10 Bizarre Things That Can Affect Property Value
Is something holding you back during the purchase of a house sale? Is it mentioned in the list below? Here are 10 bizarre things that can affect a property’s value: 1. Is it a Road, Street, Avenue or something else? It sounds crazy but the name of your street can affect your home’s value and desirability!…
Upskirting: New Law Comes into Force
The Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019 makes ‘Upskirting’ illegal A new law comes into force today, which criminalises the offence of ‘upskirting.’ The Act has its direct origins in campaigning by Gina Martin, and an experience she underwent whilst at a music festival in Hyde Park. Ms Martin became aware that two men near to her…
Leeds Business Seminar: “Planning for Exiting a Business as a Business Owner”
On 22nd May 2019, we are hosting a FREE business event in Leeds city centre offering advice to business owners looking to grow and plan for the future, and tickets are available now. Ison Harrison’s Head of Corporate, Richard Coulthard, has organised a timetable featuring 4 key speakers, including a financial advisor and a business…
Things to consider when buying a Property in Crossgates
The history of Crossgates Until 1912, Crossgates wasn’t part of Leeds, having historically formed part of the district of Selby. 1800’s Crossgates was very different to the bustling area we see today, being a dirt track between Seacroft and Whitkirk, albeit a well trodden one. There are several stories as to how the village took…
Specialist Advice at this week’s free Legal Clinic in Ilkley
Our popular Legal Clinic, held at the Clarke Foley centre, offers free legal advice every Thursday between 12.30pm-2.30pm. This week, there’s a special focus on all things Regulatory. Our Regulatory department regularly deals with cases involving so-called ‘white collar’ crime, as well as licensing (such as shotgun and taxi licensing) and environmental offences. Amber is…
Press Release: Richard Coulthard Joins Ison Harrison As Head of Corporate
PRESS RELEASE Yorkshire law firm Ison Harrison has recruited a prominent commercial partner to head up its corporate division. Richard Coulthard joins Ison Harrison’s expanding regional team having previously been a Director at Oakwood Solicitors and Oakwood Property Solicitors. As the firm’s new Partner and Head of Corporate, Richard’s role will see him growing the…
Whatever Happened to GDPR?
The 25th May 2018 was dubbed as ‘D-Day’ or more accurately ‘DPA Day’ as the most profound changes to Data Protection laws in the last 20 years were enacted. In advance of the deadline, and even after the deadline, many businesses were panicking about compliance, attempting to put into place Privacy Notices, procedures and trying…
A Useful Guide for How To Prepare a Business for Sale
At Ison Harrison Solicitors we regularly advise business owners on selling their businesses. Selling a business is however a complex process which requires planning, potentially many years before you intend to exit a business. With proper planning, business owners can maximise the value that they achieve from the sale of a business. What are you…
Ami Law feature :: College and University presentations
Ami Law is a solicitor in our Clinical Negligence department. She recently gave an insightful presentation to the midwifery students at the University of Central Lancashire. Ami was invited to give the presentation to complement their Law Module, which had prompted students to have concerns and anxiety about the prospects of being negligent. The purpose…
Why Do I Need a Shareholders Agreement?
Solicitors are often asked by business owners ‘Why do I need a shareholders agreement?’ or ‘Do I really need a partnership agreement?’ The problem we see time and again is the fall out, and expense, which occurs when parties do not properly document the relationship between the owners. If proper agreements are not in place then…
Stringing a Sentence Together: How a Defendant is Punished in Practice
In the space of a week, Paul Mitchell went from being an ordinary football spectator to Birmingham City’s most notorious fan. He invaded the pitch on Sunday, landing a blow to the back of the head of Aston Villa player Jack Grealish. His actions have brought him a prison sentence of 14 weeks- but where…
Contempt of Court and Social Media: What are the Issues in the Tommy Robinson case?
Now that the Attorney General has decided Tommy Robinson ought to have a fresh hearing in relation to contempt of court allegations, the spotlight has been thrown on what the doctrine means- and of course what might be next for Mr Robinson. What is Contempt of Court? Put simply, it occurs when there is an…
10 Property Laws You May Be Breaking Without Realising
England and Wales are jam-packed with ‘off-the-wall’ Laws which probably all of us have fallen foul of at some time. Although some of the below are unlikely to be enforced, take a look at some of these strange items from our statute books which you may fall foul of in or around your own home….
Ison Harrison Sponsors Kind Hearts Give Back Ball 2019
Ison Harrison is proud to announce it is sponsoring the Kind Hearts Ball for a second consecutive year, following the success of the 2018 event. The ball is set to take place on Sunday March 24th at the New Dock Hall at Royal Armouries in Leeds. Kind Hearts Give Back is a charity set up…
Ison Harrison Shortlisted For Two Ilkley Business Awards
Our regional office in the busy market town of Ilkley has gone from strength to strength since its opening in 2010, and now our efforts in establishing a trusted local resource in the area have been recognised with the branch being nominated for two awards at the Ilkley Business Awards 2019. The awards are taking…
Global Study Finds Sexual Abuse is Overlooked by State Laws
According to a global study conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit, the sexual abuse of boys is not addressed by the laws in many countries. The findings show the response to child sexual abuse and exploitation across 40 countries. The study examines how countries respond to such threats of sexual violence against children, as well…
Spire Leeds Internal Investigation into Shoulder Surgeries
We have recently taken enquiries from a number of patients who have received shoulder surgery at the Spire Leeds Hospital. We understand that, following an internal review, Spire Leeds has identified some areas of concern with the treatment provided at the hospital. They have contacted affected patients to discuss the findings of their internal investigation….
Criminal Law Failing To Keep Up With Digital World: The Scoping Report
According to the Office for National Statistics, in today’s technological world, 96% of people between ages 16 to 24 use social media, with the figure being 66% for those over 25. The Law Commission have released a report which says that the law regarding online communications is incoherent and fails to protect victims of online…
Local Authorities Overspent On Children’s Services By An Approximate £807m
With the rising number of children taken into care by local authorities, pressure is rising on budgets, and is being overspent. Analysis conducted by the Local Government Association LGA found that 133 out of 152 councils responsible for children services overspent in 2017-2018. The budget was overspent by an estimated £807m. Government data published in…
Cervical Cancer Clinical Negligence Case Study
Below details the case of a Clinical Negligence claim on the behalf of Mr EK: Widower and Executor of the Estate of the deceased Mrs AB, at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Mrs AB was a kind, caring person. She was well-mannered and polite, and she would do…
Pre-nuptial and Post-nuptial agreements
A marriage, as much as we all want it to last forever, sometimes it just doesn’t. More couples now are taking the practical approach of preparing for such an unfortunate event by drawing up pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements. The nuptial agreements provide clarity, certainty and protection to both parties in relation to their assets and…
UN Report Details Trafficking Convictions Fall 25%
UN report details trafficking convictions fall 25% over the past five years, despite the rising number of victims A report by the UN has found convictions for human trafficking in Europe has fallen by a quarter, despite an increase in the number of victims. The report found 742 people in Europe were convicted in 2016…
Press Release: Six Partner Promotions Get 2019 Off To Flying Start At Yorkshire Law Firm
Law firm Ison Harrison has promoted six lawyers to partner across its network of Yorkshire offices. The six promoted are Debbie Wilkinson, Adrian Barker, Kara Frith, Daniel Holah, Sarah Laughey and Chris Brierley. The six new partners have over 90 years’ combined experience and their promotions come as the firm looks to further expand in…
Case Study: Proceeds of Crime Act
A superb result in a complex Proceeds of Crime Act case has been secured by Ison Harrison and Complex Crime team. The case saw the Prosecution initially try to recover an amount in excess of £400,000 but concede that no monies should be paid- all as a result of the arguments Ison Harrison put forward….
Don’t Get Caught Out By New Road Laws In 2019
UK road users have been warned to take heed of a number of changes to the Highway Code and the MOT test, as they set off into 2019. And here, our road traffic offences expert, Ghaz Iqbal, talks us through what is new and what the Government is also considering introducing in 2019. Using the…
New Laws Introduced In 2019
There are big changes coming in 2019, and we’re not just talking about Brexit. As always, there’s a raft of new laws being introduced that will affect how we live and what we can do. These laws span the full extent of our daily lives, and wherever you live or whatever you do for a…
Leading Barrister Nigel Edwards appointed as Queens Counsel
Ison Harrison are delighted to announce that Nigel Edwards has been appointed as Queens Counsel. The announcement was made yesterday the firm wish to congratulate Mr Edwards (QC) and wish him all the very best for the future. A leading light of the Leeds legal scene Nigel is a member of St Pauls Chambers and has…
Yorkshire Child Sexual Abuse Ring
Yorkshire police arrest 55 men in child sex abuse investigation, after seven women made historical allegations Police arrested 55 men as part of an investigation into historical allegations of child sexual abuse in Dewsbury, Batley and Bradford areas between 2002 and 2009. The men were recently interviewed and released pending further inquiries. DI Ian Thornes…
The Randox Scandal
Have you received a letter from the Crown Prosecution Service, stating your conviction may be unsafe? We have been approached by clients who have been affected by the Randox scandal in which one of their operators had allegedly manipulated some of the data which led to potentially unsafe convictions. It is understood that more than 10,000…
Child Rights For Unmarried Fathers
Parental Responsibility: in England and Wales this is automatically acquired by the father if he is married to the mother of the child, or if he is named as the father on the child’s birth certificate. Parental responsibility is a legal status defined as “all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law…
Ison Harrison Sponsors Better Care at Birth Costs Less Video for Erb’s Palsy Group
Today we are very proud to announce the launch of a video that we have sponsored for the Erb’s Palsy Group, in association with the PROMPT Maternity Foundation. The video is “Better Care at Birth Costs Less” and it details how Erb’s Palsy injuries can be prevented through better maternity training. In the latter part…
Can I Get Legal Aid For A Child Arrangements Order Application?
Legal Aid can be available to pay towards legal costs for advice and representation. There are strict criteria applied to the granting of legal aid There are three main considerations when the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) assess a legal aid application: Scope: the proceedings must be within the scope of legal aid, as some legal…
Forced Marriage Victims Abroad Charged Fee to Return to UK by Foreign Office
An investigation found that 82 victims of forced marriage between 2016 and 2017 had to pay for living costs incurred between making distress calls, returning home and airfare. Other victims received loans from the Foreign Office. In order to receive the loan, victims had to give up passports as a condition- until the debt was…
Domestic Abuse Best Practice Framework Extended Across England and Wales
Prosecution rates have improved by nearly 10% using techniques developed in pilot projects over the past two years in London, Nottingham and Yorkshire since 2016. The measures set to boost conviction rates will now be adopted nationally by the CPS across England and Wales starting January. The new scheme, known as the domestic abuse best…
2018: What A Year It Was
As we reach the end of our 40th anniversary year, we thought it would be a good time to look back and reflect on a memorable twelve months. When the company started as a small solicitors practice in 1978, the events of the last year were like a distant pipedream, but sure enough, forty years…
Children Conceived Through Rape and Subjected to Care Proceedings
Rotherham Child Exploitation Scandal Sammy Woodhouse is a survivor of the Rotherham Child Exploitation scandal. Recently she campaigned to the media that Rotherham council, had sought to involve her child’s father. Her child had been conceived by rape. Arshid Hussain was jailed for 35 years in 2016. Arshid Hussain was not on the child’s birth…
Ison Harrison’s Otley Branch Rescues “Santa The Pigeon” Stuck In A Chimney
Our Otley branch received an unexpected Christmas bonus recently when a pigeon unwittingly flew down the chimney and got stuck. Rebecca Bentley had reported strange cooing and flapping noises coming from within the walls of the building for a couple of days. Despite the rest of the team thinking Rebecca was hearing things, further investigation…
50% off Wills at Ison Harrison Huddersfield – Hurry! Offer Ends Soon
Are you looking for a Wills expert in Huddersfield? Your ultimate objective in planning for later life is to have peace of mind and ease for you and your family, and that’s where Ison Harrison in Huddersfield can help. 50% off Will Writing Services For a limited time only, we are offering 50% off will writing…
Health Foundation Data Reveals UK Lags Behind For Cancer Care
According to a review made by the Health Foundation based on OECD data, government records held between 1995 and 2015 state that despite strategies setting ambitious goals, the NHS is lagging behind. England has failed to close the gap on the best performing nations when it comes to cancer care. The Health Foundation analysed UK…
Inquest Concludes Adrian McDonald Died of Stress of Incident
The inquest into the death of Adrian McDonald concluded this week that his death was due to “the effects of cocaine and stress of incident, following police dog bites and Taser.” Adrian was arrested, restrained, bitten by a police dog, tasered, and then left in a police van struggling to breathe properly. The police were called…
A Positive Outlook for York
Chris Brierley comments on the future of the York property market looking at a very common question: Is there a property crash coming? There is always a possibility, especially with the risk of a hard Brexit vote. A hard Brexit might see prices fall in some areas of London and the south-east where property prices…
Ison Harrison Supports The Little Hiccups Christmas Ball
We are delighted to announce that Ison Harrison is continuing its close association with the Little Hiccups charity by supporting their annual Christmas Charity Ball on 24th November 2018. Little Hiccups is a Leeds-based support group for families who have a child with disabilities or special needs. Our Head of Clinical Negligence, James Thompson, has…
£850,000.00 compensation obtained for “Iron Man”
Simon Helliwell in our Personal Injury department recently achieved a settlement in the sum of £850,000.00 for a client who suffered substantial Orthopaedic Injuries. Simon’s client was driving home for lunch and was hit head on by a third party motorist. The accident scene, rescue and initial treatment were all broadcast on the Real A&E Helicopter Rescue…
Buying a Property in Morley
The History of Morley Once an agricultural village, Morley is now a 19th century industrial town, originally powered by textile manufacture, coal mining and stone quarrying. The Morley Town Hall is a distinctive landmark and is Grade 1 Listed. Built in 1885, the shovel which acts as a pendulum in the Grandfather clock is said to be…
Underage Gambling & Advertising Regulations
9/10 Pubs Fail to Stop Children Using Gambling Machines The Gambling Commission states that approximately 9 out of 10 pubs across England failed to stop children gambling in their premises. The regulators conducted tests on 61 pubs across England, finding that 89% didn’t prevent under agers from using 18+ gaming machines. According to the study,…
Inquest opens into the death of Adrian McDonald
Inquest opens into the death of Adrian Mcdonald following a police dog bite and use of taser by Staffordshire Police Adrian McDonald died in 2014, aged 34, following an arrest where he was tasered and bitten severely by a police dog. However, the moments Adrian was bitten and tasered were not captured on recordings shown…
Deferred Prosecution Agreements: Timely Warnings or Delaying the Inevitable?
The principle that a company can be subject to criminal sanctions is now well and truly established in our legal system. Often, a case of corporate manslaughter will capture headlines, with column inches being given over to the examination of a company’s conduct in court. Increasingly, companies are coming under close scrutiny in relation to…
What the Autumn 2018 Budget Means For You
The Chancellor Phillip Hammond delivered his final Budget before the UK’s exit from the EU at the end of October, with the usual range of areas covered that affect all our customers, whether they are single, married, with or without children, with or without property, or retired. We saw the usual changes to tobacco, fuel and…
Whiplash Claims Reforms Pass Final Obstacle
Controversial whiplash claim reforms took a step nearer to reality at the end of October, when Labour amendments were defeated and a second reading of the Civil Liability Bill opened up a debate and voting, which saw it advance to the final stages. The bill aims to introduce a fixed tariff for whiplash damages and…