Author Archives: hjs

1. Dawlish Walking Festival 2019

   January 28, 2019 4:54 pm Leave a Comment

   Scott Richards Solicitors were delighted to sponsor the Dawlish Walking Festival 2019.  This is now the third year we have been the main sponsor for the Festival.  Dawlish Town Council have made a grant towards the event. Peter Cross, the England Rugby Union Mascot, performed the opening ceremonies at our offices in Teignmouth (pictured below with Sue Brader, one of the walking Festival organisers).

   

   

   The Festival this year ran from Saturday 27th April until Sunday 5th May, thanks to support from many volunteers, Dawlish Town Council, Dawlish Transition and Scott Richards’ sponsorship.  The programme included a huge variety of different walks.  The walks ranged from long rambles to short explorations in the beautiful landscapes around Dawlish.  There was plenty of opportunity for discovering walks in Dawlish through poetry, drawing, local heritage and meditation.  

   

   The South West Coast Path walk left our offices in Teignmouth on Saturday 27th April in the sunshine – despite the truly dreadful weather forecast!   

   You can find more detail on Facebook.   The event is also publicised on the websites Love Dawlish and Dawlish Transition.  You can download an A4 low version resolution of the programme here, or there is also an A3 version available in the same place.

2. Helen Foundation Charity Summer Party – Thank You!

   June 11, 2018 5:25 pm Leave a Comment

   Scott Richards held a charity summer party at the Humber Barn in Bishopsteignton on Friday 8th June 2018 in aid of the Helen Foundation.  The weather was kind and a great night of BBQ food and music was enjoyed by everyone who came along.

   

   The final figure raised in aid of the Helen Foundation by this event is £2,257.60.  Pictured below are Annie and Roger Kirk receiving the cheque from Scott Richards.

   

   We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who paid for tickets to the party, bid at the auction or bought raffle tickets.  An especially big thank you goes out to everyone who donated a wide variety of very generous prizes for the raffle or otherwise contributed to the success of this event:

   • Dean Elliot Photography – pictures underneath all courtesy of Dean Elliott Photography 
   • The Halfway Inn
   • Brownies Driving School
   • Finley Browns
   • Aztec Spa
   • Carol’s Cupcakes
   • Ocean Hair & Beauty
   • Segway Southwest Limited
   • Shaldon Wildlife Trust
   • The Otter Inn
   • Shopdeadgorgeous
   • Quay Climbing Centre
   • Tradewinds
   • Teignmouth Golf Club
   • Splashdown
   • Rustic Kitchen
   • Olivia Rose Hairdressers
   • The Bowd Inn
   • Alive Fitness
   • BGS Landscapes and Fencing
   • Fork Candles
   • Waitrose
   • The Beauty Hut
   • Tibbs Green Grocers
   • All Under One Woof
   • The Saddlers
   • Tony’s Barbers

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

3. Scott Richards Sponsors New Kit for Teignmouth Golf Club Ladies Section

   June 8, 2018 5:26 pm Leave a Comment

   Scott Richards are one of the proud sponsors of the new kit for the Ladies Section of Teignmouth Golf Club.

   All of the sponsors were invited to a presentation on a beautiful evening at the Club on 6th June.  As can be seen from the picture below, the sun stayed out and allowed everyone to enjoy the wonderful views from the Golf Club.

   Present on behalf of the firm was Adam Clinch-Othman, one of our Partners (pictured bottom left).   Adam said “we were very pleased to see the new kit being worn by the Ladies Section and are glad to have been able to support them in this way.”

   

4. The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Wills

   April 24, 2018 5:20 pm Leave a Comment

   A Will is a document which states how a person’s possessions are to be dealt with when they die.  Even if their estate is small and their intentions simple, a person should still make a Will.  If you appoint a Solicitor, a simple straightforward Will can start at £195 but this figure could increase for couples seeking mirror Wills or those seeking to incorporate a trust within their Will.

   By contrast, an off-the-shelf Will from WHSmith or an on-line equivalent can be priced at £30 or less.  But, while a cheaper option may be appealing, this can be a risky approach if errors are made or the proper formalities are not followed at the time the Will is approved and signed.  Some of the most common mistakes with DIY Wills relate to the execution of the document itself.  If the Will is challenged for lack of proper formalities this could lead to unnecessary delays in dealing with the estate administration and unnecessary legal bills.  If the Will is deemed invalid due to lack of proper formalities, it may be that there is a previous Will which would be admitted to probate or if there is no previous Will, the intestacy rules will apply which may not reflect your wishes.

   DIY Wills can also be open for challenge on the grounds of lack of capacity.  If you go to a Solicitor, your intentions and the reasons behind them will be documented, so that if there is a dispute, there is a record of your thought process.  Disputes of this nature typically give rise to significant legal fees for either party or, in some circumstances, the estate. Contemporaneous notes in a Solicitor’s Will file may well avoid any challenge to your Will being pursued, or being successful.
    
   Recently published figures suggest that poorly drafted or ineffective DIY Wills are to blame for a prolonged probate ordeal for 38,000 families a year.  This is makes for worrying reading given that a person’s estate could be absorbed in additional fees as a net result of an invalid Will.

   It is said that two out of three people in the UK have not made a Will.  It may be that ‘writing a Will’ is not at the top of your to-do-list but creating a professionally drafted Will now will reduce the risk of uncertainty and potentially reduce the risk of family disputes.

   If you have any concerns or questions regarding your Will or wish to discuss making a new Will, please contact our Private Client Team to find out how we could assist – we’re here to help. you can call us on 01626 772441, or email us.

5. Scott Richards Sponsors Newton Abbot Spurs Football Kit

   April 18, 2017 5:26 pm Leave a Comment

   Scott Richards is always keen to support local people in as many ways as we can, whether it be through charity events, donations to local causes or some form of contribution to a local group.  We have sponsored local football club, Newton Abbot Spurs by paying for their new football shirts.

   

   Pictured above are Matt Lear (right), the Chairman of Newton Abbot Spurs, with Paul Dyson of Scott Richards, holding one of the new club shirts.

6. Scott Richards Supports Our Lady and St Patrick’s RC Primary School (OLSP) – Press Release from OLSP

   March 8, 2017 5:27 pm Leave a Comment

   World Book Day developed into a cracking time for the children at Our Lady and St Patrick’s RC Primary School in Teignmouth, with the children coming to school dressed as their favourite story book characters.

   The photograph below was taken at assembly on Friday 3rd March and shows school staff, prize-winners and Jamie Dyson of Scott Richards Solicitors 
    

   The key event of the day was the Shoebox Story competition, kindly sponsored by Scott Richards Solicitors, with prizes of a Kindle for each class winner. This competition was judged by Jamie Dyson (Scott Richards), Joanne Wilson (Teignmouth Library), Mr Anzani (Chair of the School Governors), Father Mark and Sarah Barreto (Head teacher), this proved a difficult task for the judges as the standard of storytelling was so high. After much deliberation the class winners, who took home one of the sponsored Kindles, were declared as: Rosie and Louis from our Early Years Unit, Jacob and Jasmine from Key Stage 1, and Amelia, Willow, Sienna and Grace from Key Stage 2.

   Jamie Dyson (Managing Partner at Scott Richards Solicitors) said: “We had an impossible task choosing the winning boxes, so thank you to the other judges for completing this difficult job. The biggest thank you however, must of course go to the children who worked so hard in designing and creating some fantastic story boxes – hopefully each had fun although I’m not sure the same can be said for their parents whose patience must at times have been tested!”

   The following children were Highly Commended and won a £5 book voucher: Flo and Edward from Early Years, Leon, Lily, Noah, Gareth, Cody and Beau from Key Stage 1, and Harry, Sam, Grace, Eve, Ellie, Ruby, Zoe and Lucy from Key Stage 2. Two children were singled out for special praise, selected from the whole school, and were awarded £10 book vouchers – very well done Olivia and Lexi.

   Head Teacher Sarah Barreto was delighted with the way the children entered into the spirit of World Book Day and for the generous sponsorship by Scott Richards Solicitors.

7. Who should you trust to draft your Will?

   November 19, 2014 5:23 pm Leave a Comment

   Why leave your Will to chance?

   Your Will is one of the most important documents you will ever make during your lifetime – so who will you choose to draw this up for you – a Will writer or a Solicitor? Or will you try to write it yourself?

   The purpose of a Will is to say what should happen to the things which you own and to appoint someone to deal with everything that needs to be done following your death. A well drafted Will should avoid many of the common pitfalls which arise following death and make everything easier for the people you leave behind. A badly drafted Will can lead to an irretrievable breakdown in relationships within a family in addition to causing financial loss.

   Sean Mercer and Joanne Osborne at Scott Richards are Will specialists. They have both been preparing Wills for clients for many years. Their knowledge and experience of the many complex family and financial situations people need to address when preparing a Will helps to guide clients through the process. They will make the process as straightforward as possible and ensure that you address all the issues relevant to you and your family. Your Will should reflect exactly what you would like to happen when you die. The importance of this cannot be underestimated.

   By comparison to Solicitors, Will writers often complete only a week of training. The law relating to Wills is extremely complex and inexperienced Will drafters can, and in our experience invariably do, fail to recognise problem areas which someone better qualified would identify.

   Beware also the many add-on services commonly sold by Will writers such as, but not limited to, entering into a contract intended to cover the legal costs of dealing with your estate once you die. Scott Richards recently dealt with an estate where an elderly widow had died having made a Will with a Will writing firm following her husband’s death. This new Will was totally unnecessary as her original Will, made when her husband was alive, covered what was to happen if her husband died before her. The widow was also persuaded to enter into a monthly contract to cover the costs of the firm dealing with her estate after her death. This reduced her income and was entirely unnecessary. Jamie Dyson, who heads the Private Client department at Scott Richards, said:- “By the time the widow had paid all the instalments provided for in the contract, she would have been 101. Her monthly payments reduced her income and instead the costs of dealing with things when she died could have been met from her capital when the time came.”

   “What is also disturbing is that as well as making a new Will that she did not need, the elderly lady had no idea what she had signed up for, and so did not cancel the contract with the Will writing firm. What’s more, they then wanted payment of an outstanding balance when the lady died, despite the fact that they were not appointed by the Will to administer her estate.”

   You may also be considering drawing up your own Will by using information on the internet or by purchasing a Will pack from a stationery shop. The reality is that many home-made Wills contain basic mistakes which mean that, when you die, the Will might be invalid or may fail to benefit those you intended. It is far more cost-effective to instruct a Solicitor to prepare your Will correctly in the first instance than it is for your estate to have to address issues that arise from a poorly drafted Will.

   Scott Richards offer competitive fixed fees for Wills. They are local, experienced and offer a personal, friendly service. For an initial appointment to review your Will, or to discuss making one, call the Private Client team at Scott Richards on 01626 772 441 or email us.