Accounts Department

Accounts in a Law Firm? What’s the Job Really Like?

Accounts is the one department in every firm that people want to dodge! Are we really a boring bunch who play around with figures all day?

I have to confess they were my thoughts when I first started working for Nayyars . I had come from a business background but never worked in a legal accounts team. I was worried that I would now spend my days punching digits into my calculator. However, I am glad to say this couldn’t be further from the truth! In reality the Accounts Department is a busy, energetic and dynamic hub.

The accounts department in every firm is one of the most important departments. It is the wheel that keeps the business going. As in any other business you need a team bringing the money in and that is essential to making the company survive.

But what is the job really like and what is involved in the everyday operation of a law firm? Having worked in the accounts in construction companies in the past I can say there are two major differences.

The first one is that in a law firm you have two bank accounts, one is for clients’ money and one for office. You have to be very clear as to where you bank the money you receive and what you pay out of each account. It is a breach of the Solicitors Accounts Rules if you get this wrong and the firm could end up in serious trouble.

The other one is that in the case of law firms, you are handling clients’ money. In most businesses they pay you for your services but in a law firm you actually handle their money.

We are still chasing money, when we receive it (cheques, cash, BACS) we need to “distribute” it accordingly. We have a plan to pay our suppliers, make arrangements for our monthly expenses as a business, take into account our staff and their salaries and of course take care of our clients by sending out their settlement money as soon as.

The nature of this job is very “structured”. There are rules you need to follow and deadlines you need to meet when dealing with clients’ money. They are crucial and when you meet them you know you’ve done your job right.  To be successful in an accounts team you have to be well organised. The work-life balance works well and the job is rewarding as you know you are helping ordinary people find solutions to their problems. In comparison to  other departments, thankfully our stress levels are low.

Another plus is that we get to hear about interesting cases from the inside, meet lots of different people and learn about law.

The Accounts Team at Nayyars consists of a Financial Controller, Legal Cashiers and Office Manager. We work with alongside the Directors and are known as the glue that binds the other departments! We do currently have vacancies in the Accounts Team and if you want to join us then please send your CV to info@nayyarssolicitors.co.uk.

Have You Been Involved in a Hit and Run Car Accident?

Have you been involved in a hit and run car accident?

Being involved in a car crash is traumatic enough without the driver of the offending vehicle leaving the scene without providing any insurance details. If you have been unfortunate to be the victim of a hit and run, fear not – Nayyars Solicitors can assist you to make a claim through the Motor Insurance Bureau’s Untraced Driver’s Agreement.

The Motor Insurance Bureau deal with a high volume of claims including uninsured and untraced drivers, therefore the process can take longer than an average claim. In order to make a claim you must:

• report the accident to the police within 14 days of the accident. They may be able to trace the driver responsible for the accident or provide you with the vehicle’s insurance details.
• be insured to drive the vehicle;
• prove that you reported the accident to the police;
• prove your injuries and losses by attending a medical examination. Unfortunately, you cannot recover compensation for property damages unless the vehicle that caused the accident is traced.

There are several stages to making a claim through the Motor Insurance Bureau:

1. Completion of the claim form providing detailed accident circumstances;
2. The Motor Insurance Bureau will investigate your claim which includes obtaining a copy of the police report and interviewing you as a witness.
3. The Motor Insurance Bureau will then make a decision whether to accept or reject your claim. If they accept your claim they will instruct a medical expert to review your injuries. Should they reject your claim, you will have the opportunity to appeal the decision. This is on a case by case basis.
4. If you are successful the Motor Insurance Bureau will make an offer to settle your claim on a full and final basis.

A claim to the Motor Insurance Bureau must be submitted within 3 years of the date of the accident. Call us today to speak to our specialist team who deal with hit and run accidents.

Do I Need to Change My Will?

Do I need to change my Will?

If you have a Will then you have taken the step of taking control of your property and assets after your death. However, there are circumstances that may mean that you should change your Will. This can be done by making a completely new Will or by adding a Codicil to your existing Will.

As a basic rule, it is important to review your will when a major event happens in your life. Examples are getting married, getting divorced, having children, the death of a beneficiary or if your financial situation significantly changes.

The event may invalidate your Will or impact on the division of your property.

If you get married then any Will that you had is AUTOMATICALLY REVOKED. It is treated as though your Will does not exist and the law of intestacy decides how your assets will be divided. The only exception to this is if your will states that a marriage is about to take place and specifically states that the Will is to remain valid after marriage.

This also applies to same sex marriages as the Civil Partnership Act 2004 enables couples in a Civil Partnership to be treated in the same way as married couples.

On the other side, getting divorced or having a civil partnership dissolved does not make the Will invalid. It still stands, however your former spouse is treated as though he/she has died for the purposes of the Will. So, for example any gift that has been left for your former spouse would not be passed on but instead fall to the remainder of your estate for the benefit of the residuary beneficiaries. If you had left everything to your ex then it would be treated as though you had died without leaving a Will.

If you have children they will not be automatically included as beneficiaries so if you do want them to inherit you should change your Will. Even if you have named other children in an existing Will if you want additional children to inherit, they should be specifically mentioned in the Will. It is recommended that you update your Will when a new child is born.

A Will can be changed by either drafting a new Will or making a codicil to the existing Will. There are times when we would recommend making an entirely new Will as opposed to a codicil.

If you do want to revisit your Will then contact us today. We can provide you will a fixed fee service in respect of this.

Romania 2017

A mission complete!

Words fail me…..I am actually struggling put into words how rewarding my 9 days serving in the community of Lazareni, Romania was. When the idea was first banded about I knew I had to get involved. I also knew that Nayyars would fully support me in this project, such is the nature of the Team here.

We flew to Romania on 4^th July. I knew we would be working with a community hugely struck by poverty. However the real scale of this did not hit me until we got there. They were lacking in a number of basic needs, most of which we take for granted, for example free flowing water, education, basic living requirements such as beds, duvets, pillows, pushchairs and a secure roof over our heads. There were houses without electricity – the list is endless! It made me realise how fortunate my life back in Bolton is.

I am so thankful that my team at Kings Church returned home safely. We left the community full of passion and love. They are striving to live on hope but suffering emotional pain due to the lack of resources and financial help.

While I was out in Lazareni I worked with people of all ages. I visited the local school and I took part in a number of activities with children and parents of the children. Members of my team distributed nappies to the families while I interacted with the children taking part in songs, games and creative arts. It was clear from the emotion on their faces that while I was there, the team and I poured out our love and brought hope to every family we visited in the village.

It was a life changing event. I truly wish to thank each and every one of my work colleagues at Nayyars Solicitors and all of the businesses involved who donated prizes for our raffle draw. The money raised contributed to a project building which is in the process of being renovated so the children can go on residential vacations, teaching assistance/educational equipment for their growing school as well as daily living resources.

We helped the community to reach their goals above and beyond their expectations. Without the help of my team at Nayyars this would never have been possible. Thank you.

I am so privileged to have taken part in such an amazing experience. I have laughed, I have cried and I have prayed my heart out for such an amazingly loving group of people who are suffering poverty every day.

Thank you to everyone for your support. You helped to make this a dream come true.

Managing an Accounts Team

There is an old Chinese saying that goes like this:

Tell Me and I Will Remember for an Hour; Show Me and I Will Remember for a Day;

Let Me Know How to Do It and I Will Remember for Ever

As Accounts Manager in a busy Finance Department managing a team has many everyday challenges. However, at Nayyars I am fortunate to be working with a team that wants to learn, improve and be the best that we can collectively be. I also manage the Apprenticeship programme at Nayyars.

We pride ourselves in giving junior staff their first chance to get on the legal ladder. That has many benefits as they join with boundless energy and a keenness to learn. We can also mould them to work the “Nayyars” way.

We have had some excellent staff progress up the ranks at Nayyars. We have a 100% record of offering our Apprenticeships a full-time job once they complete their programme. A lot of time, effort and energy goes into providing the right training and supervising them. Our end goal is to always have a fully-fledged member of the Team contributing in exactly the same way as the rest.

However, the reality with junior staff is that they are inexperienced. We have to always bear that in mind when giving them tasks to do. There are times when they may do it wrong at first. They are going to make mistakes and you are going to let them. If you are a parent you know how agonising it is when you have a 2-year-old who insists they can pour their own drink then proceed to spill most if it on the table. Your child is going to spill it and yes, the end result is you are going to mop it up.

I have been training staff for over 25 years and know that the spilling process is important. Our staff will (hopefully quickly) progress onto not spilling. I am not saying members of the team are like small children but it is imperative for them to learn the spilling process. I have to make sure I have my cloth ready to mop up after them and after each spilling do not tell them off! In fact, I do the opposite and always try to praise them (Well-done, brilliant job).

I try not to let them see the cloth or the mopping up.

At Nayyars our focus is always on encouragement. We want a happy work environment. There is a “can do” attitude here. It is important that we let staff know that we are pleased with them. If a person does not grow in ability then they end up wilting. People come to work for a whole host of reasons apart from the money and right at the top of their list will be “Praise from the boss”. At Nayyars we know how important it is that we build a good team and encourage them at every opportunity.

Being a manager is all about creating a great team with the smallest resources. Praise is free, Praise is 100% effective and Praise is simple and takes no time to do at all. We try and get everyone involved in the business by providing an open-door policy and lots of social interaction.

This is a team that is growing. We are continually searching for good people to join us. If you would like to join either our Apprenticeship Programme or any of the other roles available then please apply with you CV.

Attending a Medical Appointment

If you are pursuing a claim for personal injury, your Solicitors will normally ask that you attend a medico-legal appointment to be examined by an independent medical expert. The expert’s job is to act as an impartial assessor of your injuries and prepare a medical report.  In order to detail your injury, the medical evidence must confirm the nature, severity and impact of your injury.

The type of expert you see is determined by the injuries you sustained as a result of your accident; in Road Traffic Accident claims where whiplash injuries have been suffered, you will most likely be examined by a GP. In these circumstances, it is unlikely that the medical expert will require sight of your medical records.

If you have suffered other injuries, for example fractures or hand injuries, you will be required to attend an examination by an appropriate expert such as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon or Hand Surgeon.  A Consultant expert is more likely to want to see your medical records.

You are obligated to attend such an appointment. The appointment will be organised by either your Solicitor or your Opponent’s Solicitor at venue close to you.

In most cases, attending an appointment for medico-legal purposes will much the same as attending an appointment with a doctor for advice or treatment outside the litigation scenario.  The major difference is the expert has been engaged to provide a medico-legal report and not seeing you with a view to providing you with treatment or advice and will not do so.

You will be required to take to the appointment your appointment letter and a form of ID, such as passport or driving licence to verify you are who you say you are.  Your Solicitor will already have provided the medical expert with full instructions relating to your injuries.

The medical expert will wish to:

• Obtain a history from you;
• Ask you questions regarding the injury you have sustained;
• Ask you questions regarding any treatment you have received for your injury;
• Review any relevant test results or x-rays;
• Conduct a physical examination and/or specified tests or assessments.

You are welcome to take somebody to the appointment with you but they may not be allowed into the examination room. This will depend on the expert.

If you require an Interpreter, you should inform your Solicitor who can arrange for one to accompany you to the appointment.

It is important that you attend any appointment organised as most medical experts will charge quite a substantial cancellation or non-attendance fee and it is highly likely that you will be required to pay this fee.

It is also important that you co-operate fully with the medical expert.

Unlike other medical appointments you might attend, a medico-legal appointment will not be confidential.  What you tell the medical expert will form the contents of a report which will be provided to your Solicitor and could be disclosed as evidence in court.

Once the report is received by your Solicitor, a copy will be sent to you.  It is not uncommon for it to take up to 4-6 weeks after the appointment for your Solicitor to receive the report.

If you have any questions before or after attending the appointment it is always wise to contact your Solicitor for advice.

What to Do After a Car Accident

Every year, thousands of people are involved in road traffic accidents. If you are one of these unfortunate people then you need to read this blog. You should always stay calm and make sure you have moved to a safe place to prevent further injuries or accidents.

First of all, you should make sure nobody is seriously hurt.  If there is anyone hurt, always avoid moving them as you can make the injuries worse and immediately call the ambulance and let them treat the casualty.

If you have had a road traffic accident, it is always important to exchange details with the other driver as listed below,

• Name
• Registration
• Insurance provider
• Policy Number

If you have these details, it is always easier to report the claim to your insurance company and this is always meant to be done within 48 hours of your accident.  You can instruct your own solicitors or let your insurance company deal with this. It is not always as simple as this.  Sometimes you can have a road traffic accident where someone would hit your car and run away.  It is important you get the registration and make sure this is reported to the police straight away.  You will be given a log number.  At this point you will have to inform your insurance company and give them details of how the accident happen and provide them with the log number so a police report can be applied for; the police will tell you if the vehicle had insurance.  If the vehicle is insured they will give you the insurance details and you can go ahead with the claim.

If you have been involved in an accident with a vehicle that has no insurance and the third party has left the scene, you will need to report this to the police as soon as possible and also inform your insurance like every other claim but in this instance, your claim will have to go through the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) which is an organisation that only deals with uninsured and untraced drivers.  They would investigate this matter and pay you for your damages if you hold third party insurance cover, if your insurance is full comprehensive you will have to claim through your own policy and claim your excess.

Alan Sugar Eat Your Heart Out

The word Apprentice is synonymous with a scary bald man in a suit sat in a boardroom. Luckily for me I managed to dodge Alan Sugar and landed myself an Apprenticeship with Nayyars.

As an Apprentice working at Nayyars I was pleased to hear that there is a route to qualifying as a Solicitor through this avenue. That will always be my ultimate aim.  I started at Nayyars in November 2016 having left school. I did try life at College but decided after 1 month that the Apprenticeship Scheme would be more suited to me. I joined Learning Unlimited who have contacts with prospective employers to provide Apprentice Contracts.

I had a number of interviews at various law firms as by now I had decided on a legal career. My interview at Nayyars was completely different than the rest! I was interviewed by 2 Team Managers both of whom were friendly and down to earth. My perception of solicitors was that they would be intimidating and therefore the interview was a fresh of breath air! They even at the end showed me round the office. A job was offered on Friday and I took it up to start on Monday. I knew this was the place for me.

I came with a blank mind-set not knowing anything about law. My first day was scary but I was put at ease when I walked through the door and saw how friendly everyone was. I was the youngest in the Team at 16 (now 17!) but was never made to feel that way. Everyone was so nice to me and made me feel welcome!

Working with lawyers every day has helped me gain confidence especially when speaking to people on the telephone. I am constantly learning new things and enjoying every minute of it. Every day is different. I am given a lot of responsibility and thrive off it!

Nayyars has been great for me as my first workplace but in exchange I think as an Apprentice I have also contributed in many ways. I have brought fresh ideas and energy to the department. It gives the Firm the opportunity to mould me to the way they want to work. This means that we both benefit. I am always grateful to the Team who have taken time to train me in different areas.

Since I have started, my programme has been so successful that Nayyars have taken on another Apprentice. Life as an Apprentice is varied. However, my goal is to secure a full time positon at the end.

I’m excited for what the future has in hold for me at Nayyars! If you are looking for an Apprenticeship at Nayyars please feel free to contact me to discuss my experience further.

Can You Be Injured in a Low Speed Accident?

You may have heard of instances where claims have been made by someone to then be told by the Defendant Insurer that they do not believe that an injury could have been sustained because of the low speed of the impact. These are known as “LVI” claims. Can a person be injured when the accident happened at a low speed?

Practically it can cause many issues for a Claimant who has a genuine claim when injury has been sustained when the vehicle he/she was travelling in was hit at a low speed.

An example of this could be where vehicle A and vehicle B are stuck in slow moving traffic when vehicle B misjudges the flow and speeds up colliding in into the rear of vehicle A which is either stationary or moving at a slower speed.

A Third-Party driver could inform you at the scene that he/she is sorry and didn’t see you in time but this should not be taken as an admission of injury although could be noted to be an admission of the collision itself. The Third Party Insurer could also telephone you to take an account of the circumstances. This does not mean that they accept you were injured.

As your Solicitors we would suggest that you request they simply write to you with any questions they may have and pass on our details.

If you start to discuss the case with the Third Party Insurer you could inadvertently prejudice any claim you may have.

It can be frustrating for a Claimant who has suffered whiplash or other injury to be told that there are questions being raised about his credibility and if he is actually injured. You must remember that the duty is on the Claimant to prove his case and it is important to ensure that there is sufficient evidence to do this.

It may be worth noting that evidence in medical records of attendance at the GP and the timing of this attendance can support your case. Medical records would form important evidence for you as a Claimant.

If you make a claim for injury, we will arrange to send you for a medical examination in order for a medical report with a review your medical records to assist in preparing the report.

Medical evidence and engineering evidence in addition to any witness evidence will be vital for valuing your injury and vehicle damage and also establishing the collision as being the cause of your injury.

It is often the case that further engineering evidence in the form of a Forensic Report is obtained by the Third Party Insurer to assist them in fighting your claim and in an attempt to show that you could not have been moved in your vehicle sufficiently to cause injury.

The Third Party Insurers can allege that there is no visual damage to the rear of vehicles and therefore the impact must not have been that great. It must be noted that vehicles are designed to sustain impact damage and retract on impact. We would point out that, an impact can still be moderate or more sever but show little visual damage on the exterior. Engineering evidence to support your case of severity of impact is therefore important and should be obtained.

Case law governing the points to be met by an opponent such as Third Party Insurer or driver when wishing to raise low velocity impact is outlined in the case of Casey –v- Cartwright[2006] EWCA Civ 1280  which was heard in 2006.

This was a case which involving two vehicles which collided and in which it was alleged that they collided at low speed.

Important procedural points were clarified including:

1. If a Defendant wishes to allege low velocity causation he should notify all parties in writing within 3 months of receipt of the letter of claim.
2. This allegation should be identified in the Defence supported by a statement of truth.
3. Within 21 days of serving a defence raising the causation issue the defendant should serve on the court and the other parties a witness statement which clearly identifies the grounds on which the issue is raised. That statement should deal with the defendant’s evidence on the issue “including the circumstances of the accident and any resultant damage.”

Should the main points of this procedure not be complied with by the Defendant then the Defendant is less likely to be permitted to rely on their expert evidence to assist them on the issue of causation.

The Defendant could of course still ask the Court permission for expert evidence to be permitted but failure by them to comply with the requirements of Casey v Cartwright will not give them a ‘smooth ride’ in their fight.

Any prospective Claimant should ensure in collisions which maybe of low velocity, that legal advice is sought from a Solicitor or equivalent qualified person as to prospects and issues which could arise and which may affect your case. At Nayyars Solicitors we specialise in LVI claims and are not afraid if the Third Party Insurers put up a fight.

Travelling with Children this Summer

We spend months planning our perfect summer holiday, but imagine if the holiday you have been dreaming about for months is halted because you were unaware of airport policies.

Airports have now introduced rules to protect children against child abduction.

Research suggests that 30% of parents with children under 18 do not share the same surname, so if your child has a different surname to you, you may need to bring extra documents to establish your relationship.

What can you do?

Don’t panic. Make enquiries before you travel and take extra documents. This might seem inconvenient, but is necessary to ensure smooth passage.

Before you leave make sure you:

1. Speak to the airline you are flying with, and the embassy of the country you are travelling to, and seek advice.
2. If you are travelling separately from the person who you share parental responsibility with, a letter from this person is usually sufficient evidence for officials at border control. The letter should state the other person’s contact details and give reasons for why the trip is being made. This letter should be signed.
3. You should consider asking a solicitor to notarise the letter (sign it to prove that it’s authentic). A Solicitor from Nayyars will be happy to do this for you.
4. If other family members are taking children abroad, you should also include such a letter, giving contact details and reasons for the trip.
5. To be extra sure, you could show evidence of your relationship with the child – for example, a birth or adoption certificate.
6. If you’re married, but your passport gives your maiden name and your children have a different surname, your marriage certificate and passport will provide evidence of who you are.

To ensure your holiday goes as planned, make sure you do your research and consult a solicitor from Nayyars if you are unsure… Happy holidays!