Author: Catherine Bates

It is possible that I could get bored of champagne, but I doubt it. It is not inconceivable that Southampton could win a cup this season, but it’s unlikely. It is highly unlikely that costs orders will be made in Employment Tribunal proceedings, and even if they are made, they are very rarely made against […]

  One of my favourite sayings used to be that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I use it with my children – if you keep forgetting to tell me that we’re out of milk, be prepared to go without cereal for breakfast! I […]

It’s a phrase I’m sure we’re all familiar with. Is the risk of getting into trouble with my (adult!) sons if I call them too early on a Sunday morning worth the reward of actually getting to speak to them before they realise how early it is and that I’ve woken them? Is the risk […]

You may assume that the saying – The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth – only relates to criminal law. So, it may surprise you that I’ve mentioned it, because you assume we only do civil law. What may also surprise you is that actually, we do criminal law. What may be […]

Most people think of law as being quite boring, and in many respects, they are right. After all who wants to know (or cares about) the provisions of Section 1 of the Employment Protection Consolidation Act 1978. Not me, and not least of all because it was repealed some years ago! Nevertheless, law does have […]

Keeping your assets within the family is perfectly common – you’ve worked hard all your life to build up your business and property, so obviously whatever is left at the end is likely to go to your kids and/or grandkids to make sure that they can continue to enjoy your success after you’re gone. However, […]

  There are many surprising things about law. For example, it’s illegal to be drunk in a pub – which is as ridiculous as saying that I want to have my cake and eat it.  What’s the point of having cake if you can’t eat it.  What’s the point of being in a pub if […]

Or in this case, don’t judge a bottle by its label!!! A few weeks ago, it was my birthday, and whilst I don’t really do much to celebrate, I did get loads of lovely messages from loads of lovely people. I also got a few lovely gifts, including some beautiful flowers from the beautiful Rianne […]

Anyone in property development knows that the location of your property can be just as important as the property itself. A rough house in a nice area can be redeveloped into a nice house in a nice area. But if you’ve got a nice house in a rough area, improving the area can be considerably […]

Or rather, it’s not being a solicitor that’s the weird part, but the clients and the legal questions they ask you. For amusement purposes, I’m listing my favourites. 1. I was once asked whether my client could apply for custody of the family pet in divorce proceedings. I know that a dog is man’s (or […]