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Divorcee pays heavily for not seeking legal advice
By Amanda Holland Family Lawyer, Sydney Mitchell LLP
Divorce can be stressful, but family lawyers aim to bring matters to a calm and sensible solution says Amanda Holland, Family Lawyer at Sydney Mitchell LLP.
In one case that underlines the advantages of obtaining specialist legal advice, a husband who did not have specialist legal representation ended up with less than half of the marital assets and a large legal costs order made against him. During the case, the husband repeatedly failed to comply with court orders requiring him to make full disclosure of his assets. He also made numerous serious allegations against his ex-wife, including theft, fraud and money laundering, all of which were rejected by a judge. Rather than attending court
with a specialist family lawyer, he attended the hearing of the case with a lay representative who was excluded from the court for misbehaviour. Had the husband had specialist advice and avoided making spurious allegations he may have avoided the adverse orders made against him and had a more positive outcome to his case.
For help and guidance on this or other family matters please contact Amanda Holland on 0808 166 8870 or email:
a.holland@sydneymitchell.co.uk W:
www.sydneymitchell.co.uk
Sydney Mitchell LLP is a Top Tier Legal 500 firm with offices in Birmingham, Sheldon, Shirley and facilities in Sutton Coldfield.
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Paradise Papers are a moral, not legal, issue
A Solihull lawyer has dismissed the hysteria over the release of the so-called ‘Paradise Papers’ as ‘nothing new’. Robert Pannifer, of Standley &
Co, which is based in Knowle High Street, said that the media outrage was only being stoked up by the involvement of the Queen in the affair. The ‘Paradise Papers’ are a
tranche of documents leaked from an offshore law firm to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which includes the BBC and ‘The Guardian’, and are allegedly about people sheltering their wealth in secretive tax havens. The release of the papers has
prompted further calls for further tax transparency - and Mr Pannifer said that it needed to be made clear that the matter was not a legal issue, but rather a question of morality. He said: “Whether it is
boredom with Brexit or dismay at ‘Pestminster’, the news that Lewis Hamilton avoided VAT by
“This is nothing new. A few
years ago it was Jimmy Carr, Gary Barlow and others named and shamed in a tax ‘scheme’. That the Queen is involved this time has added a whole new level of excitement. “Critics are careful not to allege dishonesty, because there is a clear line between tax avoidance (legal) and tax evasion (illegal). “This is though, I suggest, a
Robert Pannifer: Paradise Papers revelations are ‘nothing new’
‘That the Queen is involved this time has added a whole new level of excitement’
importing his jet into the UK via the Isle of Man and Mrs Brown’s Boys allegedly placed their fees with a Mauritius company has hit the headlines.
moral more than a legal argument. With public finances under pressure, is it right that wealthy people legally use complex schemes that result in them paying less tax than they would have to? “Was it pleasant to see an
actress being chased into her office by a BBC Panorama reporter asking if she was a tax dodger (what’s that)? Is it right that people pay cash in hand for small jobs to save VAT? Tax free ISAs? “What we come down to is
paying the ‘right amount of tax’ and then we end up going round in circles.”
Law firm’s new homes division
A Midland law firm has launched an expert division to work with developers, housebuilders and landowners on the building of new homes. Thursfields’ New Homes Division, based in the
company’s Solihull office, will help individuals and companies deal with the various legal complications that arise when buying and selling new build properties. The new division is being headed by Louise Jones,
who has more than 20 years’ experience of working in all areas of residential property. Mrs Jones joined Thursfields last year from Taylor
Wimpey UK Ltd, one of country’s biggest house-builders, where she had worked as divisional legal manager. She said: “My work with Taylor Wimpey has given
me substantial experience in all aspects of new-build transactions. I am now enjoying leading Thursfields’ New Homes Division which is helping developers, housebuilders and landowners building the sale of new homes across the Midlands.” Also working for Thursfields’ New Homes Division is
conveyancing executive Alison Collins, who also joined the company from Taylor Wimpey last year. One of the New Homes Division’s clients is developer Fara Gohari, managing director of Beechnut Enterprises
46 CHAMBERLINK December 2017/January 2018
New homes (from left): Louise Jones, Fara Gohari and Alison Collins, Thursfields New Homes
Ltd, who is currently constructing six plots near Beechnut Lane in Solihull. He said: “I have been really impressed by Louise’s
ability to set up the development and management company for me to enable the marketing of the properties.”
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