Richard Kerry

The government is proposing legislation that will bring no-fault evictions to an end. The end of no-fault evictions – which is currently the biggest single cause of homelessness in England will have an extensive impact on the housing market as 13...

Important lessons we can learn from the Wagatha Christie trial. Whilst social media has many benefits, we all too often forget about the problems that can arise. What is the ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial? ...

On 19 April 2022, the Ministry of Justice, (MoJ) announced that decisions from the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court will be made freely available on ‘The National Archives Find Case Law’ site which can be accessed at: ...

Q. What is a No Win No Fee agreement? A no win no fee agreement (also known as a conditional fee agreement), means that if you are unsuccessful in your claim, you will not have to pay us for our work. Q. What will I have to pay if I do...

Our Legal Director, Richard Kerry talks about how the pandemic has impacted the legal profession, but how it has also led to technology being more positively embraced by the courts and improving productivity in the industry. As well as hearing more about...

On Friday 10 September, I had the pleasure of attending the Birmingham Medico-Legal Society (‘BMLS’) annual dinner with my colleague, Saira Walji, at the Edgbaston Golf Club. We were grateful to be invited as guests of St Philips Chambers, whom...

Due to the extended notice periods required for possession as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many landlords are seeking to evict tenants on alternative grounds, such as nuisance, to enable them to obtain possession of their properties sooner. ...

The Courts expects parties to a dispute to follow a “pre-action protocol” before court proceedings are commenced. A Letter Before Action (sometimes called a ‘Letter Before Claim’ or ‘Letter of Claim’) is often the...

NB: You can read our previous Legal Brief on the impact of COVID-19 on residential possession claims here . Coronavirus has put pressure on commercial tenants and landlords alike. Businesses which may have had to close are asking whether they still...

Here at Bell Lax Solicitors, we have experience of assisting our clients in a range of different commercial disputes. Often such disputes are best dealt with by bringing the parties together, and seeing whether common ground can be found and a mutually...

News released today by the Ministry of Justice means that cameras will be allowed to broadcast the sentencing remarks of Senior Judges in some high-profile criminal cases, including those at the Old Bailey. The entire trials will not be televised, as they...

We recently received an enquiry from a lady whose adult daughter wanted to be adopted by her step-father. This reminded me of a story from a couple of years ago which got some press attention. Nathan Sparling, a 27 year old, wanted a reform of Scottish...

The recent High Court case of Winter v Cutler caught my eye, not simply because the property at the centre of the dispute is on the road where I grew up, but because it is one of the best examples I have ever seen of why litigation should almost always be...

I am Bell Lax’s newest qualified solicitor, having officially completed my training contract on 31 st May 2019. Below is a picture of me celebrating F1-style! Firstly, a big thank you to all of those who have been involved in my training to date. You...

The new Online Civil Claims Service was launched in March 2018 and allows individuals and businesses to bring legal claims up to £10,000 in value, resolve disputes out of court and access mediation. The service can be used by anyone across England and...

It has long been established that solicitors owe their clients a duty of care, especially when it comes to protecting their clients’ money. For most individuals and many companies the single biggest financial transaction they will ever be...

Could you jokingly agree to a million pound deal whilst enjoying a pint with your friends, only to find that a binding contract was formed? The outcome of the recent case involving billionaire Mike Ashley, the owner of Newcastle United and founder of Sports...

Legal Update: The Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims The new Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims (“ the Debt PAP ”) will come into force from 1 October 2017. As a specialist dispute resolution firm, Bell Lax is able to provide the most up to...

Enforcing decisions of the Financial Ombudsman After a stressful few months complaining to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), you now have a final decision in your favour. You want to celebrate, only to discover the respondent is refusing to pay...

Bell Lax's Legal Director, Richard Kerry, has presented the Bell Lax Litigation Award to Helen Gregory of Birmingham City University. Helen achieved the highest mark of any student on the University's Legal Practice Course litigation paper. ...

As all employers should know by now, legislation requires every employer to automatically enrol workers into a workplace pension scheme if those workers: are aged between 22 and State Pension age; earn more than...

We all look forward to going on holiday. We expect the experience to match that advertised in the brochures and it is very upsetting when the holiday falls short of these standards. This is even more so when the holiday is ruined by the illness of one or...