Versuslaw especially Anita Craig helped so kindly from 2018 for pia delay flight claim which was showing possible but Ms Anita Craig proved it again that versus law can do it. Thank you will use again and recommend 100percent.
We have just completed on a buy and sell having used Versus Law for both sides of the transaction.
Versus Law have been immense throughout, with the Conveyancer looking after our ‘purchase’ working hand in hand with his colleagues to keep us informed of how the ‘sell’ was progressing too.
Amazing bunch of people. There should be more firms providing this high level of service.
Very professional and up to the task
I found versus law straight forward and very helpful.
i recently completed on a property and was guided really well by Katrina and Lisa. Ive never purchased a property before so really didn’t know what was involved. It was easy and seamless no stress at all followed by a price that was so much cheaper than other quotes I’d had
Having had my PIA flight delayed for over 5 hours.. Anita Craig of versus law solicitors was a great help. Every step was made easy for me to understand and I will definitely be recommending yourselves to family and friends.
They made the whole process of my injury claim
simple and straight forward, They even managed to get
me my compensation before Christmas which I wasn’t expecting, A big thanks to Kulbinder Mehay
Excellent work, thank you.
Nicola Nolan and Natalie Moylan are an excellent conveyancing team. We have used them more than once and recommend them to friends and family (who were also impressed). This time they were involved in us buying a property in Wales and kept us informed all the way through, even with covid restrictions causing problems. They are friendly, efficient and get the job done in a no-nonsense way which is what you need. They take the stress out of conveyancing for you. Very impressed and would recommend to anyone and everyone.
I was selling my home which had a complicated title and versus law was recommended to me. Natalie Moylan handled my case from start to finish and I couldn’t ask for anyone better! There were no obstacles that couldn’t be overcome and in a very fast turn around too. The sale completed in no time at all. Natalie was timely, professional and friendly and an absolute pleasure to have on my side. I would strongly recommend Versus law to anyone.
I have used the services of Nicola Nolan at Versus Law twice this year and was instantly put at ease and very impressed with the help received and the outcome achieved. Would recommend without hesitation
I called to get some documents certified, the ladies on reception were so helpful. I am very happy with the service I received and will use Versus Law again.
Dealt with my flight claim hassle free and super quick, I was continuously updated every step of the way and overall really pleased with the outcome. A personal thank you to Anita as she couldn’t have made it easier for me and saw through any problems I had!
I purchased my first home in February, and used Versus as my solicitor. I dealt with Natalie Moylan from start to finish, who was excellent throughout. The purchase ended up being delayed and resulted in a quite hectic finish, but Natalie remained calm and professional at all times, whilst providing a very high quality of work. My thanks to Natalie and her team, for making a long purchase so much easier!
We were selling our house (through Nick) and buying a house (through Natalie) and I can honestly say these are the best solicitors we’ve ever used (we had always used ones in London previously). They both kept us informed on a regular basis as to how things were progressing which I really valued and they were quick to respond to any queries I asked. They were professional, efficient, helpful and really nice to deal with. We were recommended Versus through local friends that have used them previously and I would definitely recommend Versus to anyone else asking me for a recommendation.
Thanks again Natalie and Nick.
We used Nicola Nolan for our purchase/transfer of ownership. She was excellent from start to finish. We were fully informed of the process throughout and she was always friendly, approachable and very professional at all times. Would definitely recommend her at Versus Law. Thank you again
Amazing law firm for conveyancing!! My wife and I made an offer on a house 24th September and we were moved in by 20th December. It should also be noted that we were selling my wife’s apartment at the same time (also using Versus), further complicating everything. Thanks to Natalie, everything was done in a very efficient manner and she was very understanding of our situation.
Many thanks to Anita and all the staff at Versuslaw, they made my flight compensation claim for delay a breeze. I would highly recommend them
The service and advise that we received from Versuslaw was exceptional. We had numerous issues with the house that we were buying and the team at Versus law guided us through the process whilst always looking out for our best interest.They were always prompt in responding to any question that we had and would update us on a regular basis. Thanks again to Nicola, Nick and Francine
Excellent, professional and friendly work from Nick, Nicola and Natalie. They were flexible and very helpful in pushing along the sale despite several hurdles. Would definitely use again in future and would recommend others do so too
Absolutely superb service from Nicola Nolan. Highly trust and recommend. Honest attention to detail.
We would like to say a big heartfelt thank you to Saqib Kazam versuslaw
Once he took our case in for Holiday compensation He kept us up to date with every thing explaining every step he took this was not an easy case but he got us an excellent result a kind polite very professional young man. Highly recommend
From the moment we rung Versus Law and spoke to the receptionist on the phone to the moment we completed on our first home, Versus Law were excellent. Our solicitor was Tom and not only did he keep us updated every step of the way but he was very professional, efficient, offered valuable advice and made the process of buying a house stress free. We couldn’t recommend Versus Law enough and we just wanted to say a huge thank you to Tom and the team. Joe and Kara
Sarah handled my claim quickly and efficiently. It made the whole process easy and stress free. She was very professional and kept me informed every step. I would highly recommend Versuslaw.
We would highly recommend Versus law, especially Nick Wintrip (selling) and Nicola Nolan (buying). They both kept us up to date throughout the whole process. They were easy to get hold of and were very prompt to answer any questions/email. We would have no hesitation in recommending Versus law for conveyancing.
Fantastic service, very helpful and kept me informed at every stage
From start to finish Versus Law have been professional and helpful. Tom Reid was always available to talk to us and gave us updates regularly meaning we did not have to constantly chase up matters. We are very happy by the service and would recommend to anyone looking for a reliable solicitor.
Excellent service. I was kept informed every step of the way. Natalie Moylan and Renee Burke were a pleasure to work with. Highly professional but with a personal touch. They both went above and beyond!
Excellent service from start to finish from Nicola and Natalie! Super responsive to emails and all my questions as a first time single buyer. Natalie and Nicola make a great team and are so approachable. Definitely recommend them for property related legal services.
Really happy with my experience using versus law, from start to finish they put my mind at ease as I wasn’t buying a house in the normal way, it was through a family divorce and there were time scales and dead lines to meet, versus law managed to conker my mortgage and speed things up to avoid any extra costs, nicola was always there to ease my mind when I had any concerns as things do get stressful whilst purchasing a property, the ladies on the reception we also a delight and couldn’t do more to make you feel comfortable in any situation, if you are thinking of using versus law to assist you through your mortgage then look no further as these guys couldn’t have done more for me, I couldn’t have been happier with my experience
Nicola Nolan’s conveyancing service has always been excellent, I have used them several times in the last 5 years. In particular for my business I have found their relationship and understanding of Paragon Bank to be very useful. I would highly recommend.
Excellent decision to go with Versus Law! Nick Wintrip handled the very stressful job of our house sale with professionalism, calmness and a good sense of humour. We did everything via email, phone and post, and he was always quick in responding and keeping me updated every step of the way. Very competitively priced too. I would highly recommend Versus Law without the slightest hesitation.
Thomas Reid dealt with the sale and purchase of our properties. He was a pleasure to work with – very quick to respond to queries and very efficient in his work. As a result, the process went very smoothly with minimal delays. I would highly recommend competitively priced Versus Law and especially the professionalism of Thomas Reid.
Natalie Moylan dealt with the sale and purchase on my behalf. The whole process was very well handled with constant updates. The first solicitors I’ve used that’s responds within to an email within an hour! Would 100% use again!!!
Recently dealt with Nick Wintrip at Versus law when selling my property. Found him to be professional, quick and thorough. Process went smoothly and I was well informed throughout the process. I received regular updates and all enquiries were dealt with efficiently. Nick made the whole process of selling my home stress free and a happy one! Your the best Nick – thank you again 🙂
Will highly recommend Versus Law Solicitors. They are the best
Would recommend Versus Law for conveyancing; Nick and Natalie we’re our team with Nick the main contact, thank you Nick and Natalie for making the conveyancing experience as stress free as possible.
Great experience working with Versus Law. Excellent level of professionalism from Thomas Reid who provided clear, precise information. Highly recommended from my side. Thanks to Tom and the team.
Fantastic experience with Natalie and her colleagues. Email updates throughout the home buying process, estimates of how long it would take to get her work completed and local knowledge which speeded up the process. 100% recommended.
Really good and really helpful got things sorted alot quicker than anticipated very cooperative
What an outstanding team they turned my purchase around within the set time frame and very professional at all times.
They went above and beyond reassured myself throughout the process.
As being a first time buyer I felt this was most important I would recommend them highly.
Versus Law dealt with my house sale from start to finish in a most professional manner. A friendly, professional, competent team who get the job done within the time parameters. I highly recommend this firm.
Absolutely brilliant service as always.
This is the third time using Versuslaw and they never fail to impress. Natalie and Nicola are real diamonds and you really get the sense that they actually care about you.
We actually live in London, but continued to use them for our London property because of our previous experience with them.
Thank you guys, would highly recommend you to anyone.
Excellent service!!! We are really happy with the service VersusLaw provided to us. Being first time buyer, we dint have much idea about the whole process and had lots of questions. They have given proper and clear response on time to everything we have requested. For us, one of the property got cancelled in between the process because the owner decided to not to sell that property few days after accepting our offer. Though there were searches and procedures done already for that property VersusLaw did not ask Fee for that purchase as they understood the difficult situation we were in. When we found our next property, we had no doubt whom to contact. We are really happy and totally satisfied by the service Nicola, Natalie and their team offered. We will highly recommend your service to anyone,
Today I have completed on the purchase of my very first apartment, and it just wouldn’t have been possible without the INCREDIBLE knowledge, guidance and GENUINE care of Nicola, Natalie, and the entire Versus Law team.
This purchase was far from straightforward, with lots of potential pitfalls – all navigated with professionalism, patience and an impeccable attention to detail by Nicola.
Nic went well above and beyond the call of duty to look into some extremely complex accounts and repair budgets to the apartment block in question – something I would have completely overlooked.
As a result, with her guidance, I managed to negotiate a £2,000 reduction in asking price – something I’m sure other solicitors would have let slip through the net.
That’s a genuine £2000 saving – a lot of money for a first-time buyer.
You get a real sense that these guys actually CARE – they make you feel more like a friend, than a client – and don’t leave a stone unturned when it comes to conveyancing. If there is anything to uncover on a property, trust me, Nicola will find it!
In essence, Versus Law made what could have been a rather stressful situation, easy and straightforward.
Communications and response times were brilliant, with daily updates coming via phone and email – and I never felt rushed by anyone when I had queries.
I honestly cannot recommend Versus Law enough.
I’m going to pick up the keys to my apartment now – and won’t be using anyone other than these guys for all future property purchases/ sales.
THANK YOU SO MUCH Versus Law – I’ll be raising a glass of champagne to you all at the housewarming! 🙂
Great service provided by Nicola and her team.
Always communicating with updates for the completion of my property.
Would highly recommend
I used Versus Law to buy my first house. Had no idea how it worked but I must say that the conveyancing team held my hand all the way through. On the day of completion there was a delay and they stayed in office late to ensure it went through so I wasn’t waiting over the weekend. It was an absolute pleasure to deal with Versus Law and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them. It was nice to speak to people who I felt cared for me and put my interests first at all times. Thank you so much for your help
Versus were great to deal with when they provided the conveyancing for my house purchase. I was able to complete the process without needing to physically travel to their offices and my solicitor was always available for any questions when I was completing all the paperwork. Everyone was very friendly to speak to.
Fantastic conveyancing service from Nicola and Natalie, they kept on top of everything from start to finish and were always available whenever we had questions. I’d be happy to recommend them to anyone.
Very impressed with every aspect of Versus Law, from service they provide to the attitude of the staff. Always called back when they said they would and had a laugh with them too. Will definately use again (if I need to).
I would recommend Versus Law to anyone, particularly Nick Wintrip, who looked after us extremely well. They are very efficient and communicated with us fully at all times. We were able to contact them by phone and e mail and did not need to rely on letter going back and forth. Nick is really friendly too and put us at ease throughout the end to end sales process. Thank you.
Nicola and Natalie did a wonderful job. They were friendly and patient. Answered my many many questions and got the job done very efficiently. I am highly impressed and would definitely recommend them.
If you are facing being made redundant, then you should be thinking about negotiating a better redundancy pay, especially if you feel that you have been singled out unfairly for redundancy and that the standard severance package on offer does not seem like a fair outcome. You must consider the way that your employer selected you for redundancy, as if it does not feel right then it may have been underhand.
Your company’s redundancy process should be outlined in your contract or staff handbook. If not, then your employer has an obligation to ensure that you understand the process.
A redundancy process should outline the following:
Contents:
Your basic redundancy rights
Negotiate a higher redundancy payout
Was there a genuine redundancy situation?
Is the selection pool for the redundancy fair?
Was the selection criteria objective and fairly applied?
Were you consulted about the redundancy?
Was alternative work considered?
Redundancy payments
Statutory redundancy pay
Can you negotiate a better settlement than what is on offer?
Participate in the redundancy process
Evidence
Should you offer to resign before being made redundant?
How to appeal redundancy?
Your basic redundancy rights
Depending on the length of service, you have certain rights which include the following:
Negotiate a higher redundancy payout
If the redundancy is fair your employers don’t need to pay any more than statutory redundancy pay, unless there is a contractually binding policy in place, which sets out the amount to be paid to you. Therefore, a redundancy situation does not always lead to a settlement agreement and if your employers are confident that they have conducted a fair and reasonable process they may decide to dismiss you without any kind of exit package.
If the redundancy is unfair then you are entitled to ask for an increased settlement package. Also, read our general guide on how to negotiate a settlement agreement as well as our page about how much money you should get.
Many employers offer an increased redundancy payment from the start to take into account the element of doubt about the objectivity of the process. The aim is to encourage acceptance of the package on offer in order to ensure your smooth exit from the business and to protect themselves from any potential claims you may make against them for failing to carry out the redundancy process correctly. Remember that the ex gratia payment is negotiable and if they say it is not then you can always focus on other areas such as bonus payments, date of termination and holiday pay, etc for points of negotiation to increase the overall exit package.
Was there a genuine redundancy situation?
Many redundancies are carried out incorrectly to the point where they amount to unfair dismissal. If the errors are identifiable then that will be key to negotiating a better redundancy package.
First of all in order for the redundancy to be fair, there has to be a genuine redundancy situation, as follows:
As an example, your employer may decide to merge two roles into one, or divide the work amongst other staff, but if you are made redundant and your employer then recruits someone to do the same job that you were doing, then that does not look like a genuine redundancy situation. The exception here would be if that person was brought in on significantly less money than you were on, which is a legally acceptable reason to make you redundant.
Even if you think that your redundancy will be bad for business, an employment tribunal will not get involved with whether a decision to make a redundancy was sensible. They will only consider whether it was genuine and whether the selection process was objectively fair.
Is the selection pool for the redundancy fair?
Your employer will need to choose the ‘selection pool’ for redundancy, i.e. who is at risk of redundancy.
If you have not been placed in a pool then you need to ask what the business reason was for selecting you for redundancy. Also, if there are other people doing the same job as you, then they should be in the selection pool with you.
Where people are not doing the same job, but their roles are interchangeable or where the skill sets for the jobs are similar, then you should argue that the selection pool should include those roles too.
Of course, the bigger the selection pool, the less likely it will be you selected for redundancy.
Was the selection criteria objective and fairly applied?
If there are a number of people in the selection pool, then your employer needs to set a selection criteria to determine who should be made redundant from that pool. The criteria could include things like attendance, punctuality, skill, experience and productivity.
Attendance and punctuality can be checked against HR records, but questions about productivity, skill and experience are more subjective and will be based on the opinion of the person that will be doing the scoring, usually a line manager or team leader. Your employer should be able to back the scores by checking past appraisals and reviews. If there is no basis for the scores, then your redundancy will be easier to prove to be unfair.
In addition, you should also consider whether your selection for redundancy was discriminatory, for example, if you were off due to maternity related sickness or disability and your attendance score has been marked down and this was the basis of the selection, then the redundancy may be unfair and in breach of discrimination legislation.
Were you consulted about the redundancy?
Employees that are at risk of being made redundant should be given notice of this. There should be at least one meeting with the employer and you should be given written notice of this in advance of the meeting. Employers should discuss the rationale behind the decision to put you at risk of redundancy and the method of selection that will be used to decide which employees are to be made redundant. Your employer should consult with you about what other roles may be available to you and you may suggest alternatives also.
Where the employer proposes to make 20 or more people redundant it must hold a consultation period for a minimum of 30 days.
Where the employer proposes to make 100 or more people redundant the consultation period must be a minimum of 45 days.
You should be given the chance to bring a colleague to accompany you and they too may ask questions. This will be a serious meeting where you will be able to raise any concerns that you may have. If you are a member of a Trade Union you can take your union rep to the meeting.
If you think that you have a potential claim against your employer, this is the time to mention it on a ‘without prejudice’ basis. Here you could consider entering into a settlement agreement.
Was alternative work considered?
Your employer does not have to create roles in the business where none exist, but they should make an effort to identify any suitable alternative roles for those employees at risk of redundancy. This could involve them sending you a list of all available vacancies. Equally, it is important to note that if you refuse a suitable alternative role, this may negate your entitlement to a redundancy payment.
You will be in a much better position to argue that your redundancy was unfair if you apply for lots of roles in the organisation but were not successful. Also, it is worth remembering that if you are offered an alternative role, you are entitled to a four week trial period and if it doesn’t work out, you can still claim your redundancy pay.
Redundancy payments
To qualify for redundancy pay, you must have been continuously employed by the same employer for at least two years.
You should check your contract of employment to see whether there is an agreed method for calculating redundancy pay. This is called a ‘contractual redundancy payment’.
If the contract is silent on redundancy payments, then you will be entitled to a ‘statutory redundancy payment’, which is set by the Government.
Statutory redundancy pay
Statutory redundancy pay is calculated based on your number of completed years’ service. You will get:
A weeks pay is subject to a maximum figure of £525 (from April 2019).The maximum number of years which may be counted is 20.
Therefore, if you have worked somewhere for 20 years from the age of 41 to 61, you would be entitled to 20 x 1.5 x £525 = £15,750.
Redundancy payments up to £30,000 are not taxable. Anything above the statutory minimum is usually offered in exchange for your agreement not to sue your employer.
Can you negotiate a better settlement than what is on offer?
One way of considering negotiating a better deal in a redundancy situation is if he pool is small (only two or three of you) and your employer is looking for voluntary redundancies, or are targeting you unfairly.
If however, there was a large pool and you have evidence that you should not have been selected, or if there is alternative employment available that has not been offered, you may then go about making a case to your employer to negotiate a better payment.
An enhanced package under a settlement agreement may be offered in various circumstances. Some employers offer large amounts even when they don’t have to, usually to high earning employees such as senior HR or board level directors. This is known as a virtuous circle where a precedent is set for others who depart, as they will get a large package too. Some employers offer slightly more than statutory, but enough to tempt the employee to accept if their situation has little hope.
Participate in the redundancy process
Whilst negotiating on a without prejudice basis, you must participate by attending all the consultations and go through the appeals process. Often, it is better not to flag up your employers errors before being made redundant, as this then gives your employers a chance to correct them before making you redundant.
Evidence
During the redundancy process it is important that you ask for disclosure of documents that relate to the redundancy process, such as the scoring criteria and you should then demand to know who rated you and how. You may also ask to see evidence of the records that managers referred to, such as absence records, etc. You may even ask to see the scores of the other employees in the pool.
Asking for this information is a good way of encouraging your employer to offer an increased package, should they be feeling nervous that they may not have been entirely objective during the process so far. It is at this stage that you should consider submitting a written grievance, as it will force your employer to consider your arguments rather than fob you off.
Should you offer to resign before being made redundant?
If you are sure that you are going to be made redundant, you could offer to resign voluntarily instead. You could offer this in any redundancy situation really, whether you have a decent case or not, but it should be on the basis that your employer agrees to pay you a sum of money that recognises and takes into account the amount of time, effort and recourses that they will save by avoiding the whole redundancy process.
So, an example, by resigning you may save the business a whole month of management and HR time that would have been needed to follow the redundancy process. You could therefore ask for a month’s salary plus another month to take into account the time and effort saved on their part. This may be attractive to your employer, as it will be economical for them, as not only will it save time, they won’t have to carry out a fair process or give you a right of appeal.
How to appeal redundancy?
If you think you were unfairly selected or your employer did not follow a fair process, then you should submit a redundancy appeal. Appealing your redundancy does not affect your redundancy rights. If your employer does not have an appeals process, then you can write a redundancy appeal letter setting out your case. Once you have discussed with your employer why you think the redundancy was unfair, they can either accept or reject your appeal.
If you are not satisfied with your employer’s decision then you can take the matter to an employment tribunal.
What should I do next?
If you would like legal advice regarding redundancy, please complete the enquiry form or call us on 0161 249 5087and we can help you to determine if you have a case and discuss your options and/or settlement options.
We offer a range of funding options to assist you.
Use the contact form and or call us on 0161 249 5087 and our award winning legal team will contact you to find out how Versus Law can help you.
Living in a council or housing association property in the UK presents a unique set of challenges and responsibilities, especially when it comes to maintaining a healthy and safe living environment. As a tenant, it’s essential to be proactive in recognising and addressing signs of housing disrepair, not just for the comfort and wellbeing of…
Discretionary trusts are a notable aspect of estate planning in the UK, offering a flexible way for individuals to manage and distribute their assets. Under UK law, a discretionary trust is characterised by the discretion given to trustees in managing the trust’s assets and deciding on the distribution to beneficiaries. The settlor, who creates the…
Understanding the intricacies of property trusts is crucial. Among these, four distinct types stand out: Discretionary Trusts, Offshore Trusts, Possession Trusts, and Bare Trusts. Each of these trust structures offers unique benefits and drawbacks, tailored to different needs and circumstances. Discretionary Trusts: Flexibility and Control for the Settlor Discretionary trusts are characterised by the flexibility…
