Tag Archives: lawyer

Quitting My £60k Job Was the Best Decision I Ever Made. Karen Holden Interview

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businesswomen , succeeding in businessKaren Holden is one impressive woman. She was a solicitor at an international practice but saw how female colleagues were ostracised during pregnancy. It made her fear for her career.  Karen also knew that the big corporate firm, would not support her need for a healthy work/life balance and Karen is a woman who wants it all.
Taking matters into her own hands, Karen launched A City Law Firm in 2008, when the UK economy was on its knees and lived off credit cards to survive.
Despite almost going bust in the first year, Karen is now celebrating 10 years in business, has an army of high profile clients and £1m plus turnover.

What was the catalyst that made you quit your job and start your own business?

Three things

  1. I wanted a family at some point in the future and I realised that a women in this sector , having a baby and family, would be difficult. I saw women passed over and treated differently and yet I knew I could still do everything as I have now proven
  2. Clients were becoming numbers and bottom line figures , whereas I still believed in delivering personal service and results
  3. So in short I was becoming disillusioned with the industry and wanted to see if I could do it differently

How do you make it a success?

I deliver what I genuinely believe in and aim to ensure all my team are on board and do the same. We are personal, supportive, specialist and experienced, but friendly and approachable service

I embrace change, disrupt the old fashion traditions, work hard and at the same time enjoy my family time

What have you learned along the way?

To never let anyone or anything stand in your way, learn from your mistakes and be proud of your battle scars.  Having good advisors, mentors and people around you is essential to success – you can never do it alone.

What advice can you give other women?

If you work hard and pick yourself up if a door closes in your face, you can have it all and succeed.  You can earn far more, have quality family life, a nice team to work with and achievable goals if you persist.

How important do you think work/life balance is?

This is fundamental and for me there is no point doing what I do if I cant have quality time with my family and friends.

I work late some week nights, so those nights I can get home early, I spend reading to my son and weekends are precious for us spending time together. Running my own business means I am fortunate to work the hours that suit my family.  If I leave early I can always pick up the work when my son is in bed as flexible working enables me to have it all

Do you think women who want families are still discriminated against? How could we fix this?

Its actually just as bad for men, trying to take paternity leave or time off for their families – we need as a society to embrace family life far more than we currently do in the UK. Likewise though, those with children do need to prove they can work just as well as those without so they don’t put on their colleagues or disillusion employers making it harder for others next in line. Working together employer and employees can often find a good balance that energises both of you which in turn is good for business.

What is your biggest tip for becoming successful?

Never take no for an answer , find another route to where you want to get and fight onwards – BUT always know you will make mistakes and learning from them is essential

How To Make A Will

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how to make a will - free willOne thing that often gets put off in life is creating a will to protect our families. 2/3 of people in the UK don’t have one; a risky choice for parents in particular, whom, once giving it some thought, would doubt like to ensure they protect their children and partners for peace of mind.

We got Mark Edwards, Vice President and General Manager of www.rocketlawyer.co.uk, to talk us through creating a will. Rocket Lawyer is a complete online legal service.

Mark says:

“Two thirds of the population don’t have a will. Lots of people don’t have wills because the law is daunting, by offering our services online, Rocket Lawyer gives people more control and choice, providing legal help that is simpler and easier to access at a lower cost.”

The new year is the perfect time for parents to bite the bullet and create one. Making a will may seem like a difficult and costly process but there are now great online legal services which simplify the process and make it really affordable, giving you peace of mind that everything will be taken care of according to your wishes, should the worst happen. A will covers appointing executors, guardians for your children, legacies and what will happen to your estate and possessions. Failing to make a will can have consequences which can cause serious problems for you and your family.

Benefits:

Protecting your partner

You might think that when you die, if you are married or in a civil partnership, your surviving spouse or civil partner will automatically receive all of your estate. However, this is not the case. If you die without leaving a will, there are legal rules, called the ‘intestacy rules’, which dictate which members of your family will receive your estate.

Rocket Lawyer recommends connecting with an On Call Lawyer when dealing with matters concerning personal assets valued at over £325,000 or combined assets with your spouse or civil partner valued at over £650,000.

If you are not married or in a civil partnership and you do not have a will on your death, your partner will not be entitled to anything. Even if you have joint bank accounts with your partner, or a home, any jointly held property will not necessarily pass onto your surviving partner.

So here is the overarching golden rule: it’s best to take control of your estate by making a will.

Nominate Executors

Executors are the people who will carry out your wishes after your death. Nominating your
executors means you can select reliable family or friends that you know will be best capable of fulfilling your requests. You can have up to four executors and they can also be beneficiaries of your will. Their roles are sensitive and personal but making a will ensures these responsibilities are managed by people you trust.

Executors make your funeral arrangements in accordance with your instructions. They work out what your estate is worth and decide whether or not there is any Inheritance Tax to pay on your estate. They apply to the Probate Registry for the Grant of Representation of your will. A Grant of

Probate is a document from the Family Division of the High Court which confirms that your will is valid and that your estate can be wound-up in accordance with the terms of your will.

Look after your children

Once you have decided who you would like to be your Executors, you then need to consider whether or not you need to appoint guardians in your will. Testamentary guardians are people who will look after your children if any of them are under 18 at the time of your death. They take over the role of parental responsibility for your children.

If children inherit money and/or property, it is usually held in a trust until they are 18. Specify how you would like trusts to be managed, your nominated executors can deal with this fund.

Remember to follow the signing rules

Once you’ve made your will, you need to follow some rules about how to formalise it. The execution of your will requires three people, yourself and two witnesses.

In the presence of your two witnesses and in the spaces provided, you should date the document and sign your name using your “usual” signature where indicated whilst your witnesses watch. Ask your two witnesses to add, in your presence, their “usual” signatures where indicated, asking them to print their names, addresses and occupations clearly for identification purposes.

Anyone over 18 can create a will for free with Rocket Lawyer’s three day free trial, during Free Wills Month and all year round.