5th January 2021
IMPORTANT CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
We regret that in view of the latest Coronavirus restrictions we will once again be forced to close our offices to visitors with immediate effect. This is a decision that we have taken far from lightly but we believe that it gives us the best chance of being able to meet clients needs whilst keeping staff and clients safe.
The alternative would be to close the office altogether which is not something that we wish to contemplate at the present time.
Please be assured that we will continue to work on your matters and deal with your enquiries. We will do so through the use of post, email, telephone and Zoom.
We ask that you bear with us. Some of the agencies we rely on for information will not be able to work. This and a reduction in our admin support may lead to inadvertent delays despite our best efforts to avoid them and even though we are working in evenings and at weekends to try and meet demand. Our rationale is that being able to offer an altered form of client service is better than not being able to offer any service at all.
Meantime we hope that you all stay safe in these difficult times. Your business remains as important to us as ever so please continue to contact us by telephone, email and post and we will do our absolute best to deal with your enquiry in the most effective way that we can but with the least risk to health.
Many thanks
All at Sanderson McCreath & Edney
28th October 2020
WILLS SCHEME
We are pleased to announce that we are launching the SME Wills Scheme 2020 beginning on the 9th November 2020. The Scheme will run for two weeks and it will involve clients making simple Wills with the cost being donated to selected local charities.
This means that we will not be charging for our own costs; all donations will be equally divided between the selected local charities and we will also arrange to store the Wills in our strongroom for safekeeping, for free.
This year we are proud to be supporting three fantastic local charities:
You can pay however much of a donation you feel, but in order to raise as much money as possible for these amazing charities, the suggested donation is £100 for a single Will and £180 for two mirror Wills.
We would like to reassure you that we can make adjustments as a result of the current COVID-19 restrictions. Instead of inviting you into the office, we can conduct appointments over the telephone or via Zoom. When the Wills are ready to be signed, they can be posted out to you with instructions on how to sign them whilst abiding by the social distancing guidelines. Alternatively, if you would prefer to see a Solicitor face-to-face, we will arrange a scheduled appointment in advance to ensure you are the only client in the office at the time.
If you are interested or would like further information, please contact us by telephoning us on 01289 306724 between 10am and 1pm or by emailing general.office@sm-e.co.uk. Our staff will take your details, provide more information on the process and book you an appointment to speak to one of our Solicitors.
10th September 2020
We are delighted to share with you the magnificent achievements of two members of our team within the firm…
Heather, who has been with us completing her legal training over the last two years, qualified last Thursday. Everyone in the office is very pleased for her and looks forward to working with her over the coming months as she gains experience and confidence as our Assistant Solicitor.
Our Solicitor Apprentice, Matthew, has also achieved excellent results on his first year of the Degree Apprenticeship Programme, with his efforts receiving formal recognition by being awarded the Law School Prize. We appreciate the hard work Matthew has put in and are pleased with his fantastic result.
Congratulations to both from everyone at Sanderson McCreath & Edney
July 2020
The government have declared a Stamp Duty holiday!
This means you can buy a home up to the purchase price of £500,000 and pay no Stamp duty.
Usually properties above £125,000 are subject to the land tax which can add thousands to the cost of buying your own home. For example; a purchase price of £275,000 typically incurs stamp duty fees worth £3,750.
If you have been thinking about moving up (or down) the property ladder then now is a great time to buy.
The new home must become your main residence and you have until the 31st March 2021 to take advantage of the holiday.
We have a conveyancing department whom are well equipped to help you through the process of buying your new home. For more information simply contact us by email or telephone.
13th May 2020
Following the government’s announcement to re-open Estate Agents in order to get the housing market moving again, we wish to remind you that our conveyancing department has stayed open throughout the outbreak and continues to offer a full conveyancing service.
We are progressing new and ongoing instructions electronically in these challenging times. Therefore minimal social contact is required.
Should you be looking to buy or sell property, or require our assistance in another area of concern, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Please email general.office@sm-e.co.uk for a quote and to request a call back for more information.
Our telephone lines remain open on reduced hours; Monday to Friday 10am to 1pm. 01289 306724
Are you running a business?
We are currently reaching out to clients and the wider business community with as much support as we can. For instance do you know how the furlough process works?
As part of this service, if you would like a free, no obligation video conference with one of our solicitors, to go over business issues surrounding COVID-19 do not hesitate to to let us know. Our telephone lines are currently open between 10am and 2pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively you can email us at general.office@sm-e.co.uk or send us a direct message via our Facebook page.
It has come to our attention that all NHS staff are currently being advised to make a Will and we agree that this is an excellent idea.
That is why we have decided to offer a free Will writing service for all NHS staff and their spouses/civil partners during April and May.
Contact us for a video link interview over Skype or Zoom. After the brief interview, we will confirm your instructions by email, send you a draft for approval and then prepare your Will according to your instructions.
We will then send it to you in the post with instructions on how to execute the Will correctly.
We will ensure that your Will is drafted correctly, signed correctly, checked and securely stored, all for free!
IMPORTANT CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
26th March 2020
Please note in view of the current situation our phones are only being manned between 10am and 2pm.
Outside of those hours we are only contactable by direct email to the member of staff dealing with your matter.
Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Thank you
All at Sanderson McCreath & Edney
22nd March 2020
By way of further update I regret that we have closed our offices to visitors with immediate effect. This is a decision that we have taken far from lightly but we believe that it gives us the best chance of being able to meet clients needs whilst keeping staff and clients safe.
The alternative would be to close the office altogether which is not something we wish to contemplate at the present time.
Please be assured that we will continue to work on your matters and deal with your enquiries. We will do so through the use of post, email and telephone.
Our rationale is that being able to offer an altered form of client service is better than not being able to offer any service at all.
Please continue to contact us by telephone, email and post and we will deal with your enquiry in the most effective but with the least risk to health way that we can.
Many thanks
All at Sanderson McCreath & Edney
20th March 2020
The office currently remains open for business.
At present all of our staff remain fit and well and wish to continue to be there for you, our clients. We appreciate it is a very anxious time for everyone. If you have any legal concerns at all, please contact the office and we will do our best to find a way to help you, avoiding any social contact, or visits to the office as much as possible.
In the current situation we wish to assure you we are doing our best to push through all ongoing property sales and purchases.
If you are thinking about updating your Will, or need to create one from scratch, please telephone the office. Telephone appointments can be made avoiding any visit to the office. Instructions can then be taken over the phone.
The same procedure is in place should you wish to set up any Lasting Power of Attorney or if you are facing the loss of a loved one and require our assistance in finalising their affairs.
Please do not struggle at home on your own. We wish to carry on as normal for as long as possible. We will keep you informed as soon as we face any possible delays or disruption.
Sanderson McCreath & Edney
Tel: 01289 306724
18th March 2020
We appreciate that some of our clients may have concerns about the current outbreak of Covid-19 (Coronavirus).
The chance of catching the virus is low but we take our responsibilities to our staff and clients very seriously.
With this in mind we are taking the following precautions in the office and will continue to do so until the risk passes:
- Hand cleanser and wipes have been placed in our reception area and are freely available for clients to use. Any clients wishing to wash their hands on arriving at or leaving the office are welcome to do so.
- Hand towels within the office have been replaced with disposable paper towels.
- We ask that clients be on time for appointments but not arrive excessively early to avoid waiting in reception thereby minimising contact.
- Any clients who feel unwell or are displaying symptoms are asked to either reschedule their appointment or request a scheduled appointment for advice over the telephone rather than in person.
- Our staff have been advised that if they display any symptoms then they should not come into the office. If this happens then please bear with us if we have to reschedule appointments
If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact the office for further advice and assistance.
We are a firm concerned with the future of our young people…
We encourage and support training of all of our team; particularly those who are keen to progress up the ladder and are interested in becoming a fee earning Solicitor.
We see those people as the future of our firm, profession and local community.
Matthew joined us in 2013 as our Office Junior and quickly progressed into the role of Receptionist. He has shown an interest in the legal process involved in buying and selling property.
After a number of years dealing with general enquiries and helping our support team prepare and register property owners with the Land Registry, Matthew took a big step in October 2019 when he became our first Solicitor Apprentice.
We are keen to support Matthew down the paid, on the job training programme which will lead to him becoming a qualified solicitor in six years’ time. Matthew gains experience in managing client files four days a week under the supervision and guidance of the Directors. He has one day a week to study and on a regular basis uses this day to attend Northumbria University.
Matthew has already shown great promise, achieving excellent results in his first exam…
We have high hopes for him!
We actively encourage and remain open to suitable candidates whom have the skills, interest and motivation to apply themselves to achieve great things and carve out a career in law.
Please feel free to contact the office for more information on Legal Apprenticeships.
Alternatively, more information about the course can be found at https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/law-careers/becoming-a-solicitor/qualifying-without-a-degree/apprenticeships/
We are currently offering you the chance to save on your purchase costs…
