A 68 year old woman (Mrs Owens) was told that she must remain married to her husband because the Court found that she had not made out sufficient grounds to divorce her husband.  In England and Wales, if you wish to divorce your husband/wife you have to evidence that their behaviour was so unreasonable that as a result, the marriage had irretrievably broken down.  On this occasion, the Court found that those grounds were not adequately made out, that Mr Owen had not acted in a manner that could be considered unreasonable.  Mrs Owens must now evidence that she has lived apart from her husband for a continuous period of 5 years before she can re-apply to divorce him.  Maybe time for a change in the law? Lisa Evans can advise you on whether you can divorce on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour.

There are only 7 law firms in Wales who hold a housing legal aid contract to provide advice and assistance to tenants making claims against their landlords.  There are only 243 for the whole of England.  Legal aid is only available for cases where the tenant is at threat of immediate homelessness, and if there is disrepair, legal aid is only available where there is a serious risk to the life and safety of the tenants who occupy the property.  It is very restricted and only available to a small number of tenants.  If you need to bring a claim and you do not have the funds, there are options available, some law firms offer NO WIN NO FEE, but try and ensure that the firm can offer you ATE (after the event insurance) to protect you from not being successful.  Some firms offer deferred payment schemes (the firm is only paid when you the client is paid damages [compensation] by the Landlord). Newbold Solicitors offer both schemes and not only that, are a leading expert in the area of law.

Property Team of the Year (Highly Commended) - Modern Law Awards 2018

The award was held at the Rum Warehouse in Liverpool in July 2018. The firm was nominated due to the property team we have at Newbold Solicitors. The firm evidenced that the team are very talented, that they can go that extra mile for clients to get the results our clients deserve. Success is important to us, sometimes success is knowing when a practical settlement is more important than a day in Court. If our Clients are happy then the firm is happy. The Modern Law Awards are one of the most prestigious in the property and conveyancing calendar and every top law firm enters and wants to win. It is the Oscars of the conveyancing and property world. So, to win an award is a huge achievement for the team here. For the clients, it means they are instructing the very best, they can be confident in knowing that it does not matter in which town or city a law firm is based, it is the work they produce, the results they obtain and the service you receive that counts.

The award was held in the Liverpool Rum Warehouse in July 2018. The award is very coveted by the major conveyancing firms in the UK. It really is a very special night for everyone who attends.

We believe that it is important for our Clients to have the confidence in the firm, to know that they are choosing a firm of Solicitors that can show exceptional client care and talent in the legal process.

To progress through the award process, the firm must evidence that they can provide a first-class service, the firm must go through a vigorous and comprehensive staged process to be a finalist in the awards.

The firm must pass several stages; the application form, the mystery shopping exercise, the interview process and testimonials (take from our web page). The firm must show that it has a comprehensive risk assessment procedure, that the staff are trained to the highest level, there is a high degree of supervisor, and that the firm is a happy place to work.

Newbold Solicitors were awarded the federation of small business award ‘Triumph over Adversity’ for Wales and were finalist in their Scale up business of the year.

The firm was given the award In Cardiff because of the Partners ability to overcome both personal and professional challenges. It showed an extraordinary level of tenacity, determination and resilience.

When the firm was commenced in 2010, Catherine Hartland had suddenly and tragically lost her sister, her late father was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease and she was looking after her husband who was also very ill at the time. Catherine closed her husband’s business and opened up Brendon Solicitors now known as Newbold Solicitors.

The economic climate in 2010 was not good, with the country just emerging from the recession of 2008. However, Catherine and Maurice (who joined the firm in 2010), managed to prove that you can triumph over adversity and become a success, despite obstacles and challenges on the way. Together they built the firm up quickly and confidently and are now a leading law firm.

There are inspirational business people in Wales showing that you can overcome personal tragedy to make a huge impact on the national stage.

It also evidences to our Clients that we understand personal tragedies, we understand what it is like to face commercial challenges, and we can prove that both can be overcome with resilience, enthusiasm and like Theresa May says: ‘being a bloody difficult woman’.