Since the Coalition Government announced its plans for the “most radical reform to the employment law system for decades” back in November 2011, the eyes of the UK business community have been waiting to see whether the powers that be would deliver upon their promise to “swing the pendulum” back in favour of the employer.

However, new statistics recently published which show that between the periods of 1st January 2013 to 31st March 2013 there was a 37% increase in claims lodged compared to the same quarter in 2012, appear to indicate that the Government’s intentions to reduce claims have failed to materialise.More...

We are pleased to announce that Alun Rosser, a vastly experienced residential and commercial property solicitor, is the latest specialist to join the growing team at Howells Solicitors.

With over 30 years experience at partner and director level at two legal practices, Mr Rosser will be joining Howells to manage the growth of our conveyancing teams in Mid Glamorgan. Mr Rosser is a key senior appointment to our conveyancing department as we continue to record significant increases in the number of cases we are dealing with. In June, we recorded a 62% increase in the number of cases completed compared to the same period in 2012.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Rosser said: “In my previous role, I was a director of a local private practice that grew into a national conveyancing firm. We secured preferred supplier contracts with national chains of estate agents resulting in high volumes of conveyancing cases. More...

A 61% increase in the number of completed conveyancing deals in May compared to the same month last year can be attributed to the continued improvement of market conditions in the housing sector and our investment in new software.

“Low interest rates and improved bank lending are two of the key economic factors responsible for this increase” said Mark Hobbs, managing partner at Howells Solicitors. “There has been a rise in the number of first time buyers who have been saving for their mortgage deposits and are now taking advantage of the low interest rates and Funding for Lending Scheme. Clients are also perhaps a little apprehensive that interest rates might change and that house prices could begin to rise again so they want to take advantage of the current conditions.” More...