Category Archives: News

Pre nups like Nigella’s can take the pain out of divorce settlements

High-speed divorce is back on the discussion boards following the breakdown of the marriage between art collector Charles Saatchi and celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, with the news that their divorce is expected within the month. And whilst the pre-nup between Saatchi and Lawson looks set to shape the swift progress of their divorce through the…

Making it fair and square for all your families

Inheritance claims are on the rise, as family structures get more complicated with the increasing number of remarriages. Currently 40% of marriages are second time round these days, and spouses and children of both first and second marriages are increasingly making probate claims where they feel they have been unfairly treated in the will of…

Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy

Stephen Rimmer LLP is a diverse organisation that values diversity and recognises the fact that people with different backgrounds, skills, attitudes and experiences bring fresh ideas and perceptions. As a diverse organisation we will encourage and harness differences to make our services relevant and our organisation approachable, drawing upon the widest possible range of views…

Cohabiting couples: know your rights – or lack of them

With a big increase both in the number of cohabiting couples, and those choosing to have children, clarifying their legal status has never been more important. Significant changes for the decade 2001 to 2011 can be seen in census data compiled by Dr Esmée Hanna and Dr David Grainger of Leeds University. While the number…

Divorce rates rise for the over 60s

There was a time that the divorce rate for the over 60s was so low as to pass almost unnoticed. However, it seems that times are changing. According to the most recent figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the over 60s is the only age group where the divorce rate is rising. More…

Landmark ruling opens way to change in workplace pay policies

As the Supreme Court rules on long-running council worker equal pay struggle, widescale reviews of small business pay policies are predicted   Small businesses are feeling the shockwaves of an equal pay ruling following a recent Supreme Court ruling. The landmark judgment in the case of North and others v Dumfries and Galloway Council has…

When blaming yourself just won’t wash

Mechanic fails in his attempt to win damages for injuries resulting from his own actions as sole company director   A motor mechanic who lost a finger working in his company’s workshop has failed in his attempt to win damages from his insurers, after trying to claim for his own negligence as the sole company…

Banking on a lesson in promised bonus payments

As banker bonuses continue to draw negative headlines, a €50 million payout to bank staff has been forced to go ahead after a bank’s offer at an open ‘town hall’ meeting was found to be contractually binding Banker bonuses may seem a world away from small business, but there is a lesson to learn following…

Don’t Panic!

Wasn’t it Michael Caine who used to say, “not many people know this ….. but ….” Well, outside of the world of family law, not many people know that from 1 April 2013 there is a momentous change taking place in how some family law case work in England and Wales will be handled. The…