It has long been thought that the laws in England and Wales which govern the disposal of bodies are outdated and in need of modernization. Many of the laws still applicable today have roots in the 19th century and do not reflect societies changing attitudes and advances in science.
There is no property in a dead body – no one can own a dead body.
Currently, the person entitled to possession of a body is the person under a duty to dispose of the body. It would make sense, therefore, that who is entitled to dispose of the body can change over time following someone’s death – i.e. the hospital, the Coroner’s office, the personal representatives or others entitled under the intestacy rules.
Following a cremation, ashes can only be handed over to the person who delivered the body for cremation but there is no definition of “ashes” – does it mean, all of the ashes, some of the ashes, are they in a sense “the body” and therefore cannot be owned?
Currently, the law does not ensure that a person’s own wishes as to how their body is disposed of are carried out. In fact, the only section in someone’s Will that is generally not legally binding is the “funeral wishes”.
It will not come as much of a surprise that disputes amongst families after the death of a loved one often arise around issues such as funeral arrangements and differing views on how to dispose of the body. The process is a very emotive one and a change in the law to recognise the deceased’s own wishes as binding will help to avoid such disagreements.
It could be argued that if there is no property in a dead body then how can the body be gifted or disposed of by a will, bought or sold – yet statute does permit a body to be donated for medicine or science. If you or a loved one does wish to have their body used in this way, arrangements should be made in advance with the chosen educational/research facility. Visit the Human Tissue Authority’s website and find your local/chosen medical school and follow their own procedures.
The Law Commission is currently in the Pre-consultation stage of a review of the laws regarding disposals of a body. They seek to recognize newer methods of disposal besides the traditional cremation and burial, many of which are already being used in other countries.
The current law is piecemeal and complex and as a result of the consultation, the Law Commission may make recommendations as to the need to change laws in this area. This may result in the need for many clients to update their Wills or prepare codicils stipulating their funeral wishes, especially if there is risk of disputes in the family or your own cultures/beliefs stipulate a particular method of disposal.
Please call us if you need any help or advice, 0800 84 94 101.
We are so pleased to be a part of legal and professional services group Ampa – and the group has now been awarded B-Corporation certification!
Organisations with certified B-Corporation status are legally required to consider the impact of business decisions on their people, customers, suppliers, communities and the environment, ensuring a balance between purpose, people and profit.
The benchmarks in order to achieve accreditation are incredibly high and the auditing process is rigorous, with non-profit B-Lab independently scoring companies across governance, workers, community, environment and customers to determine the business’ social and environmental performance.
In order to achieve certification, a company must:
Demonstrate high social and environmental performance by achieving a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above and passing our risk review. Multinational corporations must also meet baseline requirement standards.
Make a legal commitment by changing their corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders, and achieve benefit corporation status if available in their jurisdiction.
Exhibit transparency by allowing information about their performance measured against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available on their B Corp profile on B Lab’s website.
Dean Orgill, our chief executive partner, said: “This is a key milestone in our ambition to change the world of business for good. We believe we can be both purposeful and profitable and our B-Corporation values are embedded in our business strategy and fully supported from the top-down. We also take great pride in helping our clients achieve their sustainability goals.”
“As we continue to grow our group, we are looking for likeminded professional services brands to join Mayo Wynne Baxter and the wider Ampa group, whether they have B-Corporation status or not, and we can support them in their growth strategy as well as better business practices to people and the planet.”
Ampa also includes the brands Shakespeare Martineau, Lime Solicitors, Marrons, CSS Assure and Corclaim, employing more than 1,300 people over 18 hubs across the UK and is the largest legal and professional services group to have achieved B-Corporation accreditation.
Helen Hay, group head of culture and sustainability at Ampa, said: “This is a huge achievement for us and demonstrates our commitment as a group to use business as a force for good for our people, planet, communities and clients.
“We’re really proud to have achieved our highest score for how we treat our people, including our approach to pay and reward, our wellbeing initiatives and benefits and embedding professional development support and opportunities across the group of brands.
“We keep ourselves accountable through our responsible business ambitions that are constantly tracked and analysed, pushing us to do better and achieve more. So far, we have achieved a number of our ambitions across diversity and inclusion, reducing landfill waste and carbon emissions, as well as supporting young people in our local communities.”
Among other ambitions, in 2022 the group increased racial diversity at a membership (equity stakeholder) level by more than 3%, against a target of 2%, supported more than 400 young people through a variety of career development events, and significantly reduced its paper use.
We are often asked by clients what they need to do in the first few days or weeks following the death of a family member or friend and the first step is always the same.
It is essential to ascertain very early on whether there is a Will – whether there is or not will determine if individuals need to act as administrators and administer the estate in accordance with the intestacy rules or act as executors and administer the estate in accordance with the Will itself.
Establishing whether there is a Will also determines who will inherit the deceased’s estate i.e., who the beneficiaries are.
So, the initial step is look for a Will
The obvious place to look is the deceased’s home and amongst their paperwork.
A Will may not always be marked up as obviously as you might think and could be less than a page in length. It is important to look very carefully to ensure you haven’t missed what could simply be a sheet of paper.
The original Will should bear the deceased’s “wet ink” signature as well as those of the two witnesses. It is common, however, particularly if a solicitor prepared the Will for the original to be stored with the firm and the deceased to simply have a photocopy of the signed Will at home. You will eventually need to obtain the original.
If you cannot find an original Will or a copy of it, you may instead find a draft, unsigned version. This may have been sent to the deceased from a firm of solicitors. If so, look for any other letters from a solicitor (or will writer). The letters would normally be on the firm’s letterheaded paper, contain a reference number and, of course, contact details.
Get in touch with the solicitors and request they confirm whether a Will was ever prepared and signed with their assistance.
If the deceased had several properties or a business, it is also a good idea to ensure these additional properties or business premises are searched.
Ask friends and family
Whether you do find a Will or not amongst the deceased’s paperwork it is still always a good idea to speak with other family members or close friends of the deceased to check whether they have any information that may suggest there is a later Will or a Codicil. A Codicil is a document prepared in order to make changes to an existing Will. If there is a Codicil then the deceased’s last “Will and Testament” will consist of both the Will and the Codicil and both must be secured. It is possible to have more than one Codicil.
Ask advisors
If the deceased had an accountant or financial advisor for example, we suggest you also contact them. They may know more than friends and family about the deceased’s arrangements.
What if you still can’t find a Will?
It is important you start thinking about taking other reasonable steps to assure yourself there isn’t one.
You could instruct a search agent who will carry out the above steps either for you or in addition to you, just to be sure.
They can also make enquiries with local solicitors and go further afield, if necessary, for example, if the deceased previously lived in a different area of the country.
An agent may also commission a Will search via a national Will Register. These searches aren’t conclusive as it is not legally required to register a Will on a register of this nature. A negative result for a Will on the register is not evidence in itself that there is no Will but is further evidence that there isn’t one in place.
What do you do next?
If you do find a Will, the next step is to be sure that it is a valid Will. If a solicitor did prepare it and supervised the signing, it is highly likely there will be no issues with validity. However, if the Will was prepared at home by the deceased, the situation may be very different. We suggest you seek specialist advice, and our private client team can help in those circumstances.
Establishing whether there is a Will or not and whether it is valid is essential in all cases. You need to have taken reasonable steps in all the circumstances to satisfy yourself that either there is no Will or if there is one, that it is in fact the last Will.
Administering the estate incorrectly can be costly for you personally so always best to be sure.
If you have any questions or you want to make your own Will, contact the Private Client team.
You may have heard in the recent Autumn statement that the Inheritance Tax Nil Rate Band is to be frozen until at least April 2028.
What is the Nil Rate Band?
Essentially the Nil Rate Band is the amount of your estate you can pass to your beneficiaries before an Inheritance Tax liability will arise.
If your estate exceeds this value, anything over and above over this is taxed at 40%, in simple terms.
The current Nil Rate Band is £325,000. This figure may be familiar to many because the threshold hasn’t changed since 2009. Of course, as inflation takes effect, the true value of the Nil Rate Band will decrease in real terms. With ever increasing house values, it is easy to appreciate how many more estates will exceed this figure in value resulting in Inheritance Tax being payable.
If the Nil Rate Band had increased in line with the Consumer Price Index, it should have been set at around £465,000 in April 2023 and would have produced a £56,000 Inheritance Tax saving on average.
However, as the government struggles to balance the books and ensure adequate tax income over the next parliament, it has frozen the Nil Rate Band for even longer than originally stated – in turn, this will increase the tax burden on many more estates.
How to preserve your Nil Rate band
For most, trying to ensure they have the full amount of Nil Rate Band available for their executors to offset against their estate is one simple step they can take to reduce their estate’s Inheritance Tax liability.
Manage your lifetime gifting
The total value of any gifts you have made in the 7 years before your death is deducted from the amount of available Nil Rate Band that can be used on your death. For example;
Susan makes a gift of £250,000 in cash to her daughter, Kate on 24th March 2013. Susan dies on 18 August 2018. Susan has died within 7 years of the date of making the gift and as such, her executors only have £75,000 of available Nil Rate Band.
If Susan had lived until 25th March 2020, she would have survived a full 7 years and the £250,000 would not have used any of her Nil Rate Band up, her estate would have benefitted from the full £325,000 allowance.
This is the “7 year clock” you may have heard being referred to when making lifetime gifts.
It is important therefore to make lifetime gifts as soon as possible and as early in life as you can. This will increase the chances of you living the 7 year period.
Needless to say, there are lots of other factors to consider and this is a very simplified example – making lifetime gifts is not a feasible or advisable option for some.
Keep records of your spouse or civil partner’s affairsIf you have survived your spouse or civil partner, it is often helpful to ensure your executors have easy access to a copy of each of the following:
- their Will (if there was one);
- any inheritance tax returns submitted to HMRC on their estate’s behalf;
their death certificate;
- your marriage or civil partnership certificate;
- ideally a schedule of their assets and liabilities;
- and their Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration)
It is necessary to have these to hand as it will help your executors establish how much of your late spouse’s or civil partner’s Nil Rate Band can be transferred and offset against your estate. This is know as the Transferable Nil Rate Band.
Your executors should seek advice in this regard. Ensuring the maximum amount of Transferable Nil Rate Band is used could save your estate a further £130,000 of Inheritance Tax. The rules can be complex, particularly if you didn’t inherit all your late spouse’s or civil partner’s estate.
Ensure you leave your estate to the right people
In addition to the Nil Rate Band (and potentially, the Transferable Nil Rate Band), your estate could benefit from an allowance called the Residence Nil Rate Band. This allowance of £175,000 is available to offset against the value of your main residence. To qualify for this additional allowance, the property must be left to direct descendants such as your children or grandchildren.
There is also the possibility of transferring your late spouse’s or civil partner’s own Residence Nil Rate Band too. The rules around this are complex and your executors should seek advice.
The Residence Nil Rate Band and Transferable Nil Rate Band could, together, save your estate up to £140,000 in Inheritance Tax so it is important they are considered.
If you left your estate to a Discretionary Trust, for example, your estate would not, on the face of it qualify for this additional allowance – even if children or grandchildren are named as potential beneficiaries. It will be necessary to consider whether the practical advantages of gifting your estate and property to a trust of this nature outweigh the potential loss of the additional allowances.
In conclusion
Despite the Nil Rate Band dropping in value in real terms since 2009 and despite the fact it will continue to do so until 2028, it is still a valuable allowance to maintain and preserve. If you have any doubts as to what Nil Rate Band your estate may be able to benefit from, get in touch 0800 84 94 101.
If you are a trustee, you will need to consider carefully if you are required to register the trust.
The changes – which came into effect from 6 October 2020 – mean that all express trusts, even if they are not taxable will need to be registered unless they are excluded. All taxable trusts should be registered.
Do I need to register?
The legislation refers to all UK express trusts and a number of non UK express trusts. It is therefore easier to list the most common examples of trusts that are excluded from registering on the TRS.
Trusts that are excluded from registration (albeit not exclusively) include:
Deceased estates and trusts – those created on death and are distributed within two years. If the trust assets have not been distributed two years from the date of death, the trust must register at that date.
Trusts for vulnerable beneficiaries – bereaved minors and disabled persons trusts.
Bank accounts for minors – where a bank account for a child under the age of 18 has been set up by their parent.
Property ownership trusts – where property is held jointly and the trustees and beneficiaries are the same persons.
Insurance policies and compensation payment trusts – this is where the policy only pays out on death, illness or disability. Single life insurance premium bonds held in trust are not excluded.
Charitable trusts
Pilot trusts – those created before 6 October 2020 and holding less than £100. Any trusts created since that date, no matter the value held are not excluded from registration.
Why has this been implemented?
The reasoning behind this is the “maintenance of accurate and up-to-date information on the beneficial owner” was a “key factor in tracing criminals who might otherwise hide their identity”.
It has long been believed that trusts are used for criminal activities so unfortunately the additional administrative burden on all trusts is now required.
How can we help?
The area has constantly changed and there are many nuances to the registration requirements, we are able to review your trust to check if it needs to be registered and if it does we can request the required information and do this on the trustee’s behalf.
Please contact Jessica Partridge on 0800 84 94 101 or contact us here.
What happens to our frozen embryos when we divorce?
The number of couples who are deciding to freeze their embryos for personal and medical reasons is ever increasing. As a result, the Human Fertility and Embryology Act was put into force to police this modern innovation, but this new law has some deep flaws which are yet to be resolved.
In particular, what happens to these frozen embryos when the couple that made them decides to divorce?
How long can I store my embryos?
Embryos can be stored for up to 10 years, after which if they have been unused, they must be destroyed (an additional two years of storage was allowed due to the disruption caused by Coronavirus). This limit can also be extended for up to 55 years for individuals who can demonstrate a medical need for prolonged storage.
Does my partner need my consent to store / use the embryo?
Currently, a frozen embryo can only continue to be stored or used in treatment with the consent of both parties. Once the consent of both parties is given, either party is legally entitled to withdraw their individual consent at any time.
However, the withdrawal of consent triggers a 12-month ‘cooling-off’ period, during which the consent of both parties must be given in order for storage of the embryos to continue and consequently any possible use of the embryos in treatment. If both parties do not give their consent within this 12-month period, the embryos will be destroyed. Overall, the entire process of the storage and use of frozen embryos surrounds the consent on both parties involved.
Understandably, this matter is an emotional one for individuals who may see these embryos as their last chance to become a biological parent, despite the breakdown their relationship. Given the historical controversy of the ‘pro-life’ versus ‘pro-choice’ argument, it is shocking to note that, when it comes to frozen embryos, the right to life of the embryo and the right to a family life does not outweigh either of the parties’ right to withdraw their consent.
How can I protect my embryos if I divorce?
In light of these circumstances, some couples try to negotiate the continued storage of these embryos and even agree to sign away the possibility of making any financial claims on any children.
However, even these agreements are certainly not simple and more importantly, not legally binding. With this in mind, we would encourage anyone who is contemplating freezing their eggs to consider their legal position in order to avoid disappointment should their relationship break down during this 10-year period of storage.
Contact us:
The Family Team at Mayo Wynne Baxter is prepared to support the modern family through these issues with personal, but pragmatic legal advice. With the leadership of Resolution member, Grant Parker, we encourage our clients, where appropriate, to have amicable and calm conversations to reach an agreement that both parties are happy with.
If you are contemplating divorce, separation or the legal repercussions of fertility treatment, please call 01323 730543 to make an enquiry today or contact us here.
An Employment Tribunal has agreed that an electrician experienced sex-related harassment when his baldness was insultingly referred to by his supervisor.
Harassment
Under Section 26 of the Equality Act 2010, a person harasses another person if:
their conduct is unwanted and is related to a relevant protected characteristic; and
it has the purpose or effect of:
violating the other person’s dignity; or
creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person.
The relevant protected characteristics under Section 26 are:
age;
disability;
gender reassignment;
race;
religion or belief;
sex; and
sexual orientation.
The case
An electrician was employed by a manufacturer for a number of years before being dismissed.
A couple of years before his dismissal, the electrician got into an altercation with the factory supervisor, who threatened him with physical violence and called him a ‘bald c***’.
After his dismissal, the electrician brought several tribunal claims against the company, including a sex-related harassment claim regarding the comments made by the supervisor.
The Employment Tribunal
The electrician’s harassment claim was successful.
The tribunal found that the language used by the supervisor was unwanted and went beyond the usual ‘industrial language’ of the shop floor by remarking on the electrician’s personal appearance.
It further found that the comment purposely violated his dignity and created an intimidating, hostile or degrading environment for him.
The main question that the tribunal had was whether the comment related to a relevant protected characteristic.
To answer this question, it drew an analogy to another case where a manager’s comment on the size of a woman’s breasts was found to be sex-related harassment.
In that case, it was found that the comments were highly likely to relate to her gender.
Similarly, the tribunal said that because baldness is more likely to affect men than women, calling the electrician ‘bald’ did amount to harassment as it related to his sex.
The level of compensation the firm will have to pay hasn’t yet been decided.
What this means for you?
This case is a reminder to be aware of the dangers of workplace ‘banter’.
Unwanted comments about a person’s appearance (related to a protected characteristic) could be considered harassment.
These comments don’t specifically have to target a protected characteristic to be considered harassment under the Equality Act, they only have to relate to one.
You have a responsibility to take reasonable steps to stop harassment from taking place and to create a safe working environment at your business.
You can do this by implementing an anti-harassment policy that outlines the consequences of commenting on personal appearances and informs employees that you won’t tolerate such behaviour.
You can use the Harassment Policy in our Employee Handbook for this purpose.
LawEasier, Online legal service from Mayo Wynne Baxter
A business, in which one or both of the parties on divorce has an interest, is a financial resource which the court considers when determining a fair financial outcome. This will be determined in accordance with what are called the s25 factors.
S25 Factors: What does the law say?
These are the range of factors set out in s25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. These factors include; the needs of the parties, the standard of living enjoyed during the marriage, income and earning capacity and contributions made during the marriage.
The court treats business interests as a resource of the parties under section 25(2)(a) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973.
The court has two essential functions in financial remedy cases involving businesses:
To establish the value of the parties’ interests in the business.
To decide how that value should be reflected in the final financial distribution.
The decision about whether to value a business in proceedings for a financial remedy may not be straightforward and it is essential to obtain expert legal advice before proceeding with a valuation.
Step 1: Valuing a business
There are several different methods an expert may use to value a business. The expert will value the business taking in account various factors, for example, the assets that the business owns, the business earnings and profit and the way the business established and run.
In valuing a business, an expert may consider issues of liquidity and how money can be withdrawn from the business to fund a settlement, or the extent to which the business provides income to meet ongoing periodical payments (spousal maintenance).
Is divorce settlement money from a business taxable?
There are tax implications to extracting money from a business to fund a settlement and an expert should be asked to consider the most tax efficient methods of raising capital. If a substantial dividend is extracted to allow a party to pay a large lump sum and continue working in the business, both CGT and dividend tax may be payable.
What happens in regards to shares?
In exceptional circumstances, determining a fair financial outcome based on the current market value of shares may not be appropriate. For example, in B v B [2015] EWHC 210 (Fam) the husband was part of the senior management of a pharmaceutical company, in which he held shares and loan notes acquired during the marriage. The shares and loan notes were non-transferrable, and the court found that the wife should share in their future value as and when they were realised, by the husband paying her a lump sum or series of lump sums.
What happens if the business is not doing well?
The value of a business is not the same as the value of cash. In Wells v Wells [2002] EWCA Civ 476, the husband retained the majority of shares in the business, which was performing poorly and which the judge had found impossible to value. In addition, he was awarded £695,000 and the wife received around £1.35 million. The husband appealed and the Court of Appeal increased the husband’s share of non-business assets.
Step 2: Achieving a fair financial outcome
To achieve a fair financial outcome, courts may:
Divide the assets in specieto provide each party with a proportionate share of the liquid and illiquid assets
Transfer shareholdings held by one party to the other.
This would particularly be the case where the parties to the divorce are both shareholders in the business and would be in accordance with the ‘clean break’ principle (that former spouses should settle their financial affairs in a way so that financial relations between them completely come to an end).
It would be rare for a court to order the transfer of shares to another party where only one party owns shares in the company as this would go against the clean break principle. It could also cause disruption to the running of the business.
Apply a discount to illiquid assets received by a party.
The court also has the power to order a sale although a court will rarely do so because often, a business will be a source of wealth for the parties that, if sold, would bring an end to the income that it generates. Also, if a substantial part of the family wealth is the business, its liquidity might make it difficult to achieve a clean break.
If you would like any further information on how the court treats business assets on divorce, then please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team for a confidential discussion about your personal circumstances.
In this modern era, social media has become an essential and powerful tool for almost all businesses.
Various platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, to name a few, provide an excellent platform for well—established businesses, small companies and start-ups to promote their products and services whilst engaging directly with clients and customers.
Companies can be available 24/7 and use these platforms for marketing and publicity. It is a world of instantaneous connection and global exposure.
Threats to your business’ intellectual property
Although there are seemingly endless possibilities and considerable benefits to having a large and diverse presence on social media, there are many issues that may threaten your business’ intellectual property (‘IP’).
1. Your intellectual property is stolen
As much of the content on the web is easy to access, it can seem to many that it is free to use. However, the majority of the images online are copyrighted. Unauthorised use of images could mean that you are breaking the law or that someone is committing an offence by using your IP without authority.
2. You use copyrighted material
Improper use of social media can lead to breaches in the law relating to IP, particularly copyright and trademark.
While knowledge in this area is increasing, you would not want to breach the relevant laws unknowingly as the consequences can be severe. You also want to ensure that your IP is adequately protected and that your employees are aware of what to look out for in terms of infringement.
Creating a social media policy
To protect your business’s identity and rights online, you should establish and implement a policy for using social media and keep this up to date.
As social media develops rapidly, it is difficult for the law to keep up. Many of the existing law was established without social media in mind, particularly in relation to the sophisticated platforms available widely today.
The following initiatives should be implemented as a first step towards protecting your IP Rights on social media platforms.
- Create and publish a statement relating to your IP and ensure that your employees are aware of it.
- Consider the particular threats to your business and develop a strategy to identify and deal with any issues as they arise.
- Check your social media accounts regularly to ensure that they are secure. If your accounts are hacked, this may compromise your security, the information communicated from your account as well as any data held within the account.
- Businesses need to recognise that their IP is a valuable asset and treat it as such. Some small companies and start-ups sometimes only have social media accounts and do not have a separate website, and the consequences can be devastating if these are compromised. What would be the cost and long-lasting effects for your business if your account was hacked or if you lost access to your social media accounts?
- Ensure that nothing you share or promote infringes any copyright law or the trademark belonging to another business.
- Keep up to date with the changes in the laws around social media and IP and adjust and adapt your policies and strategies accordingly.
- In summary, it is essential to recognise the value of your IP and the importance of it to your business.
If you need advice on the matters raised, such as IP infringement, please contact our Dispute Resolution team on 0800 84 94 101
With over 100,000 female solicitors currently practicing in the UK, it is hard to imagine a time when women were not allowed into the profession. And yet it was only 100 years ago in 1922 when the very first female solicitor was admitted to the roll in England.
Carrie Morrison was enrolled in the profession following the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 coming into force, which paved the way for women’s entry into the legal profession for the first time. This followed several previous legal attempts to allow women entry into the profession, most notably Bebb v Law Society, which challenged the Law Society to admit females to its preliminary exams, on the basis that women came under the definition of a ‘person’ in the Solicitors Act 1843.
The 1919 Act was momentous legislation which meant that Morrison, together with Mary Pickup, Mary Sykes and Maud Crofts, were able to complete their Law Society examinations and finally qualify as solicitors.
Morrison’s career as a solicitor was very much one of standing up for those unable to defend themselves. During the years following her qualification, she spent her time working as a Poor Man’s Lawyer, a service that was established in 1891 and was the inspiration for our current legal aid system. Morrison often represented prostitutes in court and was the solicitor for the Women and Children’s’ Protection Society.
Most notable was her work towards the Divorce Law Reform and Morrison was the first lady solicitor in living memory to represent a woman petitioner, under the Poor Person’s Rules. Together with her ex-husband, also a solicitor, she advocated to make the divorce process more reasonable and fairer for both parties, as the law required that the process should be adversarial, with one party ‘placing blame’ on the other. It is particularly poignant that we celebrate Morrison in the same year that the divorce law is finally leaving behind this archaic legislation and moving towards a more amicable process based on ‘no-fault’.
In 2020, the Law Society honoured Morrison by having a room, currently known as the Old Bookshop, renamed in her honour at its historic headquarters in Chancery Lane.
In Scotland, Madge Easton Anderson became the first female solicitor in the UK when she was admitted to the roll in 1920. Anderson also practiced as a Poor Man’s Lawyer within her community in Glasgow and in 1937, she qualified as a solicitor in England, making her the first woman to qualify in two jurisdictions in the UK. She established the first all-female law firm in London with two other women, Edith Annie Berthan and Beatrice Honour Davy, proving her to be a true pioneer.
We owe a great deal to the likes of Carrie Morrison and Madge Anderson. They fought with sheer determination for women to have the right to work in law, a profession that was dominated by men at the time and is now, according to the Law Society, 51% female.
The coat of arms of the first female President of the UK Supreme Court, Baroness Hale, carries the motto ‘Omnia Feminae Aequissimae’, which means “women are equal to everything”. Carrie Morrison and Madge Anderson proved this to be true and as female professionals working within law, we are proud to continue to strive towards this.