Like it or not Inheritance Tax (IHT) is here to stay. It’s been around for decades and is colloquially known as “Death Duties”. It is a tax on the value of your estate when you die. The rules relating to IHT have changed considerably since 2007. Effectively now the threshold at which IHT is chargeable on the estate of a … Read More
Morrish Solicitors partner with Napo to offer members a dedicated service
Morrish Solicitors is the new legal partner for Napo offering circa 8,000 members a bespoke legal service, including a dedicated helpdesk, offering support and advice on a variety of legal services. With offices across West Yorkshire, Morrish Solicitors is renowned for its partnerships with trade unions, working closely with the Transport Salaried Staffs’ association (TSSA) and Equity to name a … Read More
Contracts and the law: Top 10 things to remember
1. GET IT IN WRITING Whilst a verbal agreement can be enforceable, it is much more difficult to prove. A business contract should always be in writing and outline each party’s rights and obligations in the event that there may be some disagreement or confusion down the line. 2. AVOID AMBIGUITY One of the most common problems that arises in … Read More
Not just legal work
This week I attended an excellent event organised by Tenfold, a Leeds-based charity providing a forum for voluntary sector organisations supporting people with learning disabilities. We’ve supported Tenfold for the last 3 years. It’s a rewarding and occasionally inspirational relationship. Tenfold events are often chaired and led by service users – a broad spectrum of people with learning disabilities – with an able … Read More
Buying or selling your home? Here’s what you need to know…
How long will my sale/purchase take? It is difficult to put a precise timescale on a conveyancing transaction. In general we would say somewhere between 4-6 weeks. However, this is dependent on a number of outside factors. Some lenders take a while to issue mortgage offers. Sometimes there can be problems with the legal title to the property which need … Read More
Deregulation for all – except unions?
For a Government obsessed with the ‘D’ word, their proposed changes to unions by way of the Trade Union Bill will cause unions to have to dig very deep to meet the anticipated additional costs of the red-tape they are required to comply with. The Government’s own BIS impact assessment identifies that the changes will immediately cost UK unions over … Read More
Religion vs the Secular State
In Ebrahimian v France, the European Court of Human Rights has delivered a powerful blow against the individual’s right to manifest their religious beliefs. Ebhrahimian was a social worker in the public sector. Her contract was not renewed when she refused to stop wearing religious headgear. She lost her case. It was important, said EctHR, that the freedom of … Read More
Changes to Stamp Duty Land Tax rates for Buy-to-Let properties and second homes
As a result of the Chancellor’s Autumn statement, the rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) for Buy-to-let (BTL) and 2nd properties will increase by 3% from 1st April 2016. Below is a table of the new rates. Please note these only extend to residential properties, not commercial ones. As well as having a knock on effect for those buying … Read More
Mark Group employees have a right to justice
We are offering assistance to employees of Mark Group as a result of the organisation’s recent administration announcement. Mark Group, the home insulation firm, e-mailed 1,165 staff based at its Leicester headquarters this week asking them to attend a meeting. They were told the company had gone into administration and 939 staff would lose their jobs with immediate effect. We urge former … Read More
MP's briefing about Employment Tribunal fees
We know we’ve banged the drum many times about ET fees but we think a recent briefing for MP’s is worth a mention. The report is located at: http://www.morrishsolicitors.com/wp-content/uploads/SN07081.pdf. In a nutshell, the report confirms that: ET claims had been in a long-term decline before ET fees were introduced in July 2013; they rose at the height … Read More
MP’s briefing about Employment Tribunal fees
We know we’ve banged the drum many times about ET fees but we think a recent briefing for MP’s is worth a mention. The report is located at: http://www.morrishsolicitors.com/wp-content/uploads/SN07081.pdf. In a nutshell, the report confirms that: ET claims had been in a long-term decline before ET fees were introduced in July 2013; they rose at the height … Read More
Balloting thresholds for ‘important public services’
The right to strike is a fundamental human right. It is defended by an extensive variety of worldwide treaties, including ILO Conventions, the European Social Charter (1961) and the European Convention on Human Rights. Morrish Solicitors fear that the Government’s proposals set out in the Trade Union Bill will have a significant detrimental impact on the right to strike in … Read More
Remember a Charity in your Will Week
Remember A Charity in your Will Week is taking place between 7 and 13 September 2015 and Morrish Solicitors LLP is a proud supporter. The week is an national opportunity to raise awareness of charitable giving in Wills, supported by many charities, solicitors and other organisations. Following on from the success of last year’s “Living Legends” theme, the 2015 Remember A Charity … Read More
Lawyer to embark on fact-finding visit to Palestine
Article in Yorkshire Post this week: A TRADE union lawyer from West Yorkshire is travelling to Palestine as part of a delegation which will be meeting workers’ rights activists who face “almost insurmountable opposition”. Paul Scholey is part of the first delegation of its kind to include the senior members of Britain’s three major trade unions and hopes the fact-finding … Read More
Tens of thousands of women a year suffer pregnancy discrimination but only a handful enforce their rights
Today, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has published findings from the largest ever survey of the scale of pregnancy discrimination in Britain’s workplaces. Its headline finding: one in nine new mothers is forced out of work each year because of their pregnancy or maternity leave. That’s 54,000 women each year who are dismissed, made compulsorily redundant when no other colleagues are, … Read More
Lovely feedback from some of our clients
Employment “You were very friendly and efficient. Personal contact from you was a great strength!” “Always supportive and reassuring and kept me informed on a regular basis.” “Very professional and approachable, not at all intimidating as some law firms can be. I was always given the honest truth about my situation and knew what to expect at every stage.” “Loved the … Read More
Manifesto – Special Edition
With the election fast approaching (polling day being 7 May 2015) we thought it would be a good time to set out the main parties’ proposals surrounding employment law. As you might expect, there are a number of ‘hot topics’ that have been addressed. Some proposals, whilst worded differently, have striking similarities. Click on each party below to view their proposals: … Read More
Newsflash – Unfair Dismissal – Social Media – Reputational Damage
Morrish Solicitors and TSSA (Transport Salaried Staff Association) recently won an unfair dismissal case where an employee was dismissed for posting content on social media relating to his employer. Lake v Amey Services Ltd Sheffield ET 1807678/2013 TSSA member, Mr Lake was employed by Amey Services Ltd (ASL), a large infrastructure company delivering services inter alia to Network Rail. In … Read More
Yorkshire Post – Business Talk TV
Paul Scholey, Senior Partner at Morrish Solicitors discusses steps planned by the Government to make it harder to strike with Greg Wright. View the full video interview.
Morrish Solicitors launch new Advocacy and Criminal Representation Department
Leeds based Morrish Solicitors has announced the appointment of Phil Morris as In-House Counsel, to lead their new Advocacy and Criminal Representation Department. Phil was called to the Bar in 2011 having previously been a solicitor for 20 years. Throughout his career he has specialised in Criminal and Regulatory Law and has extensive advocacy experience in Magistrates and Crown courts … Read More
Lord Wedderburn – unique contribution to labour law and the trade union movement
Morrish Solicitors are proud to be supporting the cataloguing and care of Lord Wedderburn’s extensive collection of academic and professional papers which are now stored in the Modern Records Centre at the University of Warwick. Lord Wedderburn was a British politician and member of the House of Lords, affiliated with the Labour Party, who died in March 2012, aged 84. After his appointment in … Read More
Morrish Solicitors Seeking Justice 4U
Phones 4U Limited entered into administration on 16 September 2014, following the loss of lucrative contracts with O2, Vodafone and EE. At the time, Phones 4U Limited, operated out of nearly 600 stand-alone stores, 161 concessions located within Dixons Carphone outlets and a head office/central call centre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme. Mass redundancies then took place in the days and weeks … Read More
Morrish Solicitors awarded Lexcel accreditation and recognised as Investor in People
We are delighted to announce that we have once again maintained our Lexcel and Investors in People accreditations for the tenth year in succession. Lexcel is the Law Society’s mark of excellence and is a recognised accreditation scheme for law firms. It shows that they meet high client care and business management standards. In order to achieve accreditation, firms must … Read More
Christmas and New Year Opening Hours 2014
Please note that our Christmas and New Year opening hours are as follows: December 24 – closed December 25 – Christmas Day – closed December 26 – Boxing Day – closed December 27 – Saturday – closed December 28 – Sunday – closed December 29 – open December 30 – open December 31 – closed January 01 – New Year’s … Read More
Stop Press – Changes to Stamp Duty
The Chancellor has announced major changes to Stamp Duty in his Autumn statement. These changes will come into effect from midnight tonight. From now on, the first £125,000.00 of ALL purchase properties will be free from Stamp Duty. The portion of the price from £125,000.00 to £250,000.00 will now be paid at 2%. The next portion up to £925,000.00 will … Read More
A Tale of Two Reports
Two recent but different reports show unhappiness in the world of law. The World Economic Forum’s ‘Global Gender Gap Report’ shows that the UK has for the first time fallen outside the top 20 most gender-equal countries, dropping from a commendable 9th position in 2006 to a poor 26th position this year (www.weforum.org). Whilst the report identifies that no country in the … Read More
The 'W' Word
Dare I say it… whiplash. It strikes fear into the hearts of the insurance industry and causes certain newspapers to tell us that we are drowning under the weight of fraudulent claims; surely no-one has a genuine claim, I hear you cry? It will come as no surprise to learn that whiplash claims are a hot topic for the current … Read More
The ‘W’ Word
Dare I say it… whiplash. It strikes fear into the hearts of the insurance industry and causes certain newspapers to tell us that we are drowning under the weight of fraudulent claims; surely no-one has a genuine claim, I hear you cry? It will come as no surprise to learn that whiplash claims are a hot topic for the current … Read More
