This document provides an overview of a local law firm called Ridley & Hall that is developing a national profile. It discusses two partners, Nigel Priestley and Sarah Young, and their expertise in adoption and missing persons cases, respectively. It also describes an event where Sarah Young spoke at the House of Commons on behalf of a missing persons charity. The document highlights the firm's focus on client service and introduces several employees, including the practice manager Ruky Mahboob.

1. A local firm, building
a national profile...
newsletterthe
Issue 10 | 2015
01484 538 421 info@ridleyandhall.co.uk ridleyhall.co.uk
Ridley & Hall is a law firm rooted
firmly in West Yorkshire. Acting
personally at a local level in the
community is really important and
is the foundation on which the
practice has been built. As an
ambitious firm and being good at
what we do, recently our partners
have been getting a national profile
in the media.
Nigel Priestley writes for the
Guardian
Nigel Priestley, our Senior Partner, is an
adoptive parent and a solicitor who provides
specialist support for prospective adopters
and to families who have adopted a child. He
is committed to adoption. In November he
attended the Annual General Meeting of
Adoption UK in Birmingham and prior to this
wrote an article on the benefits of kinship
care for the Guardian.
For any legal advice regarding adoption,
please contact Nigel on 01484 538421.
Sarah Young on TV
Ridley & Hall Partner, Sarah Young, was
interviewed by BBC South in October 2014 as
a national expert on cases involving missing
people. The Presumption Of Death Act 2013
came into force on 1st October and
transformed the legal landscape for families
seeking to resolve the affairs of a missing
person who is believed to have died.
Sarah has a particular expertise in missing
person cases and assisting family members
throughout the UK to deal with difficult and
often complex issues that arise in such
circumstances.
For further information please contact
Sarah Young on her direct dial 01484
558838 or her mobile 07860 165850.
Ridley & Hall takes a seat at the
House Of Commons
Missing People is the only charity in the UK
which specializes in, and is dedicated to,
bringing missing children and adults back
together with their families. Sarah Young of
Ridley & Hall Solicitors was invited by the
charity to speak at a joint APPG (All Party
Parliamentary Group) round table meeting at
the House of Commons, following the
introduction of the Presumption of Death Act
on 1st October 2014.
Sarah reports, “It was very heartening that
there was a broad consensus from those
representing insurers, banks and the families
of missing people that a system of
guardianship should and could be introduced.
I hope that the government will be persuaded
of the need to introduce primary legislation
to help families at what is a desperately
difficult time in their lives.”
see inside
What A Year - 2014 The Highlights
FEATURES
Resolving relationship problems in the
new year
68 is too late
Service, service, service
SOUTH TODAY
Service, Service,
Service...(with a smile)
At Ridley & Hall we can’t emphasise enough how
important customer service is. Working alongside
Ruky, our Practice Manager, Cheryl and Laura on
reception are a really important part of our team.
Cheryl Ward
Cheryl has a law degree and huge experience of working in customer
services. A great combination! She enjoys meeting new people and
hearing their stories and likes to help people whenever she can. As
well as working on reception, she participates in training within the
firm striving to deliver the best service possible for clients. She enjoys
going on holidays, but most of all spending the majority of her time
with her one year old little girl who keeps her very much on her toes.
Laura Benecke
Laura is the newest member of the reception team at Ridley & Hall.
She has worked in a reception setting for over 7 years and enjoys
getting to know clients better in order to deliver a great customer
service by understanding their individual needs. Taking part in events
for charity is a passion - she has done a Skydive to raise money for
children with cancer and is hoping to run the Race for Life this year.
Ruky Mahboob is an Associate member of
the Chartered Institute for Personnel and
Development (CIPD). Coming from an HR and
Management background she has over 10 years’ experience in
developing and managing people.
What was the best piece of advice you've received?
To be realistic as you can’t be everything to everyone.
Who is the person you admire most?
A personal friend who I have known for the last 13 years. A positive
and inspirational person whatever life puts her way, both good and
bad. Always making time for others and a fantastic coach in both life
and career.
What was the best moment of your career?
I think two moments for me as I am greedy! 1) Relocating to Bristol
and all that this came with - it was completely out of my comfort zone
and the first time I had been away from home. Had I not done it I
wouldn’t be where I am now. 2) Putting myself forward for a job
opportunity that was completely different to what I had done before,
getting the job, meeting some fantastic people and having a sense of
achievement and most importantly job satisfaction.
What has changed since you started at Ridley & Hall?
Ridley & Hall have always focused on client care, but we are listening
more to clients’ feedback.
If you had to describe Ridley & Hall in one word what would it
be?
Supportive.
What's your idea of a perfect day outside work?
Being with family and friends, watching movies and eating out –
anything that involves food is always a winner for me!
If you could go back in time where would you go?
If I am honest, I like where I am right now. I feel I am very lucky to
have what I have and be where I am both personally and work wise.
Which words or phrases are most over used in business?
Fundamentally.
Three favourite songs...
I will listen to anything, I don’t have a favourite.
But if you asked me what my favourite films are it
would be ‘The Sound Of Music, Dirty Dancing and
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
What do you want for next Xmas!?
The perfect present is my soon to be born little
baby girl.
James Cook
Child Care & Adoption
Here to serve you...
Vicky Medd
Family & Mediation
Sarah Young
Inheritance Disputes
Jill Waddington
Wills & Probate
Helen Webster
Wills & Probate
Nigel Priestley
Senior Partner
Jacqui Scott
Debt Advice
Alison Mason
Property
Janet Watson
Personal Injury
Helen Dandridge
Inheritance Disputes
Ruky Mahboob
Practice Manager
QUESTION TIME FOR RUKY

2. Vicky Medd writes about the benefits of
mediation when tough relationship decisions
have to be made.
Christmas can often be the straw that broke the
camel’s back. Whilst everyone tries to be jolly and
have a lovely time, for those whose relationship is
struggling, the never ending round of relatives
and forced jollity can bring relationships to
breaking point.
For some however, it’s a positive resolution to do
something about their situation. The idea of
making a New Year’s resolution about a
relationship can sometimes be cathartic.
January is a busy month in a divorce solicitor’s
calendar. This year, Monday 5th January was even
named “Divorce Day”.
Making an appointment with a solicitor can be
very daunting as this is the point at which the
separation becomes more real. For a lot of
people, it is the culmination of many months and
years of trying to make a relationship work,
before realising that it is not possible.
When going through a relationship breakdown,
there does come a turning point when people
start to look forward and not back. Experience
indicates that choices are made to start to make
some decisions about how their future will be,
and not concentrate on what went wrong or who
was to blame.
For those people, mediation is a really good way
of sorting out arrangements for children or
finances. It means that the couple are taking
control about the way that they want to separate.
They make the decisions. There may be some
really difficult decisions to make, but at least they
aren’t being imposed on them by a judge, who
doesn’t know them or their children.
If you want to get in touch to discuss
relationship problems, please ring Vicky
Medd, our mediator on 01484 558821
Samantha Hirst writes about the need
for employers to protect older
employees who face an increased risk of
serious accidents at work.
We know as a society we are all living longer.
As life expectancy increases it is becoming more
common for employees to be working past the age
of 65.
With an aging workforce comes the growing
concern that older workers are at a real risk of
suffering a serious injury at work, especially those in
manual labour, working past the age of 65.
In July 2014 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
released a report that considered health and safety
for older workers. They warned that although
older workers are less likely to be involved in an
accident at work, when they do have an accident is
it likely to be more serious, which may lead to
disability or even death. This was after the
government changed the Reporting of Injuries,
Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
2013 (RIDDOR) in October 2013, reducing the
amount of major injuries that required a RIDDOR
report. Some injuries that no longer require a
RIDDOR report include:
• An electrical shock leading to unconsciousness,
resuscitation or admittance to hospital.
• A temporary loss of eyesight
• Unconsciousness or acute illness caused by a
biological agent, its toxins or infected material.
A campaign called ’68 is too late’ was launched in
2012 which is fighting to remedy this situation.
This campaign is backed by many unions, including
the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and
Technicians (UCATT), a construction trade union.
Steve Murphy, General Secretary of UCATT, said:
“The reduction in the requirement to report major
injuries is dangerous. Many of these types of injury
are potentially life changing for those involved. If
companies no longer have to report them then they
are less likely to take preventive measures to stop
them re-occurring.”
To help protect older workers from an accident at
work, the HSE suggest, amongst other things, that
employers should:
• Review their risk assessment if anything significant
changes, not just when an employee reaches a
certain age.
• Not assume that certain jobs are physically too
demanding for older workers
• Design tasks that contain an element of manual
handling in such a way that eliminate or minimise
risk.
I’m concerned that the government isn’t putting
enough pressure on employers with regards to
health and safety for older workers who are
working in physically demanding jobs, where the
risk of an accident occurring is high. The message
to employees is clear, anyone doing manual work
shouldn’t be afraid to ask their employers to do
proper risk assessments – accident prevention must
be a priority for everyone. But if you’ve had a
workplace accident, don’t
assume it was your fault or that
you shouldn’t ‘rock the boat’
by claiming. If your employer
is to blame, their insurer
should pay you the
compensation to which you
are entitled.
Resolving relationship problems
in the New Year
A Year To
Remember
January March
April
October November
May
August
December
July
June
September
Solicitor, Vicky Medd,
spoke to Radio 5 Live
about mediation and
the introduction of the
Child Maintenance
Service to replace
CSA.
Ridley & Hall
named in Legal
500 for fourth
consecutive
year
Managing Partner,
Adam Fletcher, was
a volunteer on the
course at the Tourde France.
The Dementia ActionAlliance waslaunched with Ridley& Hall playing apivotal role.
Nigel Priestley went on
Look North to talk
about a case he won
on behalf of the right
for grandparents tolook aftergrandchildren, despite
social work opposition.
Helen Jarvis achieved
the landmark of
recovering over £100,000
in back payments for
carers where
parental care was
not possible
Ridley & Hall was
re-accredited for
Lexcel and IIP, as
well as the
Conveyancing Quality
Scheme
Ruky Mahboob was
recruited to be our
new practice
manager.
We held a fund
raising Massage
day for
Macmillan, our
charity of the
year, at
Alexandra
House Spa.
A link between
domestic violence
and the World
Cup was
explored by the
Family Team
at Ridley &
Hall.
A battle was won
by the Public Law
team on behalf of a
grandmother who
won the right to be
paid a fostering
allowance in the
High Court.
Ridley & Hall had many achievements during 2014 that contributed to our sustained business growth.
We have also been active in the community… here are just some of our highlights.
LOOK NORTH
A message from our
Managing Partner
Welcome to 2015 and to our
refreshed newsletter.
We closed 2014 on something of a
high after a very busy year and a
lot of great successes for our clients.
In 2015, we are working on a
variety of projects that we hope to
talk about in future editions, as
well as update you on any news
we have.
We continue to invest in systems
and staff to provide the high level
of client service that you come to
expect from us and are looking
forward to another successful year.
As always, please let me have any
comments or feedback. We are
constantly looking to find new
ways of improving our service.
Adam
February
The commercial
team offered ‘pep
talks’ for businesses. I’m concerned
that the government isn’t
putting enough pressure
on employers
‘68 is too late’ older workers need to be protected
from increased risk of serious injury
To contact Sam Hirst please
ring 01484 538421