COVID-19 CORONA VIRUS

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At Catchpole Law we want you to know that we are taking all possible measures to ensure that the current Government and NHS guidelines are being followed and that the health and safety of our clients and staff are our top priority.

Our intention, at the moment, is to continue to provide an “in the office” presence Monday to Friday and to work as normally as possible. If the situation changes we will of course let our clients know immediately.

Catchpole Law benefits from being in a rural location and all our staff know that it is essential to adhere to NHS anti-virus procedures. When you come into the office you will be asked some simple questions about recent travel and contact with possibly “at risk” people. You will also be invited to sanitize your hands. Our meeting room is cleansed daily and “safe distances” will be maintained in all meetings.

The publicity surrounding Covid-19 has meant that many individuals have refocused on what they can do to ensure that their legal affairs are managed without fuss, in the event that they become unwell.

Will reviews or the implementation or review of LPAs, both for Health and Welfare and for Property and Financial Affairs, are sensible precautions to take. For those of you who have not made provision or who wish to review your affairs – Catchpole Law’s specialists are in a position to assist immediately. We will still offer the first 30 minutes of a meeting free of charge.

We can also review and take instructions over the telephone if that is more convenient.

These are challenging and demanding times. Having your legal affairs on a sound footing is a sensible precaution. Once done it will remove some of the stress and worry.

CONVEYANCING SIMPLIFIED!

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Buying or selling our house is often described as a simple process! However, at Catchpole Law, we know that more often than not the “simple” process can be complicated by jargon.

What do exchange; completion; covenants; planning restrictions; rights and reservations; pre-emptions; flying or creeping freeholds all mean?

Should I have a survey? What are searches? Why are my neighbours allowed to come onto my property? Is my property connected to mains water and electricity? Does the property have access to the Public Highway? Why is the purchase of a rural property different to that of a house on a modern estate? What is the difference between registered and unregistered title? What is The Land Registry? Why do you have to exchange contracts and then complete the sale? What is happening with your money?

The bottom line is that these are all considerations that our property lawyers will take in to account to allow you to achieve what you want:

A simple process that delivers a sale or purchase.

At Catchpole Law, Carol Bedford and Rachel White are here to guide you through the jargon and questions. They have over 40 years of experience between them. They know that a friendly, and well explained process will relieve stress and make your life easier!

If you are planning to buy, sell or rent out your property call us. We promise to make the transaction jargon free and to guide you past the pitfalls. All at a competitive fixed price.

Please do not hesitate to call us to discuss your legal needs both in relation to Property work and Private Client work (wills, powers of attorney and estate administration).

We are always willing to come to your home to take instructions if that helps.

Organ Donation

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Organ donation law is changing – from Spring 2020 all adults in England will be considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when they die unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are in one of the excluded groups. This is commonly referred to as an “opt out” system.

Every day around 3 people die in need of an organ because not enough organs are available for transplant. However, only 1% of people die in circumstances that would allow them to donate. The law has been changed to help save and improve more lives.

So what do you have to do if you do not want to be an organ donor. We understand you should register a “refuse to donate” decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. This is also known as opting out.

If you have already registered on the NHS Organ Donor Register and you wish to ‘opt out’, you should amend your registration. What you need to do is to go on to the NHS Organ Donor Register and confirm that you have changed your decision.

As to your wishes in relation to organ donation, we advise that details should be left with your Will.

If you do not have a Will, we would be very happy to advise you.

Please do not hesitate to call us to discuss your legal needs both in relation to Property work and Private Client work (wills, powers of attorney and estate administration).

We are always willing to come to your home to take instructions if that helps.