Why is health and safety everyone’s responsibility?
Why is health and safety everyone’s responsibility? Under health and safety law, the primary responsibility for health and safety in the workplace is down to employers. But health and safety in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility. While employers have primary responsibility for all health and safety matters, all employees play a crucial role in preventing accidents and work-related illness. Employees have a duty to take care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions at work. Employees must co-operate with employers and co-workers to help everyone meet their legal requirements. No employer can...
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3 min read.
5 things you need to know before signing a postnuptial agreement
What are postnuptial agreements? Postnuptial agreements are written contracts between two parties who are already married. Similar to a prenup, the contract allows you to specify how your financial assets would be divided should you ever get divorced. Even happily married couples think about protecting their assets should life take them down separate paths. In this case, a postnuptial agreement can save bad feelings, time and money. Both spouses MUST sign postnuptial agreements For a postnup to work, you and your partner both need to sign! If one spouse doesn’t agree to the terms of the agreement, then the contract...
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3 min read.
Employment Law Newsletter January 2023
This newsletter covers: UK Government Rejects Calls To Make Menopause A Protected Characteristic No finding of disability discrimination following the dismissal of a disabled employee High Court refuses to strike out a claim for misuse of private information by an ex-employer Government launches consultation following SC decision in Harpur Trust v Brazel [2022] UKSC 21 Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill 2022-23 introduced in the House of Commons EAT imposed a penalty of £20,000 for an employer’s failure to inform and consult UK Government Rejects Calls To Make Menopause A Protected Characteristic The Government has published its response to the Women...
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13 min read.
B&P bolsters Leek team with expert Solicitor, Emma Kirkwood
B&P bolsters Leek team with expert Solicitor, Emma Kirkwood Bowcock & Pursaill has welcomed its newest Solicitor, Emma Kirkwood after working as a consultant and demonstrating her dedication and commitment to furthering her career in law. Emma Kirkwood joined our Leek-based consultancy department in spring 2022, assisting the wider team and providing clients with guidance in many aspects of law, such as contracts, legal documents and helping to resolve disputes. She commented: “I was self-employed for five years before joining Bowcock and Pursaill, and prior to that I worked for another solicitor firm based in Newcastle-under-Lyme.” With a keen interest...
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2 min read.
What are your commercial property legal obligations?
What are your commercial property legal obligations? As a landlord or tenant of a commercial property, you have a duty to ensure the business premises is well-maintained, offering a safe and healthy place for people to work. The law and terms of lease determines whether the landlord or tenant is responsible for certain aspects of business property. A landlord’s obligations and responsibilities are often laid down in legislation, or form part of the lease agreement between them and their tenants. For this reason, it’s essential that landlords and tenants understand what is legally required of them. Here’s a run-down of...
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3 min read.
Employment Law Newsletter July 2022
This newsletter covers: Early Conciliation: How to Avoid the Employment Tribunal Part-Time Workers Rights “Wellness” in the Workplace Was Dismissal of Employee Fearful of Covid-19 Fair Early Conciliation: How to Avoid the Employment Tribunal The obvious route to avoid the employment tribunal is for employees and employers to discuss workplace issues as they arise and to resolve them before they become disputes. However if informal workplace conversations or more formal approaches such as a grievance procedure don’t work, employers can find themselves facing a claim in the employment tribunal. The question is, how to avoid the claim being heard, in...
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7 min read.
Reasons why you need a solicitor for probate
When someone you love passes away, managing their affairs is never an easy task. Probate is just one of many things that you may unfortunately have to deal with throughout your lifetime. You must carry out your loved one’s final wishes in the way they had planned for in life. A probate solicitor helps to monitor the claims for financial provision for relatives not mentioned in wills. A specialist probate lawyer can make amends if those named on the will agree to the changes. What is probate? When someone dies, even simple estates can have problems if not handled properly....
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7 min read.
B&P extends Hanley team with Litigation Assistant
Bowcock & Pursaill is supporting its newly recruited Litigation Assistant, Lucy-Anna in her dream of becoming a fully qualified Solicitor. Lucy-Anna joined B&P’s Hanley-based Litigation Department in May 2022, assisting its dispute specialist, Tim Wolley with a wide range of cases. She commented: “So far, I have supported Tim on several disputes, covering topics such as property owner and tenant, probate and Wills, business and contractual and debt collection to name just a few!” With a keen interest in the operations of the legal system, Lucy-Anna first began her legal journey as an undergraduate at Newcastle-upon-Tyne Law School. She continued...
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2 min read.
How employment law benefits employers
There is an average of 4 million limited companies in Britain and at least 21 million full-time employees, and thankfully, UK employment laws are in place to make sure both employers and employees are protected from a multitude of unexpected circumstances in the workplace. What is employment law? Although employment law can seem complex and varied, its purpose is to protect worker and employer rights, its purpose is to help maintain a healthy balance in the workplace. Employment laws provide legislation on dismissal, annual leave, salary, discrimination, and many other areas for that matter. As a business owner, understanding UK...
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2 min read.