Johnson Astills 
Legal rights are conferred upon a person when they marry or enter into a civil partnership. These rights include: to inherit automatically if their spouse/civil partner dies intestate (without a will) to a degree of financial support
I was sleeping in my car after drinking. Have I committed an offence? Many people are unaware that simply being in charge of a vehicle whilst over the legal alcohol limit is an offence. You may be
Johnson Astills join many people and organisations across the globe. We stand in solidarity with our Black and Ethnic Minority clients and colleagues and stand by our commitment to challenge discrimination and racism wherever we find it.
Are speeding drivers flouting the law during lockdown? With less people travelling to work following government advice to stay alert and stay at home where you can, it would be reasonable to expect a significant fall in
May is mental health awareness month with Mental Health Awareness week being 18th-24th May 2020. This year the focus of the week was to Be Kind. In 2020 a lot has happened and being kind has been
What can you do if you are a victim of domestic abuse during lockdown? Boots and other supermarkets are offering safe spaces to victims, where you can access the 24 hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline and the
Are the criminal courts still dealing with cases during lock-down? The criminal courts are continuing to deal with cases throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Both the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts in Leicester are operating but they are dealing
In a word, YES! It is important that you also know your rights remain the same…. What are my rights if the police want to interview me? If your are interviewed by the Police either under arrest
The demand for Wills over the past few months in light of Covid-19 has seen a 75% increase in those creating or updating Wills. It is more important than ever to ensure the ability to create a
Johnson Astills are delighted to announce that senior Dispute Resolution solicitor Laura Anderson has joined the firm. Laura’s appointment means that our clients can now access advice across an even broader range of legal matters. Laura says:
Clients old and new have been in touch in the last couple of weeks to seek guidance and reassurance of their position by law in relation to their living and contact arrangements for their children when separated
Covid-19 can potentially impact conveyancing transactions in the following ways: Purchasers request for properties to be decontaminated; Sellers refuse to vacate on completion due to self-isolation; Banking system disruption; Booking removal companies or companies are reluctant to enter
It has recently been announced that anyone using coronavirus to threaten emergency and essential workers faces serious criminal charges. This intervention comes after reports in recent days of police and other key workers being deliberately coughed at
The Care Team at Johnson Astills has had to make a few changes this week. On Tuesday 24th March 2020, our Leicester and Loughborough offices closed temporarily following Government guidance relating to the Coronavirus (Covid-19). However, we
Following Government advice, Johnson Astills have temporarily closed both offices in Leicester and Loughborough, however we are still fully operational and our phone lines remain open. We want to thank each and every keyworker for the hard
During this time of uncertainty, many questions are being raised about all aspects of our day to day life. Following the announcement of the Prime Minister on Monday 23rd March 2020, the country is effectively in “lock
Purchasing a new build property is purchasing your new house before it is even built or whilst it is being built. The Conveyancing transaction is slightly different to a normal residential purchase of a home when the
It is an offence to fail to stop at the scene of an accident, this offence carries a maximum penalty of 6 months imprisonment. The law requires you to stop at the scene of a motoring accident
A person’s human rights are protected under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights. The protection of a person’s human rights is paramount in all aspects of law, and this is of
Purchasing a property is one of the most important financial decision you will ever make. The process can also be time consuming and you would be required to make numerous important decisions. Here are some of our
Selling your house can be a complicated process along with it being stressful trying to plan the whole move. Our Johnson Astills conveyancing specialists are here to make the transaction as smooth as possible. Below are a
The Local Authority have concerns about domestic abuse around my children – what should I do? The Local Authority may be alerted to concerns about domestic violence by concerned family members, members of the public or professionals.
It has recently been reported in the Guardian, that Islamic faith marriages are not valid under English law. The judgement which was delivered on Friday, overturned a previous High Court ruling that an Islamic marriage known as
When someone you love or care about dies it is a very emotional time. Whilst you are still grieving you have to also think about dealing with the administration of their estate. If the deceased person left
Knife crime and crimes involving offensive weapons are on the rise with the highest number of convictions in a decade! How many convictions for knife offences were recorded in 2019? There were 14,135 offences of knife possession
New Police Powers in relation to Stalking coming into place – TODAY! The Stalking Protection Order (SPO) that can result in five years in prison Stalking was made a specific criminal offence in England and Wales in
There are many different ways in which you can be kept up to date with regards to your child’s well-being, whilst they are in the care of the Local Authority: You may be invited to attend a
Anyone that watches soaps will know they cover a wide range of important topics and some people question the reality of it with it being a soap. In Coronation Street presently, Fiz and Tyrone have had a
In June 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that civil partnerships would be available to heterosexual couples, as well as same-sex couples. A civil partnership is a legal relationship which when registered gives the relationship legal recognition and
The Court of Protection is a Court in England and Wales created under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The Court of Protection is responsible for protecting people who do not have the capacity to make decisions for
Can a 10 year old get a criminal record? Yes, in England and Wales the current age of criminal responsibility is 10 years old. This means that a 10 year old can be investigated by the police,
As the Christmas season approaches and work comes to an end for the year, the drinks begin to flow and celebrations commence. We could not think of a better way to celebrate the Festive Period than with
This year Johnson Astills teamed up with Will Aid to help support their fundraising campaign which involves nine of the UK’s leading charities. These include Action Aid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the
What Brexit means for victims and survivors of domestic abuse. It’s the talk of the town. Brexit. Boris Johnson’s deal still hangs in limbo. A general election on the horizon and new deadline of 31st January 2020.
The Grandparents Plus charity recently carried out a survey of kindship carers in England and noted that the current situation is in a state of crisis: For the full report – ‘State of the Nation Survey Report’-
There are lots of different types of assessments that can be completed when Social Services become involved in your life. Here are examples of some of the assessments you may be asked to undertake. Every child who
Johnson Astills has recently developed an In-house Green and Sustainability Committee which has been aptly named ‘Think Green’ to improve the firm’s working practices and the employees’ approaches and attitudes towards sustainability in their everyday life. Johnson
When arrested by Police, there are various different outcomes, one of which is to release under investigation pending further enquiries which need to be conducted, this outcome is used instead of releasing on police bail. However, unlike
One in 50 children in the UK are classed as ‘Children in Need’ before they are even born. A study of Government figures show that more than 7,000 of such vulnerable children have been put in the
An advance decision is a statement of instructions about what medical and healthcare treatment you want to refuse in the future, in case you lose the capacity to make these decisions. It is important to note you
At Johnson Astills our criminal team regularly represent clients at the police station stage and before the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts to deal with the issue of bail. Can you be bailed from the police station without
The loophole that allows drivers who use mobile phones to escape prosecution is set to close. In September we did an article and video following the High Court’s decision to overturn the conviction of an individual who used his
If you are intending on purchasing a property with another person, you will need to consider how you both would like to hold the property. The type of ownership affects what you can do with the property
Yes, it is extremely important that you attend a Pre-Proceedings Meeting and that you seek legal advice. What is the Public Law Outline? The Public Law Outline set out the duties that Local Authorities must perform before
A Child Protection Medical is also known as a CP Medical, a Section 47 Medical or a Paediatric Medical Assessment. The Local Authority may request that a CP Medical is completed where there is suspicion or disclosure
Shaken Baby Syndrome or Abusive Head Trauma refers to the diagnosis given to a baby or infant where it is believed by medical professionals that their injuries are consistent with being violently shaken. Studies have found that
A national study was conducted in relation to Special Guardianship Orders and Supervision Orders. Special Guardianship Orders often involve family members stepping in to look after children who cannot live with their birth parents and these Orders
Can I speak to a solicitor prior to providing a specimen? Failing to provide a specimen of breath, urine or blood without reasonable excuse is a criminal offence. Often, a person may have a reasonable excuse for
