Employment law specialist and health and safety advisor Bibby Consulting & Support had a record sales month in October – its best month in nearly four years.

At the same time, the Newcastle-under-Lyme Company has created a number of new posts over the last few months, including a head of projects, Steven Attwood, to manage long-term in-house investments in systems and processes, and a dedicated training manager, Jon Hughes, to further expand their training services.

A key factor in Bibby Consulting & Support’s growth has been its continued expansion into major target markets such as care homes and franchising. Major contract wins from big names like Select Healthcare and the Domino’s Pizza Group have reflected the increasing demand for the company’s expertise in specific market sectors.
Understanding the needs of a sector and being able to deliver skills and solutions that have been refined over the years are the main reasons Bibby Consulting & Support has seen such impressive growth, according to Managing Director Michael Slade.

“By specialising, we have been able to show that we can clearly provide our client base with a level of service and support that is specific to their business needs,” he says. “As a result, confidence is very high within the company and we are achieving all of our goals.”

As well as supporting customers, Bibby Consulting & Support has put long-term investment into its own staff. This includes a programme of having all of its Tele-marketing team in Newcastle under Lyme accompany field sales people to gain a deeper understanding of customer’s needs. The company has also provided funding and support to enable staff to secure further qualifications. This has included training courses for people within support functions, as well as studies leading to qualifications for client facing staff, through the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

“We see this as succession planning,” says Slade. “We have some very gifted individuals who, having initially joined the business via the Tele-marketing team, have then gone onto use their degrees to great effect within other departments, such as our Business Improvement function or others who have qualified in specific areas of Employment Law to help run our indemnity activity. We see investment in staff as a great way to prepare the next generation. Whilst some businesses are cutting training budgets, we believe investment in our people is exactly what is needed to create a successful business.”

Bibby Consulting & Support’s parent company the Bibby Line Group has once again won a National Business Award 2011 in partnership with Orange. The judges said: “Demonstrating that a large and diverse business can deliver consistent growth with family values at its core, Bibby Line Group has demonstrated a recognised commitment to staff, and ethical practice has been driven by strong leadership and management.” Slade concludes: “If you are recognised as a good company to work you will attract the best people and that’s vitally important to ensure we continue to provide a top quality service to our customers.”

For further information about Bibby Consulting & Support employment law specialists and health and safety advisors, visit http://www.bibbycas.com

A new set of family procedure rules will apply in England and Wales from the 6 April 2011.

In particular, the new set of family procedure rules effective from the 6 April 2011 will affect divorce and financial cases and extra care must always be taken where a family case has an international dimension to it.

One of the significant changes to the rule is that there is a requirement for any Applicant to first see a mediator to determine whether or not mediation is in fact suitable for the case. The difficulty is that where a case, in particular, involves European Union countries (except Denmark) then this could allow the other party i.e. the Respondent to receive advance notice of what is happening. He or she may then tactically try and claim jurisdiction in the EU country which best suits his/her case. Contacting the other party could therefore be fatal. The reason for this is that the financial outcome in the different countries could be significantly different.

All is not lost however as there are some exemptions available which could still allow a party to issue proceedings in England and Wales and therefore to claim jurisdiction in the usual way. There are mixed thoughts about this (often called the lis pendens rule) because it creates tactics and it can actually inflame a situation presently there is no real way round it because as I say to delay could be fatal where a case has an international element to it. In many none EU countries, some regard is given still as to who was first to start the proceedings and therefore it is arguable that the exemption from seeing a mediator should apply in all cases of possible foreign proceedings.

There is justifiable criticism of European Union policymakers who have created this “first to issue” rule in divorce proceedings or it can create what is often called “anti-settlement” and “anti-family life” problems. Whatever the rights and wrongs, extra care should always be taken where the case has some international dimension to it.
A divorce or separation can be a very difficult and stressful time. Not only does it affect the status of a relationship but it also has implications both in relation to the finances and any children.

Extra care must be taken where the case has an international element to it because there could be more than one country where the divorce could start. The financial outcomes in each country could be starkly different and specialist advice from a family law solicitor Cheshire must be taken in each country.
Legally, however, a divorce is a relatively straightforward procedure. There is one ground for a divorce: the marriage has irretrievably broken down.
There are five ways of showing this to a Court:
•    Adultery
•    Behaviour
•    Desertion for more than two years
•    Separation for two years or more with the other person’s consent
•    Separation for five years or more without the other person’s consent

A general law practice means nearly all sectors and aspects of law are covered allowing all legal services to be carried out under one roof through specialized departments and solicitors.

Company Law is complex and is constantly changing. If you own or run a business it can be impossible to keep up with developments within commercial or employment law. This is where specialists can be a huge asset, as it is their job to ensure that they are constantly keeping up to date with developments, so you don’t have to. Commercial specialists have a wealth of experience in dealing with any commercial legal issue, and are exceptionally respected within the legal community. With our existing clients ranging from national and international Companies to small companies or business startups, you can be assured that regardless of what legal advice you need, our commercial law team will be more than capable of ensuring you receive the advice and results you need.

All conveyance work undertaken is handled by experienced conveyancers, who ensure that throughout the entire conveyancing process, you are kept up-to-date, and that you always understand each step of the process in full. This allows us to guarantee that your move is as smooth and as stress free as possible, exactly as it should be.

Employment law is probably one the fastest moving areas of law, so an expert employment law team will ensure that their clients and themselves are always at the forefront of each development. This ensures that an employment law team is always able to offer the very best advice and representation, to both Business’ and Individuals alike.

By ensuring that personal injury specialists are continuously keeping up to date with the most recent developments in the field of injury claims, a solicitors practice are able to considerably maximise the compensation which you may be entitled to.

Hull solicitors operate on a completely no-win-no-fee basis, and are pleased to offer a first free interview to advise you on your claim and how it may be funded.

Below are just some examples of what personal injury claims we are able to deal with:
Road accidents
Accidents at work
Industrial Deafness Cases
Asbestos Claims
Accident in the street or other public place

A solicitor will offer a sensitive and efficient service, and are able to ensure that you are always advised and guided in the best possible way. Whether you wish to make your own Will, need help and advice when somebody has passed on, or when someone has been taken into care, they are always able to offer legal advice or services designed to help.

Lasting Powers of Attorney allow you to nominate someone to manage your financial affairs if you become incapable of doing so. We can assist you with drafting and registering these important documents. If someone has already lost capacity we can also assist with an application to the Court of Protection.

Solicitors in Hull are also able to assist in Inheritance Tax planning.
Wills drafted
Wills stored free of charge
Long term care planning
Inheritance planning
Help and advice when somebody dies
Lasting Power of attorney Court of Protection
Preparation and Administration of Trusts

Litigation experts provide assistance and representation both in the Court and Tribunal, or, through mediation or other alternative dispute resolution method. Providing the most discreet and professional litigation service earns a solicitor a very good reputation and makes them one of the experts in this field, whilst at the same time always providing a fast, efficient and cost effective service.

Just some of the Litigation services a solicitor provides are:
Construction disputes
Contract disputes
Litigation arising from commercial transactions or commercial contracts
Professional negligence
Litigation arising from disputes over the ownership or occupation of property
Company disputes
Partnership dispute