Author: Catherine Bates

Usually I feel that it’s better to do something late than never at all. We’re better off scoring a late equaliser than losing the match – even though I might have enjoyed the match a lot more if we’d scored earlier on. You’re better off taking legal advice about a legal dispute before proceedings are […]

It may surprise you, but I don’t set out to upset people. It’s just a natural side effect of what I do for a living that I often have to tell people things they don’t want to hear, such as telling them their case isn’t as good as they think is it. Some people take […]

Or sometimes it’s just people who take too much notice of social media or believe that AI knows everything. When I was at my first “proper” job in law, I spent seven years working for an entertainment law firm which sadly doesn’t exist any more – nothing to do with me, honest! Due to the nature […]

We all know that we can’t believe everything we read. And yet, I spend a lot of my time repeating that advice to people who insist that newspaper articles must be true, and that if something is in a contract that both sides signed, it must be enforceable. What’s more, the more “reputable” the other […]

Despite being a seasoned and experienced networker, and despite loving to give advice (whether solicited or not) I don’t often comment on networking dos and don’ts. I have (occasionally) complained about unprofessional practices, such as people who contact me cold on LinkedIn, with the intention of selling me things that not only do I neither […]

It’s common for clients to believe that their opponents are deliberately exaggerating their position. How confident they are of their case. How much their legal fees will be, which they maintain you’ll have to pay “when” they win. How serious they are about issuing proceedings. Etc, etc, etc. Often these allegations turn out to be […]

I’ve long since suspected that I’m being watched. And just because I’m paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not after me!!! My fears were confirmed to me recently when I had a phone conversation with a colleague about selling an asset through Sotheby’s.  A few hours later, the colleague reported that he was suddenly getting adverts for […]

I don’t believe in aliens! But I do believe that parent alienation is a real thing -ie that it is possible for one (or both) parents to try and poison the children’s relationships with the other parent, which can have lifelong effects on the children, and must be taken seriously by judges. However, I also […]

Property issues can be stressful and complex, whether you’re dealing with residential or commercial matters, disputes with tenants, planning challenges, or managing service charges. At Kleyman Solicitors, our free weekly Drop-In Clinic offers a relaxed and informal setting to speak with an experienced property solicitor about your questions or concerns. What We Can Help With […]

From the early stages of my professional life as a solicitor, I have promoted the philosophy that prevention is better than cure. If you end up in a dispute, whether in your business or personal life, it can be expensive in many ways. It will cost you money in legal fees. It will cost you […]