One of the first questions we are asked when someone dies is “what do I do now?”

If the person who has died has left a Will, it is the responsibility of the Executors named in the Will to deal with the estate. Our Solicitors are best placed to guide you carefully through the initial process of registering the death and dealing with the assets held by the deceased. The first thing to establish is whether a “Grant of Probate” is needed.

At some point in our lives we will almost certainly need someone reliable to call on, when life gets tough. This may be anything from support during an illness or help in the home. At Smith Partnership we understand when it comes to needing help with financial affairs, you may need to engage with a number of organisations such as banks and insurance or pension companies. 

The Home Secretary Amber Rudd has come under pressure this month for failing to publish a report on deaths and serious incidents in police custody.  In a letter published in The Guardian, a coalition of activist groups called on the Home Secretary to release the report immediately.

Over the last few years the use of social media has become one of the most common places for most people to source news, entertainment and share social banter with friends and family members. However did you realise it has now become a source of invaluable information and evidence for family lawyers?

Social media platforms have also become increasingly important for businesses to raise brand awareness and share news, therefore if people are using social media for personal or business purposes it is advisable to be very careful and considered when uploading content.

Smith Partnership has followed a seemingly normal divorce legal case ruling with interest when advising its clients, where a wife was refused a divorce simply on the basis of her petition of her husband’s alleged unreasonable behaviour.

High profile divorce cases are increasingly finding their way to the front pages of newspapers more than ever before, often involving celebrities or where the assets are of such a high level as to be of interest to the readers, however this case was far from it. 

The Case: Owens versus Owens

Any employee seeking to pursue a claim in the employment tribunals must first have engaged in the ACAS Early Conciliation (”Early Conciliation”). 

In the majority of cases, an employee must bring their claim within three months less one day of the act complained of.  The Early Conciliation process, though, “stops the clock” so that the time spent in Early Conciliation is not counted against the employee’s three month less one day time limit. 

The news that the government have scrapped their controversial plans to increase the Probate fees, justifying the announcement on the basis that the snap general election proposed for 8 June has disrupted the decision-making process.

For the time being, therefore, the Probate fees will remain at £155.00 whether your Estate is worth £5,000 or £5,000,000.

Smith Partnership, one of largest firms of solicitors in the East Midlands, is informing the public of the new higher vehicle speeding penalties which will come into force today.

The Criminal Law Team at Smith Partnership wants drivers in the Midlands to appreciate that if they commit a serious speeding offence they will face more severe penalties. The starting point will be 150 percent of a person's weekly income! This is an increase of 50 percent.

Smith Partnership Solicitors, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year is advising companies to be proactive as the new regulations on the Gender Pay Gap Reporting comes into force.