When someone is injured in an accident they are entitled to claim for compensation for their injuries and financial losses provided it can be shown that someone else was at fault and that their negligence caused the injuries. In some cases this is straightforward, but in others, evidence has to be obtained to prove the negligence, usually by way of witness statements and expert evidence.

There are a number of factors to be considered before Howells Solicitors will agree to act for you, and should you get in touch, we will assess your claim at the outset and advise you on whether we feel you have a good chance of winning.  In most cases, this is assessed on percentage terms, and your case would need to have over a 51% prospect of success to be accepted.  All the evidence available would be reviewed, and you would be advised early on as to the prospects in your case.  If your claim was rejected you would be given clear advice as to why.

The Personal Injury Claim Process

Generally, personal injury cases have a three-year deadline, which means you must issue you claim before the expiry of this limitation period.  It is therefore vitally important that you contact Howells as soon as possible after your accident. Howells may reject claims which are nearing the 3 year-deadline as we would have a short timescale within which to complete the work required.More...

Around 180,000 people a year die intestate (without making a will). That is a shocking 56% of UK deaths. Dying without a will can cause significant problems for the people you leave behind, and should be avoided where at all possible.

(Read more: 5 Common Myths associated with Dying without a Will (Intestate))

Why should you make a will?

To help convince those who are delaying or even having doubts about writing a will, we've listed 10 very good reasons why you should.

1.    First and foremost, a will puts you in control. You choose who will benefit from your estate and what they are entitled to. You also decide who will administer your affairs after your death.

2.    If you don’t make a will, the intestacy rules will decide who benefits from your estate and that can produce undesirable results.  The law also sets a hierarchy of who is able to handle your financial affairs after death, and that can lead to problems if the person is not suitable because of age, health, geographical location, or for any other reason. More...

For many businesses, the introduction of settlement agreements has offered precious flexibility to their workforce and also protected them against the threat of potential future legal action. Likewise, for employees, it offers an opportunity to resign on their terms – with a severance payment that suits their situation. 

However, there are times when employees shouldn’t have to sign a settlement agreement: More...

Yesterday’s decision in the Supreme Court has demonstrated that the importance of agreeing a clean break is vital.

The importance of ensuring a clean settlement is agreed when divorcing was highlighted yesterday following the landmark ruling made in the Supreme Court regarding an ex-wife’s bid to claim cash from her millionaire ex-husband, 20 years after they divorced.

Issues with Open Ended Finances

Richard Scott, a family law solicitor at Howells Solicitors said when commenting on the ruling, “Yesterday’s ruling underlines the importance of ensuring that the finances are not left open ended following a divorce and that a “clean break” settlement which is approved by the court to make it legally binding is always advisable even when the parties think that there is nothing to divide. More...

Absenteeism in the workplace can be a difficult issue to negotiate. Treat it too lightly and you risk being taken advantage of, but putting undue pressure on an employee to return to work could result in a damaged working relationship or worse.

Whilst to your employees ‘pulling a sickie’ may seem harmless, the cumulative costs of absenteeism in the workplace is staggering. In fact, the estimated cost to the British economy of absenteeism is £14 billion a year, according to a recent joint report from Pfizer & the Confederation of British Industry.

Unfortunately, closer to home, it seems that workplace illness is a growing problem. Last week we heard that at Neath Port Talbot County Council, sickness targets are not being met. Head of Corporate Strategy and Democratic Services, Karen Jones, confirmed that levels of absenteeism at the Local Authority had increased by 1.2% over the past year.

What Can Be Done to Reduce the Negative Impact of Absenteeism?

More...