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Many aspiring trainee solicitors wonder how they can convey they will be a great trainee, or compete with applicants with months or years of paralegal experience, without an abundance of legal experience. However the skills that are required to be a successful trainee solicitor can be fostered and refined through non-legal work experience and other
The Employment Tribunal has ruled that a civil servant who was sacked after she looked up her neighbour’s private data on a government database was not unfairly dismissed. The case involved Louise Kelly, who said her behaviour had been caused by a lack of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Kelly had worked for the Department of
A GP’s receptionist has been awarded £45,000 after winning a discrimination claim over home working during the pandemic. The case involved Tracy Keown, who was classified as disabled due to her microvascular angina. She had worked at Staines Road Surgery since 2019 and was considered to be in the high-risk category during the pandemic. Her
Press Release – Monday 5th December 2022 It is with great sadness that Machins Solicitors announces the death of its Managing Partner, Mark Pelopida. Mark died unexpectedly after a short illness on Friday 2nd December 2022. He was 57 years old. For the immediate future, Kathryn Ainsworth will assume the role of Managing Partner. Kathryn
If you want to make the most of being a paralegal or are looking to elevate your career in law, here are my top five tips for how you can unlock your potential and thrive from my experience in Residential Conveyancing. P – Professionalism. Being a paralegal in Residential Conveyancing means you will be assisting
Good Divorce Week (28 Nov – 2 Dec) is an annual campaign run by Resolution raising awareness of all the different ways families can resolve their disputes away from Court. Divorces are on the increase again with the most recent statistics showing 113,000 divorces in 2021 – up nearly 10% on the previous year –
Legally, both men and women must be paid equally for doing equal work. Equal work is the same job, or jobs that are similar or which are considered to be of equal value to the employer. Equal pay does not only apply to basic salary and wages, but also includes any packages and benefits that
Christmas and other holiday periods should be among the happiest times of a child’s life but sadly they are often marred by divorced and separated parents arguing over access rights. Tensions between couples often come to the fore at this time of year but it’s the children who are likely to suffer the most as
The number of divorce applications has reached a 10-year high, with the sudden increase thought to be largely due to the introduction of the no-fault approach to ending a marriage. The figures for April to June 2022 show there were 33,234 applications, the highest number for a decade. Analysts suggest the increase is down to
The employment tribunal decision in Furlong v The Chief Constable of Cheshire Police reminds employers that the ‘tie-breaker’ exemption should not be used as a blanket policy to favour underrepresented groups with shared protected characteristics in a recruitment selection process. Doing so would amount to unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. In this case, a well-intentioned police