Hanne & Co sponsor Lavender Hill Big Lunch

Hanne & Co solicitors are proud sponsors of the Lavender Hill Big Lunch which happens on 5th June 2011.

The Big Lunch is a very simple idea brought to communities across the UK by the Eden Project. The aim is to get as many people as possible across the whole of the UK to have lunch with their neighbours in a simple act of community, friendship and fun. This year it’s happening on Sunday 5th June 2011 and a record number of people are expected to take part. It is anticipated that over 10,000 people will attend the Lavender Hill Big Lunch alone.

Located a short walk from Hanne & Co’s office opposite Clapham Junction Station in London, the Lavender Hill Big Lunch is an event for our local community to come together. The day will run from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and consist of many stalls, competitions and food from local businesses and members of the community. Hanne & Co’s solicitors will be manning our stall throughout the day, offering a selection of competitions and some prizes to be won. Please keep an eye out if you do attend on 5th June 2011 whilst reading more about the Big Lunch here.

The Big Lunch press launch, attended by many celebrity guests, saw the launch of a new poster for the event, with Hanne & Co named as an official sponsor. 

Hanne & Co solicitors have many ties to our local community and most recently, our charity committee headed by solicitor Lorna Cservenka chose Wandsworth Bereavement as the firm’s nominated charity. You can read more about our involvement with charities local to Battersea and Clapham Junction in the charity section of our website, as well as our recent involvement with Wandsworth Bereavement by clicking here. 

Hanne & Co’s probate solicitors are able to advise on any number of issues which can arise from the loss of a family member or friend. Our specialist child care lawyers are able to advise on issues such as special guardianship whilst our family law department are able to advise on issues of contact and residence. Please visit our services page by clicking here.

You can also visit the Lavender Hill Big Lunch on Facebook by clicking here.

Hanne & Co nominated for best recruiter award by LawCareers.net

Hanne & Co is delighted to announce that we have been nominated as one of the Best Recruiters amongst small firms at the forthcoming LawCareers.Net Training & Recruitment Awards 2011. Over 2,500 trainees and newly qualified solicitors contributed to the research this year meaning this award is one of the most respected and prestigious in the field. Hanne & Co previously won the award in 2006.

The award winners will be revealed at a ceremony on Wednesday 8th June at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London.

Hanne & Co is committed to the training of future generations of solicitors not only in orthodox legal subjects but also in ethics and client care. We are proud of our recruitment processes and invest substantial time and commitment to the training of our trainee and newly qualified solicitors. Hanne & Co are a relatively small firm that devotes a very high percentage of our resources to training.

Hanne & Co will continue to devote our time and energy to the future of our profession. You can read more about the recruitment process at Hanne & Co and apply for our 2011 training contracts by clicking here

Hanne & Co solicitors support Wandsworth Bereavement as nominated charity

For as long as we can remember, Hanne & Co solicitors have supported any number of charitable causes. Since January 2011, Hanne & Co have raised over £2500 towards the London Legal Support Trust and you can read all about the work we’ve done to raise this amount by clicking here.

In 2011, Hanne & Co have chosen a local charity that we believe offer a benefit that our local community could not do without. This year, Hanne & Co are supporting Wandsworth Bereavement as our nominated charity. You can read more about the work and services offered at Wandsworth Bereavement by clicking here.

Wandsworth Bereavement is a local charity offering free counselling to bereaved persons in our local community. Volunteer counsellors give their time to counsel bereaved adults and children. The charity has worked tirelessly for 20 years, and in fact, since 1997, they have worked from the previous offices of Hanne & Co on Lavender Hill in Clapham Junction, London.

Similarly to most services, Wandsworth Bereavement needs funding to maintain the service they currently offer and to enable them to grow. Throughout 2011, Lawyers at Hanne & Co will support Wandsworth Bereavement wherever we can by working towards raising a target amount as well collecting a list of items which play therapists at the Lavender Hill office need to continue their work with bereaved children.

Wandsworth Bereavement is a very relevant charity to the Probate and Private Client department at Hanne & Co and in fact June Eastmond of Hanne & Co works closely with the charity and is an appointed trustee. The Probate solicitors at Hanne & Co are experts in their field and are able to advise on a wide range of issues from wills and inheritance tax to trusts, estates and powers of attorney. You can read more about the Probate department at Hanne & Co by clicking here and meet our team of specialist Probate solicitors by clicking here.  To read about our other services such as family law, criminal law and employment law, please click here.

Throughout 2011, our charity committee led by solicitor Lorna Cservenka of Hanne & Co Child Care department, will be working hard to come up with new fundraising ideas each month. So please keep checking our website, Twitter and Facebook for updates on our charitable activities and events.

On 5th June 2011, Hanne & Co solicitors will be hosting a stall at the Lavender Hill Big Lunch. You can read all about our involvement with the Lavender Hill Big Lunch by clicking here.

Hanne & Co solicitors walk the walk through London!

Yesterday, lawyers from Hanne & Co’s Family Law, Criminal Law, Conveyancing and Employment Law Departments participated in the 7th Annual London Legal Sponsored walk.  The 10km “after work” walk took us in a loop from the Royal Courts of Justice, to the Serpentine in Hyde Park and back to the Law Society.  There was a record over 5,000 walkers, including the Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge, The Master of the Rolls Lord Neuberger and President of the Law Society Linda Lee.  Among the Special Guest walkers were the Attornery General Dominic Grieve QC MP and Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly MP.

As well as participating in the walk Hanne & Co organised a firm charity day last Friday.  This included lawyers from all departments, including the Probate Law and Housing Law Departments, paying to dress down for work.  Lawyers also took part in a charity auction, as well as a bake sale and the extremely entertaining Doughnut eating competition won by one of our specialist Child Care Solicitors.

Last night’s walk raised a total of £460,000 for the London Legal Support Trust.  This will provide much needed funds for Law Centres and legal advice centres throughout London and the South East, ensuring their continued viability.  These charities play an important role in assisting individuals.  They often deal with problems relating to housing issues and domestic violence.  You can read more about the London Legal Support Trust and the great work that they do to assist law centres across London by clicking here.  Hanne & Co solicitors are proud to support the trust and hope that their charitable work continues for many years to come.

For anyone experiencing such problems they can contact our Housing Department and Family Department, whose solicitors have a wealth of experience.  Please meet our team of Housing Law solicitors and Family Law solicitors.

Should you need any legal advice please contact Hanne & Co Solicitors at our offices in Clapham Junction, London. Our solicitors and notary public department are able to offer comprehensive legal advice across a wide range of service areas including Family Law, Housing Law, Employment Law, Criminal Law, Notary Public and Probate Law. Should you require any further information on the services which Hanne & Co solicitors can offer, please click here to view our legal services page.
 

The Hanne & Co Team 2011

Lawyers at Hanne & Co attend annual Junior Lawyers Division Ball

On Saturday 7th May 2011, several of our junior lawyers, Amy Walker (Family Law), Emel Djevdet (Family Law), Francesca Marano (Probate Law), Lydia Pilati (Criminal Law), Tarnjit Grewal (Notary Public), Tom Ghannad (Child Care Law) and Harry Dronfield (Employment Law) attended the annual Junior Lawyers Division Ball held on Saturday 7th May 2011. 

The Hanne & Co junior lawyers were accompanied by partners, Sue Harlow and Elizabeth Francis, of the Hanne & Co Family Law team and David Taylor, a senior partner in the Hanne & Co Employment Law department. You can meet both the Hanne & Co Family Law team and our Employment Law team by clicking here

The Junior Lawyers Division Ball was a chance for junior members of the legal profession to meet one another. Suffice to say, the evening was enjoyed by all and provided a great opportunity for the Hanne & Co junior lawyers to meet with other members of the legal profession in an informal setting to enjoy food, wine and dance!

Junior lawyers, Elinor Feeny, Lydia Pilati, Tom Ghannad and Harry Dronfield at Hanne & Co have recently set up the South London Law Society Junior Lawyers Division in association with a number of other local law firms. Through this, we hope to provide a framework for supporting and training junior lawyers in the local area, whilst of course organising a few social events for junior members of the profession along the way!

Please keep a close eye on the Hanne & Co website for any social events which are being organised by the South London Law Society Junior Lawyers Division. 

Should you need any legal advice please contact Hanne & Co Solicitors in Clapham Junction, London. Our solicitors and notaries are able to offer comprehensive legal advice across a wide range of service areas including Family Law, Housing Law, Employment Law, Criminal Law, Notary Public and Probate Law. Should you require any further information on the services Hanne & Co can offer, please click here to view our legal services page.

Important Changes to Local Housing Allowance

From 1 April 2011, the government has changed the way Housing Benefit is calculated. These changes affect claimants who have their Housing Benefit assessed using Local Housing Allowance (LHA). Local Housing Allowance is the name given to the way Housing Benefit is calculated for people who rent from a private landlord

The main changes are:

• Removal of the five bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate so that the maximum level is for a four bedroom property.
• Introduction of absolute caps so that Local Housing Allowance rates cannot exceed:
- £250 for a one bedroom property,
- £290 for a two bedroom property,
- £340 for a three bedroom property,
- £400 for a four bedroom property.
• the £15 weekly excess that some customers can receive under the Local Housing Allowance arrangements will be removed.
If you were already entitled to LHA before 1st April you may be entitled to transitional protection which means you may not be affected by the changes for up to a maximum of 9 months from the first anniversary date after 1 April 2011. Your anniversary date is usually 12 months from that date you first claimed Housing Benefit. Your claim is recalculated on this date every year.

Transitional protection will end sooner than nine months if:
• You have a change of address
• You become entitled to a larger category of property and the maximum rent (LHA) is equal to or higher than the transitionally protected eligible rent
• You become entitled to a smaller category of property
• You are entitled to bereavement protection (up to twelve months) following the death of someone in the household

If you are making a first or new claim then you will be affected by the changes immediately.

Local Authority Housing Benefit Departments will be writing to tenants affected to explain how the changes might affect you and when.

If the changes mean that your Housing Benefit will be reduced then you may need to consider:-

• Negotiating a rent reduction with your present landlord
• Getting money advice on budgeting
• Moving to a cheaper area/smaller property

If your tenancy is coming up for renewal of you are thinking or moving you should get advice before signing any new tenancy.

The legality of these changes is to be tested in judicial review proceedings that have been brought by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) against the coalition government. CPAG consider that the cuts will have a dramatic effect on households, particularly those in London. It is expected that the High Court will give judgment in June.

The above is not a substitute for tailored expert legal advice. You are advised to seek formal advice in respect of any specific case. We have a specialist housing team of Housing lawyers at Hanne & Co so please consult us for further advice. 

Hanne & Co has an experienced housing law team specialising in a variety of issues realting to your housing.  Please visit us at our website. 

Private sewers to transfer to water companies

The Government has announced plans to change the existing ownership of privately owned sewers and lateral drains to the water companies. Currently over 10 million households in the UK own sewers that run beyond the boundaries of their own property. The cost of maintenance and repair of these sewers rests with the homeowner, but often they may be unaware of this until a problem arises. There can also be difficulties for homeowners in establishing ownership of, and responsibility for, such sewers, and there can be unwillingness on the part of some homeowners to accept this responsibility, especially after changes in home ownership. 

The proposed change in the law will mean that in October 2011 all privately owned sewers and lateral drains will automatically transfer into the ownership of water and sewerage companies. These companies will then have the responsibility to maintain and repair the network of drains and sewers beyond property boundaries if something goes wrong. 

The regulations that will make the transfer possible have been drafted and are scheduled to go before Parliament for approval in early 2011. Property owners will be given notice by local water companies before the transfer, and should owners not want their drain to transfer, there will be an appeals procedure for them to follow.

The small downside for consumers is that the sewerage element of water bills will rise to cover the cost of the transfer. At the moment the cost of maintaining public sewers is spread across all customers, but some households also have to pay for the maintenance and repair of private drains as well. The transfer will mean the cost is spread more fairly, clarity will be brought to a confusing issue and the burden of maintenance and repair will be lifted away from homeowners.

More information is available at the Water UK website and local water and sewerage company websites.

Hanne & Co have a strong conveyancing team – please feel free to call or email for a quote.

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