Category: Latest News

No sick pay for unvaccinated staff

Posted on by Ilinca Mardarescu

The tensions surrounding people’s choice on whether to have the vaccine or not has recently had a lot of airtime. Few have missed the problems being unvaccinated has caused to Novak’s career recently when his visa was repealed in Australia.

Ikea have also now weighed in with the announcement that they will be cutting company sick pay for those employees who are not double-jabbed. Indeed, although Ikea has received the most publicity for this, other companies have also announced a similar intention.

Ikea’s reasoning for this is that staffing levels currently are a great concern and those who are not double-jabbed have to self-isolate if they have come into close contact with someone who has Covid. This could mean that a considerable proportion of staff would have to be off work without even being ill but purely due to the fact they have not had their double vaccinations. The company has said that throughout the pandemic it had not furloughed staff and those self-isolating had received full pay. Company sick pay is that over and above the required statutory sick pay which is currently set at £96.50 per week. But it is in fact common for the entitlement to company sick pay to have some conditions attached (such as the requirement to see a company-appointed doctor as required). However, the aim of this recent change is for Ikea to be able to keep its stores open and running effectively, which it is currently struggling to do. Ikea has been at pains to point out that this will not be a blanket approach however and that they will consider each and every case individually. In truth, that is the only way they would be able to avoid potential claims of disability or other discrimination. There are those who cannot have the vaccinations or have medical reasons for not having them.

In legal terms, the decision will fall to managers to consider any mitigating circumstances. No doubt they will be supported by HR but training on issues to consider in these circumstances is essential. The proposed changes will also need to be implemented correctly to avoid any allegations that such changes are a breach of employee’s contracts.

The decision is bound to be a controversial one but, implemented in the correct way, is not necessarily an illegal one. Ikea have a legitimate aim which is to avoid too many staff members being off work, especially unnecessarily so. The question as to whether their actions are proportionate will no doubt be closely scrutinised and may well end up being the subject of a challenge later on. it will also be interesting to see how many other companies adopt a similar approach. But irrespective of the legalities, some will no doubt argue that this is yet another way of adding pressure for those that have chosen not to be vaccinated.

Jade Gani winner of the Young Practitioner of the Year at the STEP awards

Posted on by Ilinca Mardarescu

We are extremely proud to announce that our very own Jade Gani was the winner of the Young Practitioner of the Year at the STEP awards last night.

 STEP is the global professional association for those advising families across generations.  Jade, and the private client team as a whole, have worked particularly hard during the past few years, especially during the pandemic, and this recognition is very much deserved.

The Judges said: In a very strong field, our winner stood out not only for their considerable professional accomplishments but for their selfless commitment to others through their pro-bono and charitable efforts. They devoted significant time, energy and passion to those less fortunate. During a year when many were challenged, they rose above the fray in several ways, including providing free wills for NHS staff.

The awards have been described by notable practitioners as:-

 “The very best in the private client industry – everyone appreciates that the entries are genuinely and fully scrutinised and independently and rigorously judged – worth winning in other words!” (Ceris Gardner TEP, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP)

“The Oscars of our industry and the one all of us wish to win. Clients, staff and competitors all look to these awards as a measure of quality.” (Mark McMullen, Stonehage Fleming)

Stephen Puri, Aston Bond CEO commented:

“We are delighted for Jade. She continues to work hard and strive for the very best and this result is testament to her commitment to work and clients alike.”

Aston Bond Shortlisted for The British Wills and Probate Awards 2021

Posted on by Ilinca Mardarescu

We are delighted to announce that our Private Client team continue to build on their successes and have been shortlisted for two awards at the British Wills & Probate Awards 2021.

Background

Last year, our Head of Private Client, Jade Gani, won the ‘Young Practitioner of the Year’ Award at the national British Wills & Probate Awards 2020. This award was a crowning moment for our team as Jade secured the win against formidable competition from much larger, highly regarded firms, namely Shoosmiths and Morrisons Solicitors.

Since then, the department has gone from strength to strength. The team won the ‘Best Community Contribution” Award at the Probate Research Awards 2021, which recognised our dedication to the local community as well as our charity work. Ilinca Mardarescu, Director, also won the ‘Unsung Hero’ Award for all the unwavering support she provides to the department and the firm as a whole.

Jade’s national success has even extended globally as she is a finalist for the ‘Young Practitioner of the Year’ at the 2021 STEP Private Client Awards. The winner of this award will be announced via a virtual ceremony on 23 September 2021.

British Wills & Probate Awards 2021

At this year’s prestigious British Wills and Probate Awards 2021, we are excited to announce that Aston Bond have been shortlisted for ‘Probate Provider of the Year (Small Firms)’, alongside fellow shortlisters, Farewill Ltd and Sterling Trust Law Corporation Limited. Only the firms and practitioners who excel in the field will be awarded the winning spot.

The firm’s shortlisting for ‘Probate Provider of the Year’ required us to:-

  1. Demonstrate the ability to deliver high standards of service and support to clients;
  2. Show that they provide real benefits to clients and strategic partners;
  3. Show that they work consistently to improve efficiencies and reduce costs for all parties;
  4. Show innovation in developing and bringing to market new service offerings; and
  5. Show they adopt the best philosophy to client integration.

In relation to Aston Bond’s nomination for the Probate Provider of the Year, Director Ilinca Mardarescu said:-

“We are so proud of everything that the whole team has achieved.  They are going from strength to strength and we feel that this is testament to their passion for the work they are doing.  They genuinely care about helping our clients in the very best way possible.”

Jade also received several nominations for Today’s Wills and Probate Industry Champion; a new category introduced this year to recognise those who have made contribution to the sector for the better. The wider sector nominated individuals outside of their own organisations and we are proud to say that Jade’s nominations were impressive enough to see her shortlisted with other remarkable members of the industry.

Every nomination had to provide the following:-

  1. A demonstration of how they put their client’s interests at the forefront of everything they do;
  2. Evidence of how they have excelled at dealing with the transition to a remote working environment; and
  3. A demonstration that they have overcome challenges with minimal disruption to the outcome of their work.

When asked about her nomination for the award, Jade replied with the following:-

“I am a little in shock. It was overwhelming to win the Young Practitioner Award last year, but to be recognised amongst the entire industry is something I could only dream of, until now! I have looked up to Michael, Ian and Holly for a long time; seeing my name up there with them makes me feel proud of my journey and even more determined to strive to be the best I can for my team and clients. Each of them are worthy winner in my eyes.”

It is now up to a public vote to decide the winner of this category, which is open until 27th September 2021. If you would like to vote for your chosen winner, you can do so here:- https://www.britishwillsandprobateawards.co.uk/industry-champion-award/

The winners will be announced at a hybrid event on Thursday 21 October 2021.

Jade Gani Shortlisted for Global STEP Private Client Awards 2021

Posted on by Rachel Jones

We are exceptionally proud to announce that our very own Head of Private Client, Jade Gani, has been shortlisted for ‘Young Practitioner of the Year’ at the global STEP Private Client Awards 2021; awards which are seen as the hallmark of quality within the Private Client industry and which celebrate excellence among the profession.

The awards saw hundreds of entrants from across the world, all of which underwent a rigorous judging process before being narrowed down to the shortlisted finalists. Judges are supported by an independent panel of experts comprising of internationally renowned practitioners in the wealth management arena.

The awards have been described by notable practitioners as:-

 “The very best in the private client industry – everyone appreciates that the entries are genuinely and fully scrutinised and independently and rigorously judged – worth winning in other words!” (Ceris Gardner TEP, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP)

“The Oscars of our industry and the one all of us wish to win. Clients, staff and competitors all look to these awards as a measure of quality.” (Mark McMullen, Stonehage Fleming)

Whilst Jade specialises in complex Wills, Trusts, Tax, Estate Planning and Court of Protection work and has a fantastic relationship with her colleagues, Clients and 3rd parties alike, it was her unwavering charitable endeavours that formed the focus of her nomination. Most notably, together with Directors Duncan Thomson and Stephen Puri, Jade successfully launched The Wishing Will Foundation earlier this year, after two years of careful planning, cultivating local relationships and sheer hard work.

The Wishing Will Foundation is a Community Interest Company that prepares expertly drafted Wills in exchange for donations to local hospices and charities that support the most vulnerable members of our community. They are currently partnered with Thames Hospice, Ella’s, Christopher’s Smile and Citizen’s Advice Bracknell & District – with many more local charities registering their interest to become involved too. Jade commented:-

“The Wishing Will Foundation is a cause very close to my heart. It is important to me to support our wider community as much as possible – and the Wishing Will allows me to do that by using my expertise to its full advantage. It should also help us reduce the prevalence of Intestate Estates, meaning more certainty and peace of mind for our loved ones using the scheme. It also helps to spread the word about the amazing work undertaken every day by our partnered charities, who often rely on legacies in Wills to continue to provide their services.”

In respect of the STEP Private Client Award shortlisting, Jade added:-

“I am absolutely blown away to have become a finalist in such prestigious – and global – awards! They are the gold-standard of this line of work and the fact that my efforts to bring our community, local charities and solicitors together in a positive way is being recognised on such renowned stage is beyond my wildest expectations. I feel extremely grateful just to be shortlisted and hope that this will encourage other professionals to become equally involved in charitable community initiatives too.” 

This shortlisting follows on Jade’s win at the British Wills and Probate Awards 2020 for ‘Young Practitioner of the Year 2020’ and the firm’s win at the Probate Research Awards 2021 for ‘Best Community Contribution’. We are proud to say that Jade’s work ethic epitomises Aston Bond’s core values and we couldn’t be more excited to support and celebrate with her on 23 September at the virtual awards ceremony. Please join us in wishing her the very best of luck!

Stephen Puri, Aston Bond CEO commented:

“We are delighted for Jade. She continues to work hard and strive for the very best and this nomination is testament to her commitment to work and clients alike.”

Double Win at the UK Probate Research Awards 2021

Posted on by Rachel Jones

We are delighted to announce that last week Aston Bond was recognised as the winner in not one, but two, categories at the Probate Research Awards 2021.  The awards included the team at Aston Bond taking home the ‘Community Contribution’ award, and also Ilinca Mardarescu, our Director and head of Employment, winning the ‘Unsung Hero’ award, with Rachel Jones, our Trainee Solicitor, also being ‘Highly Commended’ for this award.  

Community Contribution Award

This award recognises an organisation that made a considerable and special contribution to the community.

The team at Aston Bond pride themselves on giving back to the local community wherever possible, from charity walks, events and talks to regularly volunteering to assist young students with their careers, and we are humbled to have been recognised through this award.

In addition to this, the Private Client team at Aston Bond, have been charitably offering free Wills to NHS and Thames Hospice employees in recognition of the exceptional challenges that they have faced during the pandemic.   This award also recognises the efforts of our Head of department, Jade Gani, and the directors of Aston Bond, Duncan Thomson and Stephen Puri, in establishing and launching the Wishing Will Foundation CIC, an organisation with charitable motives where all legal fees are instead donated to associated local charities.

Unsung Hero Award

This award celebrates the people in a firm who may not usually be recognised but play a vital role to the success of the team.

Aston Bond is very proud that its very own, Ilinca Mardarescu, has won this award which is so thoroughly well deserved.  Ilinca undertakes many roles within Aston Bond beyond her specific job title, being events organiser, HR manager, and most importantly, invoking the very core of the team spirit in Aston Bond.  

We are also proud that our Trainee Solicitor, Rachel Jones, was also recognised through this award as ‘Highly Commended’.  Rachel has shown consistent support to the Private Client department, as well as to the firm generally in assisting with the postal system and telephone lines, to ensure the firm continued to operate smoothly despite the challenges that the pandemic brought over the last year.

Aston Bond Shortlisted for Several Award’s at the Probate Research Awards 2021

Posted on by Jade Gani

We are delighted to announce that Aston Bond have been shortlisted for several award categories at the Probate Research Awards 2021, namely the ‘Best Probate Law Firm London & the South East’, ‘Young Wills and Probate Professional’, ‘The Unsung Hero Award’ and the ‘Best Community Contribution’ award.

Best Probate Law Firm London & the South East

“Probate solicitors are experts in estate administration and have legal, accountancy and administrative skills as well as patience and understanding.  This award recognises not only the excellence of the services these solicitor firms deliver but also the best support they provide to probate researchers.”

The Wills & Probate team at Aston Bond are overwhelmed to have been shortlisted for this award. We pride ourselves on delivering a high standard of service to our Clients going above and beyond to assist, often free of charge, via the free initial consultations that the Wills & Probate team offer.

Young Wills & Probate Professional Award – Jade Gani

“This award recognises a solicitor who has excelled in their role or made a significant difference to their firm.”

Aston Bond is beyond proud that the head of our Wills & Probate department, Jade Gani, has been shortlisted for this award.  She has shown incredible determination continuously during a challenging year to ensure the success of the department and to motivate and encourage her team throughout.  Not only did Jade respond and adapt the department’s services effectively to accommodate our services for those that are most in need, but she has also engineered the ‘Free Wills for NHS staff’ offer which has been ongoing during the whole pandemic.

The Unsung Hero – Ilinca Mardarescu & Rachel Jones

“This award celebrates the people in a firm who may not usually be recognised but play a vital role to the success of the team.”

Aston Bond is delighted that not one, but two, of its super-star employees have been shortlisted for this award.

Ilinca Mardarescu, Director & Head of our Employment department, has been shortlisted for this award in recognition of her uplifting team spirit and the many duties that she undertakes beyond her job role, managing HR, organising events and many more admin roles that are fundamental in the running of a successful law firm.

Rachel Jones, Trainee Solicitor in the Private Client department, has also been shortlisted for this award in recognition of the unwavering support she has shown to the Private Client department and its clients during the pandemic, demonstrating skills and knowledge beyond her years, as well as helping with general firm admin tasks such as assisting with the running of the postal system and telephone lines during the pandemic.

Best Community Contribution

“This award is about recognising an individual or organisation that made a considerable and special contribution to the community.”

Aston Bond takes social responsibility seriously, so we are humbled to have been shortlisted for this award, in recognition of the strong community spirit that the firm values and its focus on giving back to the local community.  Examples of recent community events that Aston Bond has undertaken include the annual London Legal Walk (which took place in Windsor last year due to the pandemic), contributing to the ‘Learning to Work’ scheme to help students with their career paths, and donating some of our legal fees to local charities.  In addition to this, the Private Client department has been offering free Wills to NHS & Thames Hospice staff throughout the pandemic, and the Head of the department, Jade Gani, has launched the Wishing Will Foundation CIC with the directors of the firm, Duncan Thomson and Stephen Puri, whereby all legal fees are donated to associated local charities, like Thames Hospice.

Aston Bond is looking forward to the virtual awards ceremony being held on the 29th April 2021, and wishes all other shortlisted the very best of luck!

Aston Bond Appoints New Director

Posted on by Jade Gani

Aston Bond Law are delighted to announce that our Head of Employment Law, Ilinca Mardarescu, has been newly appointed to the role of Director at the firm. Ilinca makes Aston Bond history by becoming the first female board member since the firm was formed in 2004. She is a formidable expert in her field and integral team member whom we are sure will lead the way into a prosperous and successful New Year. 

Ilinca commented that she is thrilled by the new challenges her appointment will present: “Aston Bond is like a family to me.  Staff take pride in their work and genuinely care about doing their best for their clients. I am proud to call them my colleagues and am eager to contribute to the continuing growth of Aston Bond.”

As a firm, we are excited to continue to grow and develop in different and exciting ways throughout 2021, which wouldn’t be possible without the dedication Ilinca champions within the team. So, we warmly congratulate Ilinca on starting this new role and sincerely look forward to her leadership.

More About Ilinca

Ilinca qualified in 2002 and has specialised in Employment Law since early on in her career. She undertakes work for both employers and employees alike, acting on a broad range of issues such as dismissals, health and safety , discrimination, TUPE and restrictive covenants.

Ilinca has undertaken advocacy at a number of Employment Tribunals throughout the country dealing with various applications, interim and full hearings.   She has brought cases at the High Courts for enforcement of restrictive covenants and has dealt with and obtained injunctions on behalf of her clients.

Ilinca has provided human resources support for various companies including being on-site to deal with disciplinary and grievance matters and assisting human resources in managing sickness and absences. She has also assisted with the Employment Law aspects of various mergers and acquisitions.

If you would like to speak with Ilinca about your Employment Law needs then please do not hesitate to contact her on: 01753 486 012 or email her at imardarescu@astonbond.co.uk    

Young Practitioner of the Year Award Win!

Posted on by admin

Last week we celebrated the amazing news that our very own Head of Wills & Probate, Jade Gani, won the prestigious Young Practitioner of the Year Award at the British Wills and Probate Awards. 

The awards brochure confirmed that this award is only grant to “an exceptional individual who has shown a high level of involvement and development” within the Wills & Probate sector. They classified “young” as being under the age of 35. They further confirmed that the winner had to demonstrate:-

  • Exceptional Client service;
  • High levels of skill and technical ability;
  • A flair for innovation and championing best practice; and
  • Initiative in challenging situations.

We couldn’t be more proud that, in perhaps the most challenging year for the Wills & Probate sector to date, one of our very own shone above the rest to the judges. We decided to catch up with Jade and find out how she feels following her iconic win.

How did you feel winning the awards?

“Honestly, just being shortlisted was such a massive privilege. My team put me forward for the Award and I couldn’t be more grateful. I am normally a terrible loser when it comes to fun & games because I am sometimes too competitive, however, I kept telling myself over and over on the night that either of my fellow shortlisters, Sarah or Andrew, were very tough competition and definitely worthy winners in their own right. So when the result came in I was genuinely astonished, and then very excited!

It is also a bit of a relief because my wonderful colleagues had gone to such an effort to create an amazing socially-distanced celebration type office party for me, complete with an epic balloon arch, and all the effort seemed so much more worthwhile with the win! After an extremely tough year supporting my clients and colleagues alike, it felt incredible to get the chance to celebrate something really wonderful.”

What does it mean to you to win this award?

“It is hard to put into words. It is definitely the highlight of my career so far; particularly because I am the girl who comes from the ‘rough’ part of town and we never had much money; I can’t tell you the amount of times I was effectively left without a home. During university I also became extremely poorly with Fibromyalgia and Tietze’s syndrome which meant I almost didn’t graduate. Throughout all that, I had my fair share of teachers, employers, friends and family who told me that I would never become a lawyer, never mind succeed as one! 

My illnesses affected my grades at law school, and that meant a lot of rejection as a young lawyer. But Aston Bond saw something in me and gave me a chance by running my own department; it is nice to do them proud with this award. It is also sometimes a misconception that in order to get the best service, best advice and best lawyers that you have to use a city firm and pay city prices – we are a small but mighty high street firm that can clearly hold its own!” 

What is it you’ve been doing this past year and what does the next year hold in store?

“Well, unfortunately with the rise in deaths due to COVID-19 we have been exceptionally busy supporting our Clients. This has been both assisting families following a bereavement as well as helping very poorly Clients to get the peace of mind they need to focus on getting well again. There have also been lots of changes in the Probate sector, such as news forms, online portals, Court delays, changes to legislation and banks throwing caution to the wind! It has been quite the job to keep up! We have even been providing free Wills to all NHS & Thames Hospice staff, as a small token of our thanks for the phenomenal work they have done, and continue to do, throughout the pandemic.

As for next year, well, we continue to grow as a department and think of new ways we can give back to the wider community as a whole. I can’t say too much just yet, but myself, Stephen (CEO) and Duncan (Director), have been working hard on a new community interest project that has charitable ideals at its heart and which we hope will go live with in the early New Year – so watch this space! It is an extremely exciting labour of love and I hope the project will be a massive success for many years to come.” 

You can read more about all the British Wills & Probate Awards winners and highly commended firms and providers here: https://www.britishwillsandprobateawards.co.uk/ 

If you would like to know more about Jade and the team in the Private Client department, or you would like to discuss your personal affairs with them, then please do not hesitate to get in touch, either by email: jgani@astonbond.co.uk or telephone: 01753 486777.

 

Sound Familiar? Situations in Which a Lasting Power of Attorney Can Help?

Posted on by Rachel Jones

Often people only become aware of Lasting Powers of Attorney [“LPAs”] when they are wishing to help out a relative or friend when an unfortunate and unforeseen event occurs, however, these documents must be made proactively rather than respectively, before it is too late.  At Aston Bond we like to consider LPA’s a bit like insurance; hopefully never to be needed, but there as security just in case.  Here we will go through several scenarios showing the difficulties that can occur when LPA’s are not created.

Scenario 1

Joe and Emma own their property as Tenants in Common; meaning they own their property as two separate 50% shares.  Emma has developed Dementia and has had to move into a care home.  A few years later, Joe decides the family home is too big for him to live in alone, and looks to sell the property.  However as Emma’s condition has worsened, she no longer has capacity to manage her finances, and consequently she is not able to consent to the sale, meaning Joe is unable to sell the property.

In this scenario, as Emma has lost capacity to provide her consent to the house sale, Joe would require a court order to provide him with the authority to sell Emma’s share in the property as well as his own.  The process for obtaining a court order can be very long and time-consuming, therefore it is always beneficial when you own property as Tenants in Common to ensure you have LPA’s for Property and Financial Affairs so that you can appoint your co-owner as your attorney and allow them to easily continue to manage the property should you not be able to.

Scenario 2

Brian and Hilary are nearing 85, and have been living in their home for 60 years when Brian begins to show sign of Alzheimer’s.  His condition continues to deteriorate, however with Hilary’s help they are able to continue to get by together and Brian is adamant he wishes to remain in the family home for as long as possible.  One day Brian suffers a fall and after a short stay in the hospital, the doctors decide that he should be moved to a care home so that he can receive the additional care he will require, which they believe Hilary is too frail to provide.

In this scenario, many would assume that Hilary, as Brian’s next of kin, would have the authority to make the deciding decision on whether Brian should remain at home or move into a care home.   However, although the doctors and social services will take Hilary’s views into consideration, they ultimately will have the deciding vote and therefore may make decisions that are against what the person would have wanted, as in this case.  Therefore if you would like your family members to be able to make decisions when it comes to your healthcare, should you not be able to, then it is very important that you make LPA’s for your Health and Welfare so that you can provide them with the required authority to make such decisions on your behalf.

Scenario 3

Jeffrey and Jan own their house in their joint names and have all their bank accounts in their joint names.  They consider making LPA’s, however as they are both still young and their main assets are in their joint names they decide that they are not needed.  Jeffrey and Jan drive to work together and one morning are involved in a serious crash, leaving both no longer having capacity to manage their assets.  Following the accident, their son Adam, tries to help manage their finances however as he has no authority on the accounts through an LPA, every individual action that he wishes to take to help his parents is subject to a long and lengthy court order.

In this scenario, whilst a young couple with joint assets may be assumed to not require LPA’s, as the joint holder would be able to manage the assets should anything happen to one of them, there is unfortunately the possibility that something could happen to both of you leaving no one with authority to manage your assets.  Therefore it is still important even where there is someone who can currently assist with your assets, so that you can appoint another person who can step in and help you manage your assets should the worst happen.

Scenario 4

Anton is currently single, lives alone and all of his assets are held in his sole name.  He has a condition with his knees and, after requiring surgery, he is house bound for several months and unable to get to his bank.  He asks his friend to help him, however, as his friend is not appointed as his attorney the banks will not allow him to act on Anton’s behalf.  Anton therefore attempts to make an LPA to appoint his friend as his attorney, however, he is informed by the courts that it will be at least 12 weeks before the documents are registered and can be used.

In this scenario, as Anton is single it is less likely that he will have someone to financially support him should he not be able to access his own finances.  Therefore, it is particularly important that the LPA’s are set up so that there is someone with authority to help access his accounts on his behalf.  As shown, it is essential the LPA’s are created beforehand just in case they are required at a later date (as the documents require at least 12 weeks to be registered with the Courts before they can be used). The length of time it takes the Court to register the documents is often far too long when the documents are needed immediately.

Scenario 5

Sheila owns a property business, consisting of several buy to let properties that she is currently renting out.  Sheila unexpectedly becomes very unwell and is admitted to hospital, where it takes her several months to recover.  During this period she loses her capacity to manage her finances, including any decisions in relation to her business.  Unfortunately several of the rental contracts were due to end and the tenants have subsequently moved out, therefore leaving the properties empty and devoid of income.  However, with her lack of capacity Sheila is unable instruct agents to market the properties again.

In this scenario, as Sheila owns a business it is very important that she has preparations in place for someone to manage the business should she not be able to, as otherwise she may lose her income.  LPA’s can allow you to appoint attorneys to not only manage your personal financial assets but also any business assets too, and you also have the option to appoint the same or different attorneys to manage either or both of these areas.

If you would like more information on LPA’s please see our website via the following link:  https://www.astonbond.co.uk/lpa-info/.  Alternatively if you would like to book an appointment for a free initial consultation with one of our solicitors to discuss LPA’s further than please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team.

Shortlisted for the Young Practitioner of the Year!

Posted on by Mamta Rajanwal

We are delighted to announce that Jade Gani of this firm has been shortlisted for the Young Practitioner of the Year award at British Wills and Probate Awards.  Jade qualified in 2016 and joined Aston Bond in 2017. Since then she has been looking after and managing the Private Client department here at Aston Bond.

The British Wills and Probate awards have been introduced to recognise the successes and achievements of those in the Wills and Probate sector. This is the third year the awards are taking place. The purpose of the awards is to recognise ‘the work the sector is doing for clients at this unprecedented time, delivering important services to people despite the challenges, pivoting and innovating quickly to ensure that client needs have been met’.

At Aston Bond we pride ourselves on being traditional but different and going the extra mile for our clients. We offer a free, no obligation consultation for Probate matters and Will consultations to discuss your needs and personal circumstances.

The pandemic has caused a great deal of uncertainty and sadly loss to many, and has also been a time for individuals to reflect and put their affairs in order. We have seen an increase in Wills being produced over the lockdown and have been busy working throughout to ensure we are there for our clients every step of the way.

As a thank you to the brave individuals on the frontline we are offering free Wills for all NHS staff.  We have seen tremendous support from the NHS during this pandemic and we believe that we should also take some steps to support them.

We have also quickly and efficiently taken steps to adapt our services, practices and policies in order to ensure we are still able to provide our clients with the same level and standard of service they were receiving beforehand, all from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Whether you are sitting on your couch, walking the dog or even lounging in bed, business has been operating as usual here at Aston Bond. Clients are now truly spoilt for choice when it comes to instructing us.

Stephen Puri, CEO says “This is truly a proud moment for me and the firm. Jade works tirelessly for her clients and her attention to detail and drive for perfection is admirable. May she continue to grow and develop into what we believe to be an outstanding lawyer and leader.”

This is what Jade had to say about being short listed for this prestigious award:

“I am over the moon to have been shortlisted for the Young Practitioner of the Year award. It is testament not only to several years of hard work with Aston Bond, that I have thoroughly enjoyed, but also to the amazing team that I am lucky enough to have supporting me; they really go above and beyond in everything they do and I am entirely grateful to them for putting my name forward for this award. I also want to express my gratitude to all my wonderful Clients: they are the reason we strive to continually improve and evolve our services for the better and I cherish all my relationships with them because they make even the tough days worthwhile.”

Many congratulations to Jade and the other shortlisted candidates. We wish you all the very best of luck.