Welcome to our blog. Using this area we will keep you up to date with all the news and views of John Hodge Solicitors.
Are the costs consequences of not accepting an offer to settle about to change? In financial remedy proceedings ancillary to divorce, the general rule is that each party is responsible for their own legal costs and the court will only make a costs...
When dealing with personal injury claims, most solicitors will offer to work for you on what is known as a ‘no win, no fee’ basis. This means that, should your claim not succeed, you would not normally be charged for the work. However, when you...
Absent freeholders or landlords When a landlord is absent, the leaseholders might think “happy days” with benefits such as quiet enjoyment of the property without the interference of the landlord or the lack of expensive service charges. ...
If you have made a Claim for injury since 2013 using solicitors who charge a success fee that is 100%, you might be due a refund. A success fee is the amount a solicitor can charge for winning under a no win no fee agreement (technically known as...
Dramatic Increase in the cost of obtaining a Grant of Probate With the Non-Contentious Probate (Fees) Order 2018 passing through the House of Commons Delegated Legislation Committee in February, the cost to obtain a Grant of Probate is due to change...
Whilst people are now becoming more aware of the need to provide for someone to look after their financial affairs if they lose mental capacity to cope, and are putting in place Lasting Powers of Attorney for Property and Financial Affairs, the uptake for...
Ending the ‘blame game' in divorce The government’s recent announcement of a new law to remove the need for divorcing couples in England and Wales to assign blame has been welcomed by many. The move towards ‘no-fault divorce’...
There are a number of steps that need to be taken if you feel you have been unfairly dismissed from your employment. It is important that you take the steps promptly as the time limit for bringing a claim is only three months from the date of the...
Let’s be clear from the outset. We will not pretend that we are specialists in motorcycle accidents and then send you a standard questionnaire asking you to confirm whether you were driving a car, riding a bike or ‘other’. We will know what...
In recent years licensed conveyancers have grabbed a share of the market. There are though several disadvantages to using an out of the area conveyancing house as opposed to a local solicitor. Conveyancing houses tend to operate from out of town call...
If a relationship is already under pressure then Christmas and the New Year season can serve to bring matters to a crisis. It is true to say that Family Solicitors find the New Year and January to be a busy time. This may be for a couple of...
We all know that changes in our family and financial circumstances may need to be reflected in our Will but all too often we forget to review this important document and to seek specialist advice that protects our loved ones. There have been significant...
Everything is agreed in my separation, I don’t need legal advice right? Wrong! A recent case highlights the dangers of proceeding based on a verbal agreement on separation. A couple who had married in 1986 and had two children agreed to...
It is normal that where a marriage has broken down, there is usually at least one party feeling angry, sad, disappointed, or a mixture of all of those things. It is therefore very easy for a divorce, and any associated financial or children related...
Those who are in pain need solicitors who listen, understand and know how to act. Pain is an issue that is poorly understood by many medical practitioners let alone lawyers. Modern pain 'syndrome' evidence started to be documented as long ago as the...
A recent pilot divorce administration system run in the South West Regional Divorce Centre in Southampton, under which contested financial remedy proceedings are ‘de-linked’ from the main divorce proceedings has proved a success. Under the...
The most serious of injuries All injuries are serious, however, sometimes the worst can happen and you or a loved one might be unlucky enough to suffer multiple broken bones, serious spinal or head injury or even suffer injury resulting in death. When the...
How to formalise your relationship outside marriage. The Court of Appeal has rejected a claim by a heterosexual couple that their civil partnership be recognised. The law provides civil partnership only for same sex couples whilst it now provides...
The Family Team at John Hodge Solicitors are all members of or prescribe to the code of conduct of Resolution an organisation, which represents 6,500 family justice professionals who are committed to supporting couples to reach constructive solutions to...
Home Buyers Beware If you have bought a leasehold house (not a flat) from a developer in the last 6 years, you should check that the cost of buying out the freehold is as you were led to believe by the developer. If not then you may have a claim against the...
HOLIDAY TIME At lot has been reported in the press recently about taking children out of school during term time for a holiday but what about time away during the official holiday period where parents are separated – particularly holidays...
Have you settled a claim for injury compensation in the last 6 years, but not then recovered from your injuries as expected? Or, have you settled a claim and been disappointed with the amount you received? There are many ways in which you might not have...
All professionals try to avoid mistakes. It is only human that on occasions they do make mistakes. Here in England and Wales most professionals are well insured so that their clients are not left out of pocket if a mistake has been made. Increasingly,...
There have been significant changes in legal services over the past decade. Governments of all main parties have tried to extend the type of commercial provider that can offer them. Foreign law firms have been buying up traditional firms to...
As a Family Lawyer I would say that I am pretty un-shockable, but I must admit that the Government’s 34% increase in the Court fee on divorce has been quite a surprise. We knew that it was being considered and was likely to take effect at some point;...
The Ministry of Justice has proposed a dramatic change in the structure of probate court fees. Currently, these court fees are fixed for all estates when applying for a grant of representation using a solicitor at a flat rate of £155. The proposed...
In an ever changing financial and social setting, making or reviewing a Will has never been more important. In recognition of this, John Hodge Solicitors is proud to support Weston Hospicecare by participating in their “Make Your...
This Bill is expected to have its second reading debate on Friday 11 March 2016. The present divorce law is over 45 years old, having come into force in 1969. This law brought in a single ground for divorce: that the marriage had irretrievably broken down....
Put Children First Each year around 240,000 children in the UK experience the separation of their parents. More than one in three children will see their parents split up before they reach their 16th birthday. When parents split up, children can often...
Here are a few new laws introduced 1 st October 2015: Smoking in private vehicles that are carrying someone under 18 is illegal, as is buying e-cigarettes for them. You cannot be made bankrupt unless the creditor asking for the Bankruptcy Order is owed...
John Hodge Solicitors are pleased to announce that we are now offering a Family Law clinic at our Bristol office on the third Saturday of each month between 10.00am and 2.00pm, commencing on Saturday 17 th October 2015. There is no need to make an...
When divorce is not the end. All family lawyers will have anecdotes of clients who, even after difficult divorces, will reunite with their former spouse. This can have some unintended consequences. Some reunited couples will of course remarry, and...
The case of Wyatt and Vince has recently highlighted the importance of obtaining an Order dealing with financial matters during divorce proceedings. Mr Vince and Ms Wyatt met as students in their early twenties and married in 1981. The pair had a son...
Maintenance on divorce; how much and for how long? One of the questions we are frequently asked by newly separated clients is how much maintenance they should either pay to or receive from their spouse. Where the maintenance is being paid in respect...
Selling your house – speeding up the process Once you have found a buyer for your home, you will no doubt hope that the sale goes through quickly. Delays are often attributed to the legal process, and yet nowadays (with electronic ...
Many people have never set foot inside a court building and wouldn’t dream of doing so without a lawyer to guide them through the process. However, more so than ever before, people are having to represent themselves in family court cases. If you find...
Unmarried couples - How does my position differ from someone who is married? If you are married or in a civil partnership and your relationship breaks down then you can claim maintenance, lump sums, and other financial provision including pension...
At John Hodge Solicitors we understand that clients facing divorce or financial disputes following the breakdown of a relationship are likely to be experiencing a period of emotional and financial turmoil. We are therefore delighted to announce that,...
Wedmore Family Law Clinic If you have a question or concern regarding any aspect of Family Law and live in Wedmore or the surrounding area, John Hodge Solicitors is now offering a Family Law clinic each Tuesday between 9.30am and 4pm. With no...
What if you don’t have a Will? From 1 st October 2014, anyone who dies without leaving a Will (known as dying “Intestate”) could be affected by the new Inheritance and Trustees' Powers Act 2014. Although none of us like to think...
Supporting Weston Hospicecare - “Make Your Will Week” 2014 John Hodge Solicitors were delighted to be asked once again to take part in Weston Hospicecare’s – “Make Your Will Week” which took place on the 3 rd...
On the third Saturday of every month, one of our dispute lawyers will be at our office at Tivoli House on the Boulevard in Weston Super Mare for people to drop in and talk for free about a problem they have. Our home page has the exact location. ...
Every Saturday, one of our lawyers will be at our office at Tivoli House on the Boulevard in Weston Super Mare for people to drop in and talk for free about a problem they have between the hours of 10am - 2pm. Our home page has the exact location. ...
Landlord Conveyancing Services Whether you are looking to add to your property portfolio, re-mortgaging or buying your first buy to let property, John Hodge Solicitors can provide you with a cost effective bespoke service with fees from...
An End to Distress (Commercial Property). No this is not a bland promise by a firm of solicitors to end all your worries. On the 6 April 2014 the right of Landlords of commercial premises to send in the bailiff to seize the Tenant’s goods and...
LANDLORD EXPO 2014 JOIN US at the largest Landlord Expo in the Southwest on the 3 April 2014. Entry is free. Parking is free and there are over 80 exhibitors all offering services to landlords of residential property. Refreshments are also free. 700...
There is not often much news regarding the law on Wills and in fact most of the provisions are still governed by a Wills Act from as long ago as 1837. However, the recent case of Marley v Rawlings and another has attracted the attention of the...
Never got round to making that Will? Looking for a good excuse? What better than to make a Will and benefit a worthy cause at the same time. On 3 rd March we will be again taking part in Weston Hospicecare’s “Make a Will Week”...
Defamation: The New Law The 2013 Defamation Act is now in force. Now you can only claim if your reputation has suffered serious damage, which in the case of a profit making organisation means serious financial damage. In the case of publications outside as...
Landlords Beware The deposit requirements for landlords of residential properties continue to cause problems. They apply to people letting out their home as well as professional landlords. To recap; for tenancies agreed after April 2007, landlords who...
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