General Interest News

On 29th September 2017 Maples Solicitors LLP will be hosting a coffee morning as part of Macmillan’s “World’s Biggest Coffee Morning”.

Tea, coffee and cakes will be served from 10:00am until 1:00pm and all donations received will go to Macmillan Cancer Support to assist them with providing medical, emotional, practical and financial support to those facing cancer and their families.

At the same time, Maples will also be running a free Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Probate clinic so that whilst you are in the office you may take the opportunity to discuss any of these with one of the Private Client Team with no obligation to commit. You can use the time to raise any questions you may have about making a Will, who you could appoint as Executors, whether you need a Power of Attorney or how a Power of Attorney works, for example.

Maples hope to see their existing clients join them for the coffee morning and very much look forward to meeting new people- everyone is welcome!

If you would like to discuss any matters in relation to Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney or any Probate related matters prior to the coffee morning then please contact one of the lawyers in our private client team:-

Jane Mawer- jane.mawer@maplessolicitors.com
Jamie Dobbs- jamie.dobbs@maplessolicitors.com
Faye Blair- faye.blair@maplessolcitors.com

Or telephone the office on 01775 722261 and ask to speak with one of the team.

Introduction

Prior to the 1st October 2015 there was no statutory requirement upon private landlords to install smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors in their properties.  This has now changed, with the introduction of the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”) which came into force on the 1st October 2015.

What do Landlords need to do?

Landlords will need to install a working smoke alarm on every storey of their properties that are being used for “living accommodation” and install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as “living accommodation” where solid fuel is being used.

Every landlord will need to have done this by the 1st October 2015 for existing tenancies and for all new tenancies starting after that date.

Landlords are responsible for ensuring that the alarms are working at the start of the tenancy.  However, tenants are responsible for looking after them during the tenancy.

“Living accommodation” includes bathrooms and toilets, but it is uncertain at this stage as to whether or not it includes areas which are just used for storage like basements or lofts.

Solid fuel means coal or wood, not gas or oil.  Although carbon monoxide alarms are recommended for rooms with gas or oil heating, the Regulations do not make it compulsory.

The Regulations do not apply to “live in” landlords, social landlords, HMO landlords (because they are subject to similar rules under the HMO Regulations) and landlords of leases with a term of 7 years or more.

Enforcement

Enforcement of the Regulations will be the responsibility of the local authority.

If a landlord is in breach of the Regulations, the local authority should issue a remedial notice requiring the landlord to fit the alarms within 28 days.   The landlord must take all reasonable steps to comply.  If the landlord fails to fit the alarms and has not taken all reasonable steps, then the local authority (subject to the tenants granting them access) can arrange for this work to be done and then serve a penalty notice on the landlord for a sum of up to £5,000.

If a landlord thinks that this is unfair he can ask for the notice to be reviewed and can also possibly appeal it.

Comments

Daven Naghen, head of our Litigation Team, has commented as follows:-

“From a health and safety point of view the Regulations obviously make good sense.  Many responsible landlords will have been ensuring smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms have been installed in their properties prior to it becoming compulsory.”

If you are a landlord or a tenant requiring advice about smoke alarms and/or carbon monoxide alarms or any other issues relating to a tenancy agreement then please do not hesitate to contact Daven on 01775 722261 or email daven.naghen@maplessolicitors.com or visit our offices or arrange an appointment at our offices at 23 New Road, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 1DH.

On Thursday 18^th October 2013 Yvonne Chilvers reached the 25^th anniversary of her starting work at Maples.  For the vast majority of this time she has provided very able and invaluable support to David Hicken and the Commercial Property Team.  In David’s own words “where would I have been without Yvonne?”.

We celebrated the landmark by having a small gathering in the boardroom, so that the Partners could hand to Yvonne a card and a present as a token of our appreciation for her lengthy and loyal service.

Well done Yvonne!

After four years of continual and dedicated studying, Jamie Dobbs has achieved another distinction in her last CILEx exam meaning she is now a Graduate Member Legal Executive.

The course involved many different areas of law including Criminal, Employment, Law of Tort, Civil Litigation and Contract Law. However, Jamie then chose to specialise in Private Client Law which involved examinations in Wills and Succession, Probate, Equity and Trusts and Land Law. It is in this area of law where Jamie has worked since 2008.

Jamie has worked extremely hard in her own time whilst continuing to provide an outstanding service to her clients. All of her hard work and dedication was evidenced as she achieved ten distinctions and for two of those exams she was the only candidate in the country to achieve a distinction.

Jamie said of her success: “I would like to thank the members of Maples who showed great faith in me by allowing me to study on this course to qualify as a Legal Executive and for their support and encouragement. My colleagues have also been very supportive throughout my course and I would like to thank many of my clients for their encouragement and for their messages of good luck when exams were approaching”.

Jamie will continue to assist and advise clients with matters including creating Wills, administering Estates and creating Powers of Attorney amongst other things. To discuss any of these matters with Jamie or any member of the Probate Team, please telephone her on 01775 722261 or e-mail her at jamie.dobbs@maplessolicitors.com.

I am called Bianca Chan from Spalding High School and I undertook work experience at Maples Solicitors for two weeks in March 2012.

My first impression was how friendly the staff are. Everyone greeted me with big smiles and reassuring handshakes, relieving the nerves I’d felt for the last month or so prior to work experience. I was also very impressed at how large the firm is: without a doubt very successful.

My friend and I were given the opportunity to look at files for criminal, family, commercial, will and probate law. All areas were very interesting, and the solicitors here are extremely organised. A broad range of topics were covered. Some cases, especially in criminal law, were very unique, nevertheless solved with great care by the solicitors.

As a young person, I had no idea how law worked. I am so grateful that we were given the opportunity to look up laws online and in law manuals, look through evidence and statements and listen to interviews. We also learnt about how property is bought and transferred, drafted a will and looked at how money and legacies were applied after one’s death. We had an insight to how couples divorced; the guidelines, splitting of money and property and concerns regarding the children.

The highlight of this experience was attending court. Not only did we go to the Magistrates Court, we also attended the Crown Court in Lincoln, which was a totally unforgettable place. I had seen some cases in court on TV or in films, but to actually be in a real Crown Court was surreal. Never had I experienced such formality too. Apart from observing how cases were presented, how lawyers argued and put across their view and how witnesses’ gave statements, we also saw how solicitors interacted with their defendants. Everything was professionally dealt with and I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of court.

Overall, Maples Solicitors gave me a very valuable experience with the world of law. I can not express how expert the team is. Thank you, Maples! If you need a solicitor, Maples is the place to go!

As a student of Spalding High School, I chose to do my Work Experience at Maples Solicitors LLP in Spalding. This Work Experience placement has given me a great insight into the world of Law, which is what I had hoped to achieve in coming here. I have learnt a great deal as a result of this placement and it has helped me to decide if I would like to study for a career in Law. This placement has been very beneficial for me. Not only has our time here been spent doing interesting and insightful tasks, such as reading through Murder files, but we have also had a chance to experience the atmosphere of a court in session and to witness how the Solicitors represent their clients before the magistrates.

We went to the Magistrates court in Spalding numerous times. Although the court is very formal and the proceedings follow strict rules, it was a very enjoyable and interesting insight into the world of being a Solicitor. Unfortunately, the court hearings weren’t as lively as they are portrayed to be on the TV, and there was no tangible feeling of nervousness hanging over the Defendants, but our court experiences were still interesting despite the lack of action.

Criminal Law

The Criminal Law team At Maples Solicitors is comprised of three main people: Anita Toal, Daven Naghen and Claire Smith. They all have a very wide range of knowledge over many different types of Criminal Law (from theft to murder).

They are all very experienced and aim to provide you with support during your case and
will always be on call should you need their immediate assistance.

In the event that you need a trial hearing the solicitors will represent you. They will also see your witnesses.

The solicitors offer you a discrete and sensitive service, as well as strict confidentiality.

The Criminal Law team is experienced with dealing with allegations varying in severity.

Criminal prosecution develops through a strict set of stages, beginning with the arrest and ending either :before, during or after a trial. Throughout this process, all parties involved will feel stressed and will worry, as is only natural. The team fully understands that having to go to court, whether for a minor or serious crime, can be a very stressful and worrying time. As well as offering you advice on how to proceed or plead with your case, they also aim to provide you with support whilst explaining your situation in understandable terms.