At Aston Bond, we firmly believe in the power of work events. From team-building activities or networking events, these gatherings provide a great opportunity to enhance collaboration and foster professional relationships.
This week, our team had the chance to attend the Royal Windsor racecourse.
From the moment we stepped foot into the racetrack, we felt the electricity in the air. There was a vibrant atmosphere with the crowd buzzing with excitement and anticipation.
The racecourse environment was a unique blend of excitement, elegance, and positivity.
The interactive nature of the venue encouraged all our team members to come together, collaborate, and bond.
Placing bets on races created a sense of shared excitement among us all with the seasoned pros of our group teaching those who had never been before. We felt a stronger sense of unity and cooperation as we cheered each other’s horses on and shared in the experience.
For those fortunate enough to witness the sport of horse racing first hand, it is a lifelong experience to remember. As indeed is any event, big or small, which helps a team bond look out for each other, both in and out of the workplace.
Signing a contract is a crucial moment in any business or legal transaction. It represents a binding agreement between parties and outlines their rights, responsibilities, and obligations.
However, signing a contract should not be taken lightly. It requires careful consideration and attention to detail to ensure that all parties are protected and that the terms of the agreement are clear and enforceable.
In this article, we will discuss the essential steps for signing a contract.
1.Read and Understand the Contract
Before signing any contract, it is essential to read and understand its contents thoroughly. Pay close attention to the terms, conditions, and clauses outlined in the agreement. If there are any sections that are unclear or confusing, seek clarification from the other party or consult a legal professional. Understanding the contract is vital to protect your interests and avoid potential misunderstandings in the future.
2. Seek Legal Advice if Necessary
In complex business transactions or legal matters, it is wise to seek legal advice from a qualified professional. A lawyer can review the contract, identify potential risks, and provide guidance on any necessary modifications or additional clauses.
3. Get a copy of the Signed Contract
After signing the contract, make sure to obtain a copy for your records. Retaining a copy of the signed agreement is essential for future reference and potential legal disputes. It serves as evidence of the terms agreed upon by all parties involved and provides a reliable source of information if conflicts arise.
4. Do you have the Mental capacity?
To enter into a contract, a person must have a mental capacity sufficient to understand the nature and consequences of their actions. If mental capacity is absent, the contract is voidable by the person lacking capacity.
For example, a contract signed while heavily intoxicated, cannot be considered valid as the signee did not possess the capacity to consent at the time.
5. Negotiate and Discuss Terms
If there are terms or clauses in the contract that you are uncomfortable with or that require further clarification, engage in open and honest discussions with the other party. Negotiation is a common practice in contract agreements, and both parties should have a chance to express their concerns and find mutually acceptable solutions.
Signing a contract is a significant commitment, and it is crucial to approach it with care and attention to detail. By following the steps outlined above, you can ensure that the terms of the agreement are clear, your interests are protected, and both parties are entering into a binding contract with full understanding and consent.
6. Date signed
The “signature date” is important as it is evidence of what day a party has signed. Since a contract is formed between at least two or more signing parties, it’s possible that both signing parties sign on the same date or on different dates.
At Aston Bond, we specialise in all sorts of contracts – be that advising on or drafting from scratch. If you would like an initial consultation to discuss your requirements, you can reach us at 01753 486777 or info@astonbond.co.uk.
Completing working experience at Aston Bond was a great learning experience. My day to day generally consisted of admin work with the occasional client meeting throughout the week.
As an aspiring Solicitor, I was aware that admin work would take up a large part of the first few years of my career. Working with Nicola Darby, Aston Bond’s paralegal, I was able to get a hands-on idea of what this would be like. My week work experience with Aston Bond was thus a very practical and useful experience.
I would thoroughly recommend work experience at Aston Bond to any student who is eager to pursue a career in law, and is interested to gain a broad insight into the profession. From challenges locating relevant documents to sitting in on client meetings the team at Aston Bond was always friendly and professional.
The firm has a generally relaxed style which I believe will put any others who have work experience here at ease. Everyone was approachable at any time if I had any queries.
My outlook on the world of law and knowledge on what being a solicitor consists of has considerably increased due to this enriching and intriguing work experience.
Thank you to all the staff at Aston Bond for the opportunity and for such a positive experience.
At Aston Bond, we have specialists in both residential and commercial property conveyancing, but do you know the difference?
Commercial properties are intended for business activities, such as offices, retail stores, hotels, warehouses, and industrial facilities. Whereas residential properties are designed for individuals and families to live in. They provide housing accommodations for private use.
Residential properties also prioritize features that cater to comfortable living. They typically offer separate rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, and living areas, aiming to create functional and cozy living spaces for occupants.
While commercial properties are designed to meet the specific needs of businesses and often feature larger floor plans, open spaces, and specialized infrastructure. They may include amenities like loading docks, elevators, parking lots, and commercial-grade utilities.
Commercial properties are also subject to specific regulations and codes related to business operations, safety, accessibility, fire protection, zoning restrictions, and commercial leasing agreements while residential properties are governed by regulations focused on housing standards, building codes, health and safety requirements, tenant rights, and rental agreements.
It’s important to note that there can be variations and overlaps between commercial and residential properties based on specific local regulations. That’s when we step in. Our team of expert solicitors can guide you swiftly through any conveyancing process with ease.
Completing working experience at Aston Bond was a completely professional experience which provided me with invaluable insight into the practice of law. As a first year Law student, I was keen to develop my professional identity and Aston Bond assisted me greatly.
From my first day I was greeted with my own workspace and introduced to each member of staff. This immediately helped me to feel at ease alongside the friendly atmosphere in the office which I was able to familiarise myself with over the week.
During my work experience, I never felt shy of asking questions, even if it wasn’t specific to my set tasks, I felt comfortable inquiring if I had any questions about the relevant wider practice of law. This in my opinion is of paramount importance as I believe that work experience should predominantly be learning experience.
The insight I gained throughout the week I would also attribute to the office layout, with all members of staff being located on one floor. I felt that this created an easy way for me to access to the departments and observe the specialist skills of members of staff whilst they were working. To further enhance my experience, I was able to attend different client meetings, shadow solicitors and communicate with clients by drafting letters and preparing relevant documents such as residential conveyancing initial letters to clients.
Furthermore, the office dynamic of Aston Bond, which is sociable and yet still focused, has furthered my ambition to become a solicitor. This was because of the realistic portrayal of the routine of a solicitor and legal firm generally which I was able to experience.
I highly recommend Aston Bond for work experience as in my experience I was treated with nothing but respect and pragmatism. Thank you to all the staff at Aston Bond for creating such a positive experience for me.
Last Friday, Kulbir Conner (Head of Residential Property here at Aston Bond) invited Tarun Puri (Founder and CEO of Sherwood Studios) as her guest to see for himself the value that being a BNI member can bring.
Sherwood Studios is a recording studio based in Maidenhead, Berkshire. Their aim is to be able to provide opportunities for young aspiring creatives and artists across Berkshire. They provide a creative space to come to and where they are able to express themselves freely and without judgment within a professional studio setting.
BNI is an organisation set up for professionals who help each other grow their businesses through their relationships, commitment and mutual referrals.
Aston Bond has been a member of Windsor BNI for many years’ and we value the long-lasting relationships we have built over that time. It is as much about being able to provide our clients with trusted referrals when asked as about us getting business.
Tarun was made to feel very welcome by all BNI members at Windsor and he thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone.
It’s Learning At Work Week, so we have taken this opportunity to ask members of our team what learning is like at Aston Bond. Today we speak to Trainee Solicitor Kanchana Kumari who specialises in the Wills & Probate team…
Tell us about your role and the department you are in….
I am a trainee solicitor in the Private Client department and my role varies from drafting Wills, Codicils, Deed of Variations/Revocation, Lasting Powers of Attorney, to Inheritance Tax forms for probate purposes. Alongside this, I oversee all administrative tasks involved in the department which include liaising with various companies to obtain and collate asset information regarding matters of estate administration.
What is the support like at Aston Bond….
I am constantly encouraged by my team to take on new matters which will further my training. I expressed interest in Contentious Probate which was met with encouragement from the Litigation department to deal with matters such as Larke v Nugus requests which has been a great learning curve for me.
What is your favourite thing about being a trainee solicitor…
My favourite thing about being a trainee solicitor is that the role is all about gaining new experiences and trying your hand at different tasks from different departments. I am getting a better understanding of the area I would like to specialise in which allows me to feel more competent to handle my own matters as a Solicitor in the future.
What are you looking forward to in the future…
I look forward to qualifying into the Private Client department as a Solicitor and expanding my knowledge and experiences further.
Over the course of my (admittedly very extended) work experience at Aston Bond, I saw a number of other people come and go on shorter stints of work experience. Some of these had an excellent experience and like me received an interesting variety of work and were even given varying degrees of responsibility. Others however seemed to miss the opportunities around them and drifted through their two weeks in a state of boredom.
Seeing this got me thinking about what I, and others, had done to help ensure an engaging and useful period of work experience. From my observations and experiences, I have compiled 5 tips for people just starting their journey towards a legal career who want to maximise what they get from legal work experience.
Do the basics right
It is crucial to show attention to detail – don’t try to rush something because it seems easy or boring. This is applicable throughout, but it is especially important at the start when the people giving you work will be trying to gauge your ability to determine what level of task you can handle next. Making silly mistakes early on will make it harder to earn their trust and be given more challenging work. However, I think it also helps to think about this one in a broader sense. By this I mean acting professionally and being friendly – you are unlikely to earn any trust if you don’t have the self-discipline not to get your phone out every 20 minutes.
Be patient
You cannot rush the initial trust-earning phase, so do not be disheartened if it takes time to be given more challenging work. If you go in expecting to be given a really glamorous piece of work right off the bat, you will likely be disappointed. Take the time to demonstrate your competence if you want to be rewarded with more interesting work.
Be enthusiastic
See all work as a learning opportunity, because at the start it always is, if not about the law itself then at least about what working in a law firm is like. If you end up being given the same or similar tasks to do multiple times over, then it is an opportunity to practice and improve your ability to complete the process. There are also generally legal reasons for why things are done a certain way, so ask questions to develop your understanding.
Be proactive
This one is often the one that makes the biggest difference. It is very easy to just stay behind your desk and wait for someone to give you something, but I have found that actively going out and seeking work made my time much more productive. It gave me a much wider variety of work than I would otherwise have received, and got me involved in matters that were more interesting to me. This can be helpful not just for developing practical legal experience, but also for figuring out which areas of law you would be interested in working in in the future. It is also a good way to demonstrate your enthusiasm to the firm. That said, it is important to remember that solicitors are busy people, so exercise common sense about when to approach them for work. Equally though, don’t be deterred by a ‘no’ – it is often worth trying again in a few days time.
Expand your network
You will be working alongside qualified legal practitioners with a wealth of knowledge, so take the time to get to know them and help them out. This will allow you to learn more from them about what they do on a daily basis, and may even give you someone to turn to in the future if you require advice about your career.
The above list is far from exhaustive, but hopefully it has provided you with a few things to keep in mind while completing work experience that will help you to make the most of the opportunity.
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