New police station representative

We are pleased to announce that Jessica Foy has recently qualified as an accredited police station representative. Having passed the Law Society's rigorous tests, she is now able to represent clients arrested for any Read More

Carla Neal joins Solicitors for the Elderly

We are pleased to announce that Carla Neal  has been accepted as a member of the national association 'Solicitors for the Elderly' (SFE). SFE is an association of lawyers who specialise in legal services for older people and their carers. Members of SFE have a wealth of experience within this key legal area and they are required to have spent a substantial amount of time working for elderly clients. The aim of this national association is to improve the knowledge and service provided on legal issues including, tax planning, wills, enduring powers of attorney, long-term social and health care and other retirement issues. Levins Solicitors provides a variety of specialist legal services. The firm has a team of lawyers who specialise in Read More

Religious harassment in the workplace

The case of Heafield v Times Newspapers Limited is a reassuring reminder that not every unfortunate turn of phrase uttered in the workplace will give rise to liability. Mr Heafield, a Catholic sub-editor, was offended when an editor in a busy newsroom asked "Can anyone tell what's happening to the f****** Pope?" It was held that the employment tribunal was right to bear in mind that the editor's purpose was not to express hostility to Catholicism when deciding that his conduct could not reasonably have been said to have violated Mr Heafield's dignity or created an adverse environment for him. The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 under which Mr Heafield brought his claim have since been replaced by the Read More

Contributory negligence for "mooning"

In Ayres v Odedra, the High Court was asked to consider who was to blame for the Claimant's injuries in a case where the Claimant exposed his backside to the Defendant before being run over by him. The Defendant was held liable, though there was a deduction of 20% for the Claimant's contributory negligence. Jon Heath comments: unusual facts, but a useful reminder that the causal contribution of the Claimant's conduct to his injuries is the overriding consideration when deciding on the appropriate deduction for contributory negligence. In this case it was conceded that the Claimant's conduct was "reprehensible", but the court found that the Defendant could easily have waited for the Claimant to move. The deduction for contributory negligence was Read More

Rise in general damages confirmed by Court of Appeal

In the recent Court of Appeal case of Simmons v Castle [2012] EWCA Civ 1039, the court took the opportunity to confirm that general damages in personal injury cases (and other tort cases) will rise by 10% from 1 April 2013. The rise is part of the package of reforms proposed by Lord Justice Jackson and implemented in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. However, following an application to intervene by the insurance industry, the decision may be appealed. Given that the ruling is likely to affect many ongoing cases, the outcome is awaited with great interest by both claimant and defendant Read More

Help us make Will Aid a winner this November

During November, Levins Solicitors will write basic wills without charging our normal fee. To raise as much money as possible for Will Aid, we hope that clients will make a donation to the Will Aid charities. The suggested donation level is £95 for a single will, £135 for a pair of wills or £40 for a codicil to an existing will. You will gain peace of mind from knowing that your affairs are in order, and thousands of people in need will gain the skills, tools and support they need to improve their lives. It is extremely important to seek qualified and professional expertise when making a will. So, don't put it off any longer. Phone 0151 480 5777 or call in Read More