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CALLING ALL NORTH EAST LANDLORDS – The next NEL meeting will be on the 25th April at Northern Rugby Club, Gosforth from 5.30pm onwards. The highly popular event is a must for any property investors or wannabe property investors. The event will help you get to know why NEL is being established, how we see it working and hear what you would like to see it deliver. There are experts on hand during the event to give you advice on Property and Rental legal issues, Tax & Accounts, Landlord and Property Insurance as well as Mortgages. There are also talks too: Local & National Update – There will also be an update on National and Local issues of interest to Landlords Exhibition – There will also be some stalls from companies and people that can help you with your property business. + Lots more Come along…

For first time buyers, navigating the legal side of buying a first home can be confusing. Conveyancing – the legal area concerned with the sale and transfer of property – is the cornerstone of our service offering. So, our managing partner Paul Miller was honoured to be able to attend a first time buyers group at Lloyds Bank, Grey Street branch in Newcastle. There, he was able to offer useful home buying tips and ask any questions the attendees had. Are you a first time buyer confused about home buying? We can help. Call us today on 0191 568 20 50 for Sunderland or 0345 900 5401 for Newcastle.

Current Rules Currently in England and Wales there are five official grounds for petitioning for divorce. Three of the grounds involve attributing blame to one of the parties. This allows divorce proceedings to begin immediately. These three grounds are as follows: – Adultery Unreasonable Behaviour Desertion The other two, which do not involve blame take longer: where the parties have been separated for two years and consent to the divorce or where the parties have been separated for five years which does not require consent. What is a no-fault divorce? The justice secretary confirmed that he will bring in legislation for a no-fault divorce removing the need for separating couples to wait for years or allocate blame for the breakdown of their relationship. Laws providing for a no-fault divorce will allow a family court to grant a divorce in response to a petition by…

He’ll be one of 5 finalists judged by an expert panel to gauge excellent in several areas, including: • Excellent legal skills • Ability to contribute to the future management and growth of an organisation • Outstanding career development • Client service skills • Initiative • Significant impact in light of time in practice Nominations were open until the 1st March 2019, after which the panel of judges began working through entries in order to select the final five finalists. Damien and his four counterparts will each have to attend an interview this month, which will count towards the final result, awarded by the expert panel of judges on the 6th June. Of his nomination, Damien says he is “very proud and humbled to have been selected as a finalist.” He’s also looking forward to attending the awards night, as are we! This is a fantastic achievement for…

COUPLES considering divorce but fearing their relationship might be dragged through the courts will be hugely heartened by Government plans to introduce ‘no-fault’ divorces in the near future. The move has been welcomed by Sweeney Miller Law who says handling divorce cases in future should be made that much easier for law firms, as well as the couples themselves. Lindsey Christie, head of civil litigation at the company, said: “This is a positive move to modernise divorce proceedings. Lindsey Christie, Head of Litigation “The result would be to reduce conflict between separating couples and therefore potential harm to children as well.” Under the new legislation, currently going through consultation, spouses would also lose any right to…

In some cases, however, an employee may feel the need to ask for a settlement agreement themselves. In this article, we explain how this alternative dismissal process may work in your favour, and how to ask for it. When should I consider asking for a settlement agreement? Usually, your employer will be the one to offer you a settlement agreement. However, this isn’t to say that you can’t ask for one yourself. If, for example, you feel that you are being executively managed out of your job, you might consider asking for a settlement agreement. Although in some cases, claiming for constructive dismissal may be possible, working out a settlement agreement with your employer can often make it faster for you to leave the company without missing out on any financial compensation you may be due. What will my employer do if I…

SWEENEY Miller Chartered Legal Executive Rebecca Cresswell has been chosen to be part of the prestigious Northern Law Awards judging panel for 2019. Rebecca, who works in the family and litigation department of the company, is heavily involved in the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx ) – the professional body which represents chartered legal executives, legal practitioners, paralegals and apprentices and is secretary of the Newcastle branch. She works tirelessly to promote alternate routes into law and has helped organise numerous charity fundraising events over the years at the Newcastle CILEx Branch. She said: “It’s an honour to be on the judging panel for what is such a well-known and well-respected awards event in the legal calendar.” A spokesperson for the Northern Law Awards said: “We are hugely fortunate to have a fantastic panel of judges with a great diversity of experience…

MONEY has been raised by Sweeney Miller staff to help those suffering from cystic fibrosis. A cheque for £158.35 was handed over to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust in the wake of recent fundraising efforts at the company. And the charity’s support care officer, Jennifer Alcindor, says such donations are vital to help those who suffer from the distressing condition. “Every single penny will help us create future where everyone with cystic fibrosis can lead a long and healthy life,” she said. “We are fighting for a Life Unlimited by cystic fibrosis (CF) for everyone living with the condition, and those who are born with it every week. Together we’ll create a brighter future for all of those affected by the condition. ” Jennifer says the CF Trust’s work is dominated by research into the condition, support to those…

A STAGGERING one in five couples will seek some form of legal advice this January which could result in divorce. Statistics show divorce rates are set to rise in the month of January and continue up until the end of March in what has become a recognised post-Christmas trend. There’s no doubt that pressures on relationships can intensify during what can be a stressful time of the year. But there’s another aspect – that many see the new year as a fresh start, a chance to wipe the slate clean as many individuals don’t want to remain in the same place physically or mentally for another year. Another reason for the statistical increase might be the fact that if post-Christmas seems like a fresh start, the run-up to Christmas can be…

GOVERNMENT plans to curb whiplash claims by 2020 is causing concern to personal injury lawyers who say the public will be disadvantaged should the new legislation be introduced as proposed. The changes would mean the public only receiving a nominal sum for whiplash claims if any. Sweeney Miller Law is among law firms monitoring the implications of legislation aimed to reform the system which will reduce compensation for claimants, even those who may be unable to work for months. The Civil Liability Bill has passed through the House of Commons and will introduce a fixed tariff for whiplash damages, complemented by a rise in the small claims limit from £1,000 to £5,000 for road traffic accident-related personal injury claims and from £1,000 to £2,000 for other personal injuries claims, such as public and employer’s liability. The small claims limit change means legal costs…