Social services have a legal duty to safeguard children in need and to promote their welfare. Wherever possible the upbringing of vulnerable children should continue within their family group, with social services providing a range and level of services appropriate to those children’s needs. However, there are occasions where social services have to take action…
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Child Law
January 12, 2022
June 23, 2021
The latest meeting of the Herts County Council Children’s, Young People and Families Cabinet Panel, held on June 17th, revealed that the number of children in care who had three or more placements in the last year has continued to fall. In addition, the number of children in the county who remained in the same…
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June 10, 2021
The Nuffield Family Justice Authority is an evidence and data-based think-tank highlighting the need for change within the family justice system. The latest report from the organisation focuses on the increasing numbers of babies being taken from their mothers at birth, and explores ways in which vulnerable mothers and their babies can be kept together…
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May 6, 2021
One of the hidden side-effects of the twelve-month long coronavirus pandemic has been the increased levels of domestic abuse and the effect the lockdowns have had on vulnerable children. Now the latest report from children’s charity the NSPCC has revealed that calls to its helpline have risen to record levels, with nearly 85,000 contacts made…
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October 2, 2020
Bretherton Law are one of the few remaining local firms offering Legal Aid services for some areas of Family and Child Law. In April 2013 the government scrapped legal aid funding for a range of legal disputes, in an effort to cut £350m a year from the annual £2m legal aid bill in England and…
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September 21, 2020
A significant drop in the number of child sexual abuse cases reported to police during lockdown masks the true extent of what’s happened to vulnerable children, police chiefs say. National Police Chiefs Council data shows reports in England and Wales fell by 25% between April and August, compared with the same period in 2019. But…
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September 21, 2020
One of the hidden consequences of the Covid-18 pandemic has been a fall-off in the number of vulnerable children being referred to social services. This is the view of Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield, who has called for increased investment to help services including youth workers identify and engage with at-risk children who have slipped through…
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June 4, 2020
Former Home Secretary Sajid Javid has revealed that he is to head an inquiry into child sex abuse in conjunction with the Centre for Social Justice. The inquiry will examine organised child sexual exploitation, gangs and grooming, as well as the online abuse of children. The investigation is to be a “no holds barred” exercise,…
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November 25, 2019
Together for Children is a grouping of more than 70 organisations, experts and individuals seeking to promote the principles and legal protections enshrined within the Children Act 1989 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). In advance of the General election on December 12th the network has published a list…
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June 14, 2019
Social workers in Children’s Services have an unenviable job. They have a duty to safeguard children, and must on a daily basis assess risk. If they get it wrong, and underestimate the level of risk posed by a child’s family or “friends”, there can be tragic consequences. They can also be criticised for moving in…
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I know this law firm cover many different areas which I would use if I ever needed them. I can never thank Sandra Bradley enough for her professionalism and hours of work over the past 6 months in what was a complex family case. Her support was incredible she was always honest and never gave false hope. I have every confidence in recommending this law firm and will go back to them if I ever need further help or advice. Thank you once again. Dawn
Dawn Brett
Sandra Bradley and team, assisted my partner and I through a very difficult time. They guided us through a very complex arena that was completely foreign to us with professional dedication and compassion throughout. I still have them on speed dial and would use Bretherton Law for all my legal needs in the future and have recommended to many family and friends already, who have also had a highly positive experience.
Richard Saunders
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We recently completed on the sale of a flat and the purchase of a house, with Osman Dervish acting for us. Osman was responsive, professional and commercial to ensure the transaction was done as efficiently as possible. He faced an inexperienced and extremely rude solicitor who acted for our purchaser but always maintained a cool and professional manner notwithstanding how infuriating she was! This really helped to ensure we worked our way through the issues she created. Brethertons were also good value. Highly recommended.
Sarah Wright
We recently used Bretherton Law for a sale and purchase. We were really pleased with the service received. The team were responsive and professional at all times. They took the time to answer any queries we had in detail to ensure we fully understood everything. Most importantly, there was a sense or urgency throughout the whole process. We would highly recommend Bretherton Law.
Adam
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I have done three conveyancing transactions and handled a Probate via Bretherton Law in the last 6-8 months. Bretherton Law is probably not the cheapest option in either case, but you do get the service and attention you pay for. Both Anne Stockley (Probate) and Isobel Doherty (Conveyancing) were outstanding and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
Joe Hames
Huge thanks to Lucy Madley and her team. They were friendly, helpful and proactive, keeping us informed at every turn and we have now bought our first house. I would recommend happily to friends and family.
Jack du Pille
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Sandra Bradley and her team were extremely knowledgeable and efficient. Her care, consideration and professionalism were outstanding. I felt totally supported & extremely well represented throughout a very complex & complicated case for nine months. Words cannot express my gratitude for the result she achieved. Highly recommend to everyone.
Jen Bullock
We are so pleased to have worked again with Osman Dervish at Bretherton Law.
Osman always goes out of his way to support us when buying or selling and is such an incredibly nice gentleman to converse with.
Thanks for all your support Osman. D Grant
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My name is Ruth Palmer Cooper. I am posting this review to publicly confirm that this solicitors is simply the best in St Albans. I have had the pleasure of dealing with Mr Osman Dervish and his team for the past 18 months. Throughout the entire process , Mr Dervish has been outstanding. He is a remarkable solicitor who answered various queries and handled all of the ups and downs with great professionalism and clarity. He supported me through so many very tricky moments and explained everything to me in a way that I could understand. He is polite and courteous.I would recommend him highly and the company are very lucky to have such a brilliant solcitor working within their establishment. Many thanks for making this whole episode so much more bearable.
william palmer cooper
Serving Communities
We have been advising our local communities in the Northern Home Counties and London for over fifty years but now, from our base in St Albans, we also serve clients across England and Wales