionals to change the law, which had been unchanged since 1973. A recent catalyst for change was the widely reported case of Owens, which reached the highest court in the country in 2018. In that case, Mrs Owens had sought to petition for divorce relying on her husband’s “unreasonable behaviour” as the fact to prove that the marriage had irretrievably broken down. She had initially tried to keep the “allegations” as neutral as possibly, to try and reduce the conflict. However, when Mr Owens stated he would defend the divorce, Mrs Owens sought permission from the court to amend her allegations to include 27 allegations, her position being that whilst each allegation taken alone may seem minor, the cumulative effect was such that she could not be expected to live with her husband. The judge hearing the case described her allegations as “flimsy and exaggerated” and her divorce petition was dismissed. Her appeals to both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court were unsuccessful, however it was noted by the Supreme Court that the outcome was less than satisfactory. She therefore had to wait to divorce based on 5 years separation (it not being possible to rely on 2 years separation as her husband’s consent would have been required). It was clear that the law needed to change. Under the new law, separating couples will no longer have to rely on one of the ‘five facts’ to prove the ground for divorce – the irretrievable breakdown of the relationship. Instead, the new law will encourage a more constructive approach to separation. The new law will introduce the following changes: Introduce joint applications where the couple both agree that the relationship has irretrievably broken down; Applicants will still be able to submit a sole application if their partner does not agree; Remove the ability to defend a divorce, dissolution or separation; Remove the requirement to reply on one of the 5 facts; Introduce a new minimum period of 20 weeks from the start of proceedings to the ‘Conditional Order’ (currently called the decree nisi). For advice on divorce and financial settlements, please contact specialist family law solicitor Angela Lally for a free initial chat. 2020 00 07 Angela Lally https://www.legalstudio.co.uk/Team/Angela-Lally