Articles in several local newspapers this week describe the often muddled handling of children in care across Hertfordshire. Statistics provided by Hertfordshire County Council’s Children, Young People and Families Cabinet Panel show that in December 2018 there were a total of 846 “looked after” children in the county, with another 113 unaccompanied children seeking asylum.…
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Child Law
March 13, 2019
October 22, 2018
The Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, has published a report claiming that in March, 2017, there were almost 20,000 babies under one year old identified by local authorities as being “in need”. Entitled “A Crying Shame”, the report states that around a quarter of these babies were currently being looked after by social services,…
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September 19, 2018
When children are placed for adoption the Local Authority (LA) often opposes any direct continuing contact with the birth family. LA’s argue that they would not be able find adopters who would agree to this, and fear that continuing contact could disrupt the adoption placement. In the past, adoption was typically a very secretive process,…
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July 26, 2018
The Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, has published an updated study on childhood vulnerability for 2018. The report details the shocking statistic that 2 million children in England live in families with complex social needs, and of these 1.6 million children receive no recognised programme of additional support. The study claims that the current welfare system…
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April 17, 2018
Under the Child Abduction Act 1984 it is a criminal offence for anyone connected with a child under 16 to take the child out of the UK without the consent of the parents, or of those with parental responsibility. The child abduction may take the form of one of the parents simply removing the child…
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March 22, 2018
In 2014 the Ministry of Justice introduced a 26-week time limit on care proceedings, but figures for July to September last year show that more than a third of cases went beyond this deadline. To address the problem a document outlining a more collaborative approach between ADCS (Association of Directors of Children`s Services) and Cafcass…
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September 7, 2017
As a senior solicitor specialising in children’s cases involving social services, Sandra Bradley is encountering more and more cases where children have been left in legal limbo. When a crisis happens children are often placed with grandparents or other family members, after the intervention of social services. Often there will be no proper system set…
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September 7, 2017
Vulnerable Children are trapped in a Revolving Door due to a lack of Support, so says a report from the Watford-based charity Action for Children, claiming that up to 140,000 young people may be affected. They are children who are repeatedly referred to social services because of issues such as domestic abuse, parental mental health,…
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June 27, 2017
Family Law Solicitor, Heidi Fleming, explains the new childcare laws which are coming into force on 1st September – an essential read for any one with children under four years of age. At present parents of 3 and 4 year olds receive a contribution equal to 570 hours of free childcare a year, usually broken down…
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October 21, 2016
Custody, residence, contact, visitation, access…. These terms are all now incorporated into a Child Arrangements Order. If parents separate and no agreement is reached in respect of their child(ren) the first option should be mediation. If mediation is unsuitable or fails then an application to the Court for a Child Arrangements Order can be made.…
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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
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
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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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
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
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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
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
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