We act for a variety of clients, both corporate and individual, including insurers, underwriters, legal expenses insurers and claims handlers. We act as panel solicitors to several high-profile insurers, and represent both insurers defending claims and policyholders seeking compensation. We provide legal support on policy wording, subrogation and recoveries, claims handling and breach of contract matters.
 

We can advise on disciplinaries, grievances, absence management and holiday pay, and help explain the subtle differences between employees, the self-employed and casual workers. In particular, we can clarify how each of the staff categories you engage or sub-contract should be dealt with, together with how those relationships are documented and, potentially, develop over time.

We provide fast, no-nonsense advice based on a thorough understanding of your commercial needs. In conjunction with our commercial and commercial property colleagues, we can provide legal advice on all aspects of employment, including TUPE and the buying and selling a wide range of businesses in this sector.
 

These interests are shared by a number of solicitors at Stones, so we can give practical advice based on a thorough understanding of the sport. For example, we can provide help with claims arising out of horse riding accidents, advice on occupiers’ liability issues and guidance on operating fishing ponds.

Our broad range of legal knowledge allows us to advise country sports stakeholders on all aspects of providing tourism services, including practical advice on guarding against accidents, contractual agreements between suppliers and consumers for goods and services, planning-related issues, company formation and business structures.
 

We can help sporting clubs, whether charitable or not, by drawing up contracts with other bodies, or people, offering services they need, such as catering, web hosting, advertising and sponsorship. We can also provide help with HR issues and employment contracts, and, in the case of companies, directors’ service contracts.

A club or organisations’ intellectual property - their brand or trademark - may also need protection, and Stones can help with advice on the registration of trademarks, in the UK and abroad.

When relationships break down at a club, Stones' Litigation and Dispute Resolution Team can advise on property disputes, contractual disputes or claims against the club for personal injury.

Stones’ Commercial Property Team deals with land matters whether they involve a licence, lease or transfer.
 

Our solicitors understand the needs of people operating and working in the tourism industry, as well as the challenges they face. Stones offers clear, practical advice, ranging from the purchase, sale or development of a business, through to day-to-day operational issues, such as licensing and employment.

These can include partnerships, limited liability partnerships, companies limited by shares, or by guarantee, and social enterprises. We can provide legal advice on the setup, development and dissolution of all types of joint ventures and collaborations, including contractual, partnership and corporate structures.

We can ensure that any constitutional documents reflect your needs, taking into account your third-party contracts. Whether you want to develop value and sell your enterprise, or reinvest profits, we will ensure that that the legal vehicle we recommend is suitable for you, and provides best value in terms of qualifying for any benefits and grants that may be available.

A recent announcement from the chair of Wessex Local Medical Councils (LMCs), reveals that around quarter of its practices are operating without a formal partnership agreement. Find out why a partnership agreement is required and what practices should do to mitigate the issue.

Our specialist healthcare solicitors can work with you and your accountants to guide you through the process of incorporating your business into a new company, or in dealing with ongoing issues surrounding changes to directors and shareholders.

Unless agreements are professionally drafted, partnerships are frequently prone to misunderstanding, misinterpretation and unintended invalidation. If there is no formal agreement, or if the terms of any written partnership agreement are not adhered to, reverting to the statutory terms of partnership law often results in expensive liabilities for the partners.

A recent announcement from the chair of Wessex Local Medical Councils (LMCs), reveals that around quarter of its practices are operating without a formal partnership agreement. Find out why a partnership agreement is required and what practices should do to mitigate the issue.

We can quickly determine key issues and, when necessary, provide you with links to other specialist advisors who also understand your sector.

Given the rise of social media, we recommend that you have a clearly drafted social media policy. Stones can help you draw up such a policy so employees understand that inappropriate use of social media and social networking sites may result in dismissal. Your disciplinary policy should also make it clear what your business expects in relation to the use of social media.
 

We can help GPs and other healthcare professionals with general procurement issues and advise on the negotiation of all types of contracts for the supply of goods and services by, and for, the private and the public sectors. We can also provide advice on outsourcing arrangements, such as IT and telecoms services, facilities management and back office operations, whether as a provider or recipient. Our other areas of expertise include confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, developing standard terms and conditions of service, the use of e-commerce, and protecting and exploiting intellectual property rights.

Stones can provide advice to GPs and other healthcare professionals to help them ‘performance manage’ their contracts. This service includes identifying mechanisms to improve for poor performance, and dealing with disputes.
 

We understand the choices you need to make and our expertise is available every step of the way – whether you simply need to buy a field next to your house for a pony, or to acquire an equestrian centre.

Too much caution cannot be exercised, so we ensure the documents we prepare for you are bespoke. Grazing agreements, or grass keep licenses are more popular with landlord farmers who wish to retain a degree of control over their land.

We know it is important for you to sell or buy with the minimum of fuss, and that maximising profit is just as important in the farming sector as any other. You can rely on our expertise to help you make the right choices.

Our agricultural legal practitioners are highly experienced in all aspects of granting rights, including rights of way, both public and private, village greens and common land, water and draining agreements, telecommunication masts and electricity wayleaves.

Restrictive covenants are important to stop adjoining owners carrying out activities which could harm the local farming community, or your land, in particular. Andrew Lugger writes extensively on this subject, and can give you legal advice on how to impose these conditions when selling parcels of land, or, clearing off the burden of this type of covenant.

Our lawyers regularly deal with arrangements for funding the purchase of land and the development itself, these could include negotiations with the Government-backed ‘Get Britain Building’ scheme.

Sites are generally acquired through conditional contracts, options, joint ventures, building leases or licenses. Our team has considerable experience of the drafting the complex documentation involved, and will negotiate throughout to protect the developer’s interests.

Usually, the developer will not acquire the land at the outset, removing the need to raise significant finance, upfront. Sometimes, land will be transferred to a company specifically set up for the joint venture.

Joint ventures have to be negotiated extremely carefully to achieve a sensible balance between the interests of the landowner and developer. Joint ventures can run for a number of years, and our advice will ensure everyone understands the long-term implications of the agreement.

Once the site is acquired, a great deal of work is needed before individual properties can be sold. Easements around access and services, both for the site and third parties, may need to be addressed, and we have experience of handling these delicate negotiations.

We can also provide advice on the modification or release of restrictive covenants, and conduct negotiations on infrastructure arrangements for roads, drains and other services.

When everything is agreed, we can draft a standard documentation pack for individual sales, which includes general information about the site.

Invariably, planning consent for development now involves a Section 106 Agreement with the local authority. In recent years, these agreements have become increasingly complicated and lengthy, with the local authorities seeking to obtain maximum planning gain.

We also have experience of the ‘First Buy’ and ‘New Buy’ schemes introduced by the Government to help purchasers buy new homes in circumstances where, otherwise, they would have insufficient funds.

We are involved at every stage of the process - from the initial negotiation of the Section 106 Agreement, to the negotiation of the ‘golden brick’ land contract, transfer and development agreement and, finally, the negotiation of the infrastructure agreements. We are often asked to draft documentation from scratch.

We also have substantial experience of dealing with agreements with health authorities and NHS trusts relating to the transfer, leasing and/or management of care homes and the relevant funding arrangements.

We are also regularly instructed to act on the disposal of units on sites where another firm handled the initial site acquisition or development.

We provide a proactive approach to transactions, and can project manage the process so it proceeds as smoothly as possible, with minimum disruption to the underlying business. We appreciate the financial and personal investment made by the owners of businesses, and provide the highest levels of commitment, combined with practical, honest advice, that is sensitive to your needs.

Our team also has experience of advising investors and management teams on how best to invest in, or purchase, businesses. We give appropriate, pragmatic advice, working closely with other professionals, including investors, bankers and accountants, to effectively manage the process.

You may wish to incorporate a new company, an LLP, set up a partnership or transfer an existing partnership into a new corporate vehicle. Alternatively, you may need to amend your articles to take advantage of new statutory powers under the Companies Act 2006.

We can support you through the lifecycle of your business, dealing with compliance, succession and exit planning, the introduction of new shareholders, investors, partners or members. We can provide advice on the relationships between directors, shareholders and the company, and assist in its governance, drafting shareholders' agreements and/or bespoke articles of association. We can help you, as the owners or managers, to prepare for the sale of your business.

We can help with every aspect of the transaction, from drafting the initial documentation, to strategic advice on the implications for your business of entering into financial arrangements.

We provide straightforward advice to businesses and lenders on a range of financial arrangements. These include legal charges, guarantees, inter-creditor structures, taking overseas security and obtaining appropriate legal opinions, overdraft facilities, debentures and personal guarantees.

Whether you need to understand a contract, or wish to negotiate the terms of an agreement, our team of lawyers is experienced in drafting, reviewing, negotiating and advising on the terms and use of a wide range of commercial agreements.

Commercial agreements can also help with the expansion of your business, whether you choose to franchise your business, or appoint distributors to take your business into a wider geographical area, including exporting to the European or international markets. Our forward-thinking team are always ready to help you grow your business.

In many ways, charities face the same hurdles as others – buying and selling property, buying and selling goods and services from others and employing people to work for them.

However, there is also another level of statutory compliance and Charity Commission regulation to consider. Our team can provide advice on compliance and other issues affecting existing charities, as well as advising new charities on the drafting and adoption of the appropriate governing instrument and, subsequently, assisting with Charity Commission registration.

Our team is highly experienced in helping businesses achieve this protection by registering their trademark, patent or design nationally, in the or internationally. We also help designers and artists to protect their copyright, and grant licences for other businesses to use your know-how. 

IT is important, and company websites need to be compliant with data protection. You need to ensure you have the correct privacy policies, cookie policies and terms and conditions in place, and that they can be easily found by website visitors. Our team can help make sure everything is correct, so you can focus on maximising the opportunity presented by e-commerce.  

If you are considering selling, involving us at the earliest stage will give our team the chance to get to know the property, so we can identify and rectify any potential problems, in good time. This means your buyer won't be waiting for contracts and the risk of complex, costly delays can be avoided.

Our lawyers provide commercial, no-nonsense legal advice on the implications and liabilities of new leases and offer practical guidance, tailored to your particular deal. Our experts will help you through the intricacies of statutory protections for business tenants and the implications of termination and renewal of business tenancies.

We can also help you anticipate difficulties and resolve them before they become significant.

You will find that we do not tell you what you ’cannot do’ but rather, offer creative solutions to suit your business. Our approach is to provide legal advice that minimises your employment law problems, and we do this by listening to your aims and goals. We pride ourselves on raising our client’s knowledge levels and, ultimately, reducing legal costs.

We also provide legal advice on protecting your business in terms of confidential information, post-termination competition and the poaching of clients, customers and staff.

We can provide your business with a full suite of tailored employment contracts and employment policy documents to give you the right platform from which to grow your business.

Stones Employment Team regularly provides training to local and national clients, covering changes in employment law and practical implications for compliance, together with case study workshops.

Our tribunal support includes drafting and filing a response to all claim forms and providing all legal advice relevant to each case. This can include a commercial summary of your options, the compilation of tribunal bundles, the preparation of witness statements and legal representation at the tribunal by a solicitor, or carefully selected barrister. We also negotiate with claimants and/or their representatives and ACAS and, if relevant, we will summarise the Tribunal decision and key learning points.

Our team of employment solicitors provide expert, practical guidance from start to finish, including legal advice on process, strategy, pooling, suitable alternative employment and consultation obligations.

Our Employment Law Team has extensive experience of dealing with transactional TUPE issues as part of a business sale or purchase. We also have experience of providing robust, responsive legal advice on change of service provision in contracting out situations, and in relation to due diligence and the practical aspects of consulting on each TUPE transfer.

All too often, employers get caught out by awards of up to 13 weeks’ pay as a result of not consulting correctly, with employees or, indeed, the correct groups of employees. Particularly in a change of service provision, it is not always clear which employees, if any, are assigned to a specific undertaking. There can also be confusion over potentially onerous implied terms in contracts of employment for which the inheriting business may be liable, in the future.

In terms of redundancy and restructuring, our team of lawyers can provide advice ranging from setting out step-by-step guidance, right through to running the project from initial briefing to successful conclusion and assisting in consultations with elected representatives and unions.

This service was described by a particular client in the leisure and tourism industry as “an integral part of our business planning”. The BOLDER Scheme is designed to provide access to legal advice for ad-hoc queries, and, ultimately, provides peace of mind. You will also have the option to take out insurance cover for tribunal awards, legal expenses and compensation with our specialist insurance partners.

We fight claims made against individuals and insurers brought in both the United Kingdom and abroad, in relation to a wide range of matters, such as road traffic accidents, marine incidents, fires, assaults, and skiing and snowboarding liability. We deal with both large loss and small claims.

Liability claims require prompt and efficient action, with proper investigation, combined with commercial advice. The specialist, experienced team at Stones maintains a round-the-clock service to clients who need instant action, regardless of location, or time zone. We are well equipped to provide answers in matters involving international law and procedures, and have an extensive network of agents which we can call on, at any time.
 

We have helped travel insurers and assistance companies improve the recovery of insurers’ outlays, including repatriation costs, medical expenses and cancellation costs. We provide effective, innovative ways to recover unwanted outlays and bad debts. We aim to achieve the right commercial solution by avoiding costly court proceedings, wherever possible, using negotiation and mediation techniques to reduce costs and speed up timescales.

Stones conducts investigations for insurers with regard to suspected fraud. Independent medical examinations can be arranged, where appropriate, and we represent insurers, where policyholders are pursuing breach of contract claims against them.
 

We deal with legal expense cover relating to:

   Accidents and personal injury claims in the UK.
   Accidents which occur abroad.
   Sporting accidents.
   Employment disputes – giving advice to both employees and employers.
   Land law disputes.
   Consumer contract disputes.
   Professional negligence claims.
   Education law advice.
   Commercial motor vehicles in the UK and Europe.

We aim to give responsive, commercially practical advice in all cases. We provide helplines, where required, and advice as to the cover provided, taking into account policy wording, relevant law and the individual facts of the case. Where legal expenses cover is granted, we represent the policyholder and seek to resolve their claims successfully.

Our legal specialists provide advice in plain English, so policyholders can understand what they can claim for, how their claim will be handled and within what time frame. We also provide regular progress updates.

At the same time, our understanding of insurers’ interests is reflected in our high service levels and the detailed management information we provide.
 

Sometimes, the terms of the contract are clear, but, frequently, there is no single sheet of paper on which all the contractual terms are written.

We will advise on the terms that go to form the contract, whether any of the terms have been breached and what the financial consequences of that breach may be. The advice is always pragmatic and proportionate to the sums involved.

Stones is well versed in the area of professional negligence, particularly in relation to claims against other solicitors. Professional negligence claims are usually complex, and often involve significant amounts of documentation. Our aim is to quickly sort ‘the wheat from the chaff’ to establish whether duty of care has been breached and whether a loss has resulted. We then provide advice on the most proportionate, cost-effective way of seeking to recover the loss.

We offer a proactive, hands-on approach to resolving property disputes, whether by negotiation, mediation, arbitration or court proceedings. We will always put the client first, and seek to find the best, most cost-effective solution to any dispute. Our innovative thinking and creative solutions can often save clients a substantial amount of time and costs.

Our specialist areas include:

   Ending and renewing business leases.
   Dilapidation disputes.
   Disputes over boundaries, easements and restrictive covenants.
   Disputes over consent to assignment, sub-letting, change of use and alterations.

We can also provide expert advice and assistance with:

   Forfeiture of business leases by peaceable re-entry, or court proceedings.
   All forms of lease disputes.
   Commercial rent arrears and service charge arrears recovery.
   Tenant insolvency.
   Recovery of land from trespassers.
   Party Wall Act disputes.
   Boundary disputes.
 

Larger disputes are often complex with significant amounts of documentation, but we have the resources to check through the paperwork, identify the core documents and advise on their implications.

Often the deeds to a property are not entirely clear, but, with a sound knowledge of the legal principles and presumptions of ownership, we can provide advice on the interpretation of title deeds and plans, and give guidance on how ownership may be claimed by adverse possession.

Recently, we advised a local developer that covenants, which purportedly inhibited development on land he had acquired, were not enforceable.

We are well versed in procedures from the Upper Tribunal (formally the Lands Tribunal) and have extensive expertise in all forms of disputes relating to land.
 

Stones successfully acted for Exeter City Council in the landmark case of Re: Trident Fashions [2006] All ER 140, (liability of administrators to pay non-domestic rates as an expense of the administration).

Stones also act for liquidators and other office holders across a wide range of matters, including antecedent transactions and the recovery of assets from debtors, directors and customers, where there are retention of title clauses. We also act for creditors of insolvent companies in all aspects of debt recovery.

We can help prevent a difficult situation becoming a disaster by providing prompt and practical advice on bankruptcy, voluntary arrangements and every area of corporate insolvency.

Stones acted for Exeter City Council in Re: Trident Fashions [2006] All ER 140, (liability of administrators to pay non-domestic rates as an expense of the administration).

As local authority budgets have come under increasing pressure, there has been a growing tendency for them to take a hard line on non-domestic rates. We recently acted for a company in the entertainment and leisure industry in a claim brought against it by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, where our client’s claim for empty property rate relief was refused by the local authority. Our client was successful at trial, and the case established that the true intentions of the business was pivotal in establishing whether or not it was entitled to rates relief, where there was a genuine and legitimate aim to mitigate its rates liability.

We advise insurers on a diverse range of issues – from whether an injury suffered by a holidaymaker abroad was caused by an insured peril, or negligent local medical treatment, to whether insurance policies requiring the use of solicitors from a nominated panel are generally enforceable.

We operate a low-rate, fixed-fee system, providing a cost-effective, proactive way to recover debts which have, previously, proved difficult to recover. Starting with an initial letter of claim, each case will receive expert, individual attention to bring the matter to a conclusion in the most economical and expedient way.

Stones recognises that the cost of bringing legal action needs to be proportionate to the claim, and we are always happy to discuss fixed-fee charging.

Courts and judges actively encourage companies and commercial enterprises to attempt to resolve their differences by mediation, rather than by issuing proceedings or going to trial. If the parties reject mediation, the costs of settling the dispute could increase significantly.

A professional mediator acts as a neutral third party, and will attempt to facilitate agreement at a meeting attended by all the parties, including their solicitors. After a successful mediation, the solicitors immediately draw up a binding agreement which is then signed by all the parties.
 

As we are based in the West Country, we are experienced in dealing with country properties and the particular legal issues which can apply to private services, shared access arrangements and tied properties. Our team has vast experience in dealing with flats and other leasehold properties where the need to extend many of the leases granted last century is increasingly an issue.

The purchase of ‘new build’ homes is another area where we have an enormous amount of expertise. As we also act for developers, we have a real understanding of the often lengthy, complex documentation associated with ‘new build’ homes.

We deal with all types of financing for purchases, remortgages, equity release schemes and the Government-backed ‘First Buy’ and ‘New Buy’ schemes.

We provide advice on planning where you are seeking your own planning permission, and deal regularly with the drafting and negotiating of Section 106 Agreements with the local authority.

Where you do not want to pursue your own planning application, but are looking for the assistance of a developer, we can provide you with expert advice on options, conditional contracts, joint venture agreements and development agreements, including licenses and leases.

Issues that concern investors are not always the same as private house buyers, and our knowledge of this market and the available options is extremely important.

Our team understands that the financing of an investment property can be quite different from the mortgages for private house purchase, and, again, our expertise in this area can prove crucial.

Stones will make sure your will provides maximum benefit for your loved ones. This will include arrangements to protect your wealth, arrangements for the protection of your business and its succession, and inheritance tax planning. It may involve the use of trusts to protect assets and manage the interests of different individuals.

We can give you advice on the most appropriate type of trust, the terms of the trust and whether, or not, a trust is the answer to your particular problem. Typically, trusts are used to address problems such as protecting vulnerable beneficiaries, including beneficiaries with disabilities.

They can also be used to provide for succession, enabling your assets to be managed in the most tax efficient fashion and arranging a fair division of assets between individuals with differing needs and interests.

We specialise in capital tax planning, and, in particular, inheritance tax planning to protect your estate for the benefit of your family and beneficiaries. Our team can devise tax efficient arrangements, which take advantage of all appropriate reliefs, including trust arrangements and lifetime gifts.

We can work with other professionals, including accountants and financial advisers to establish the most appropriate solutions.

Stones can provide expert, sympathetic advice, covering ordinary powers of attorney, lasting powers of attorney for property and affairs, and lasting powers of attorney for personal welfare. We can also advise in relation to end-of-life decisions and advance directives.

Our team can also help with the management and administration of your financial affairs, if there are no appropriate people available, or we can assist those you have charged with administering your affairs.

Once an application is accepted, the Court of Protection makes decisions and appoints deputies to make decisions in the best interests of the individual involved.

Our team can help with applications for the appointment of a deputy and handle all appropriate paperwork. We liaise with the Court of Protection and offer expert advice for statutory wills, where an individual lacks the capacity to make a will, or to approve gifts for tax planning purposes.

We can also act as deputy to deal with the affairs of someone who does not have the mental ability to handle their own affairs, if there is no appropriate person to take on this role.

Stones can help you make plans to anticipate this possible eventuality, and can help with affairs of relatives who may be facing this situation. This could include providing straightforward solutions for funding the costs of care, protecting the estate and preserving as much capital as possible for future inheritance.

Of course, you may already be receiving care. In which case, you can rely on us to provide the advice you need, suggesting ways in which pensions, investments and savings can be used to pay for care, now, and in the future. We can also explain how to claim state entitlements, such as Attendance Allowance. 

Sometimes, the terms of the contract are clear, but, frequently, there is no single sheet of paper on which all the contractual terms are written.

We will advise on the terms that go to form the contract, whether any of the terms have been breached and what the financial consequences of that breach may be. The advice is always pragmatic and proportionate to the sums involved.

Stones is well versed in the area of professional negligence, particularly in relation to claims against other solicitors. Professional negligence claims are usually complex, and often involve significant amounts of documentation. Our aim is to quickly sort ‘the wheat from the chaff’ to establish whether duty of care has been breached and whether a loss has resulted. We then provide you with advice on the most proportionate, cost-effective way of seeking to recover the loss.

We can also provide advice on health and safety issues arising from the letting of residential property, and can prepare standard, or bespoke tenancy agreements, if required. We offer a fixed-fee service for certain types of possession proceedings, and are always happy to discuss the most cost-effective way of proceeding.

Issues can also arise in relation to allegations by the tenant that the property is not in a good state of repair, and we can advise on how to minimise these arguments.

Head of Team, Paul Keeling, is himself a residential landlord and has managed a small portfolio of properties for many years, and is a member of the National Landlords Association. As such he has not only the legal expertise to deal with virtually all issues that may arise, but also the practical experience which is so vital in giving pragmatic advice.

When returns for landlords are under pressure, minimising void periods is essential. Consequently, the swift eviction of non-paying tenants is essential. We recognise this fact, and provide an efficient, streamlined eviction service, so your property can be re-advertised and re-let, as quickly as possible.

With second marriages being much more common, and the existence of stepchildren within a relationship, disputes often arise as to whether the spouse who was second to die made proper provision for his or her stepchildren, or favoured his or her natural children. 

The Litigation Team has advised private clients on a wide variety of wills contested on the basis of an alleged lack of capacity, and has brought and defended claims against estates on the basis that inadequate financial provision was made for minor, or adult children, under the 1975 Inheritance Act. We regularly advise disappointed beneficiaries as to whether they have a claim. 

The team also regularly acts for executors, providing advice as to how they should deal with claims against the estate they are administering. 

Our significant experience in this area enables us to advise with clarity and compassion in what are often emotionally charged situations.

Often the deeds to a property are not entirely clear, but, with a sound knowledge of the legal principles and presumptions of ownership, we can provide private clients with advice on the interpretation of title deeds and plans, and give guidance on how ownership may be claimed by adverse possession.

We regularly advise on boundary disputes, and recently successfully advised on a claim which went all the way to court, where our client’s neighbour was claiming ownership of land to facilitate access for a development.

We also provide advice on a wide range of building disputes, such as problems with house extensions.

We are well versed in procedures from the Upper Tribunal (formally the Lands Tribunal) and have extensive expertise in all forms of disputes relating to land.

We also act for creditors of insolvent companies in all aspects of debt recovery. We can help prevent a difficult situation becoming a disaster by providing prompt and practical advice on bankruptcy, voluntary arrangements and every area of insolvency.
 

We operate a low-rate, fixed-fee system, providing a cost-effective, proactive way to recover debts which have, previously, proved difficult to recover.

Starting with an initial letter of claim, each case will receive expert, individual attention to bring the matter to a conclusion in the most economical and expedient way.

The courts actively encourage private individuals to attempt to resolve their differences, without issuing proceedings or going to trial. If the parties reject mediation, the costs of settling the dispute could increase significantly.

A formal mediation involves the appointment of a professional mediator, who acts as a neutral third party. The mediator will attempt to facilitate agreement between the parties at a meeting attended by everyone involved, including their solicitors. If the mediation is successful, the solicitors draw up an agreement, there and then. This is signed by all the parties and becomes binding.
 

The people who apply for these orders are usually family members, for example, grandparents.

There is no presumption that a grandparent should have contact with a grandchild, as there is between parent and child. The courts, however, recognise that grandparents play an important role in their grandchildren’s lives, and, therefore, it is not uncommon for grandparents to want to make an application for a Contact Order.

Stones can help with the application and make sure that, first, they obtain permission from the court.
 

Children often suffer when their parents separate, and issues relating to children need to be handled carefully. Sadly, disputes about where the children will live and the parental contact arrangements are all too common, and parents struggle to know what is best for the children concerned.

Stones can provide expert help and advice when the court is asked to deal with:

   Applications from a parent wishing to move abroad with the children.
   Applications to stop children being taken abroad.
   Applications to change a child’s school or change a child’s surname.
   Disputes about religious upbringing.

We can also provide advice and act on your behalf if a local authority wants to take your child into care, or if you wish to adopt a child, or if you are experiencing difficulties with an education authority about school attendance.

In fact, Stones can provide assistance with any legal matter relating to children.
 

Typical claims include accidents involving potholes in the road or uneven pavements or kerbs. Claims can also be brought against private individuals or occupiers. Ideally, you should have an independent witness, and take photographs and measurements of the defect, as soon as possible.
 

We deal with a wide range of injury claims, from minor whiplash injuries to very serious, physically debilitating injuries, including spinal and brain damage.


 

The Stones Personal Injury Team can provide advice to help obtain compensation in a wide range of occupational health situations, including hearing loss caused by repeated exposure to noise, dermatitis caused by contact with chemicals and injuries resulting from the use of machinery and equipment, such as hand/arm vibration syndrome, carpel tunnel and vibration white finger.
 

Claims can be made under negligence and under the Animals Act. This legislation is particularly complex, and Stones have a substantial amount of expertise and experience in this area. If your claim is successful, in addition to compensation, you could recover any financial losses and out-of-pocket expenses.

 

As an Investor in People training is key to us and all staff have access to the training they require
We place great stock in building home grown talent, which is why our Associate Development Programme is a popular and hotly contested facility.

We run an active Mentoring Programme as part of the Associate Development, to ensure that experience is passed from one level to the next.

We have many success stories in the business, where as a result of investment and employee potential, individuals have been able to realise their career aspirations and progress quickly to senior positions within the firm.

We believe that this investment benefits not only the individual, but also the firm and its clients in being able to provide first class service delivery.

I was one of the first people to come through the Associate Development Programme, and the support I received from the firm was superb. And it has not stopped there – I continue to benefit from all the professional development resources Stones has to offer. There’s a real sense that, if you have ambition, the firm will back you all the way.- Ian Brown, Associate Solicitor

“I started with Stones in 1997 as a paralegal and I passed the Legal Practice Course at the University of Exeter. By 2001 I was made Partner. I am now the Partner in charge of our trainees. My experience is true of so many of my colleagues here – complete professional support.” - Sam Pucci, Partner

Our society today is based on a broad mix of individuals, cultures and communities all of whom have specific needs and differences to contribute to society and the world of work. This diversity also comes with a huge range of creativity, ideas and differences that add value to our lives.

Stones will continue to ensure that we do not discriminate in any of our activities on the grounds of gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or belief, age or physical ability.

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Major Changes to Funding and Recovery of Fees in Litigation

16th May 2013