The Woolley & Co family law team are regularly approached by business owners and senior managers wanting to know what their rights are when their relationship or marriage breaks down.  Often one of the main bones of contention is rights around the financial settlement and with recent high profile cases concern has been raised amongst wealthy business owners.  With no automatic 50/50 split and priority given by the Courts to those caring for the children it can sometimes seem that men have fewer rights than women.  Add to this the fact that rules on pensions mean your spouse could be entitled to a share of that too business owners and senior managers really should take expert advice at an early stage if they are facing marriage breakdown.

A new article on the Woolley & Co family website answers the important issues – divorce and family breakdown – what are my rights?

This is not normally a case where you need to use a lawyer. We hear that banks rarely fight these cases although they often give the distinct impression they are going to, to see if people are frightened off.

So, if you think you have a valid claim:

• Write to them setting it out and giving a time for payment
• If they don’t play ball make a claim via the Financial Ombudsman, it’s free!
• Alternatively make a claim via HM Court Service Money Claim online service.

A DVD guide featuring Jill Durdin from the UK Intellectual Property Office (formerly the Patent Office) has been produced and made available online.  It gives a basic guide to protecting creative work and provides three case studies in which speakers share their experiences of managing their IP and there's also a Q&A where the audience gets to ask their questions. The 'How Not to Get Ripped Off' film was put together by Own It, which offers free IP advice to London-based creative businesses.

Not, that is without ensuring you have legal advice from a qualified lawyer representing your interests. Many level headed Brits seem to lose all common sense when faced with the excitement of buying a property in the sun and take massive risks with a major investment.

Finding a good lawyer in the country where you are making your purchase can be problematic. When you do, they are often very poorly regulated if at all. Some trusting souls assume the legal professions in other countries have the same protections or insurances as in the UK.  This is often not the case.

Woolley & Co has found a Spanish firm of abogados which is also a registered English firm of solicitors and we can let you have an introduction to them.  They provide the benefit of English speaking Spanish advice but with UK protection.

Contact Woolley & Co for a detailed legal guide to buying a property in Spain

To find out more about these and other legal issues visit the Woolley & Co website at www.business-lawfirm.co.uk.   The site also contains articles and back copies of our E-zine – which might be a useful place to start if you have a legal problem you need help with.

The Woolley & Co E-Zine is sent monthly to subscribers. Feel free to pass on to friends and colleagues. To subscribe follow this link.

This E-Zine is mailed to subscribers monthly. If it has been sent to you in error we apologise, if you wish to unsubscribe to the Woolley & Co E-Zine follow this link.

©Woolley & Co. All Rights Reserved