Brearleys Solicitors

29/05/2026

MANAGING THE AFFAIRS OF SOMEONE WHO LACKS MENTAL CAPACITY

Please see attached our latest article by our solicitor, Olivia Hall, regarding managing someone's affairs under a Lasting Power of Attorney or Court of Protection Order.

If you need some help with putting a Lasting Power of Attorney in place or applying to the Court of Protection, please contact Olivia at our Morley office on 0113 4673430 (option 3) to arrange an appointment

https://www.brearleyssolicitors.com/managing-the-affairs-of-someone-who-lacks-capacity/

28/05/2026

THE RISKS OF DIY WILLS

At first glance, making a DIY will or using an online service might seem like a cheap option - but in reality, they often cause costly complications and a legal nightmare for your loved ones.

Here’s why they can go wrong:
• Even small errors in wording, signing, or witnessing can make a DIY will or a will created online legally unenforceable.
• Templates often use overly simplistic or unclear terms that create confusion or disputes later.
• Online forms cannot reflect your unique circumstances, wishes, or potential risks.
• Blended families, stepchildren, previous relationships, and shared assets require careful drafting that generic templates simply don’t cover.

Speaking with an Accredited Lifetime Lawyer ensures your will is tailored to your life, legally sound, and structured to protect your loved ones from conflict, uncertainty, and unnecessary costs in the future.

Two of our Partners, James Shingleton and Emma Ingram are both Accredited Lifetime Lawyers. To find out more, contact James Shingleton at our Cleckheaton office on 01274 924454 or Emma Ingram at our Brighouse office on 01484 714400

29/04/2026

LANDLORDS - BE AWARE

It seems unlikely that any private landlord will not be aware that on 01 May 2026 the Renters Rights Act 2026 comes into force.

Whilst not all of the provisions of the new legislation become law straightaway, there are some significant changes as of that date. These changes range from what a tenancy will now be, through to changes in how rent increases can be done, through to the process for possession.

The change which has grabbed most of the headlines is the abolition of section 21 no fault evictions, which will make it a little bit more difficult for landlords to regain possession. However, there are new grounds under section 8, including the long needed ground that a landlord needs to sell the property. There have been increases in notice periods and the level of rent arrears that are required.

If you have already served a section 21 notice before the changes you must issue court proceedings before 31 July 2026 otherwise you will no longer be able to rely on the notice and will have to start the possession process again under the new legislation.

Landlords may find this government webpage helpful https://mhclgmedia.blog.gov.uk/2026/03/20/%F0%9F%9B%8E%EF%B8%8F-landlords-here-are-6-ways-to-get-yourself-ready-for-new-renters-rights/

And whatever you do, make sure that you give your tenant the Renters Rights Information Sheet 2026 by no later than 31 May 2026 or you could face a substantial fine.

Hopefully, your tenancy will continue smoothly and with few if any hiccups along the way. But unfortunately, that is not always the case and sometimes tenancies have to be brought to an end and landlords need to seek possession of the property. Our specialist landlord service is available to assist you with that process. We offer help and advice from the beginning to the end of the eviction process, with agreed fixed fees and transparent costs. We have broken down the possession process into set stages to which an agreed fixed fee applies, so that you can be fully in control of your legal spend and decide at which stages you require our help.

With help and assistance available from any of our conveniently located high street offices, please contact Andrew Marsden on 01924 473065, or use the contact us feature on our website.

04/03/2026

On 07 March 2026 the curtain goes up on Dewsbury Arts Group’s performance of Suddenly at Home by Francis Durbridge. This classic stage play is a thriller centred around a greedy husband, Glenn Howard and his attempts to get away with murdering his wealthy wife, Maggie.
Whilst not a whodunnit in the traditional sense, as we see the murder committed early in the play, the show goes on to contain many twists, turns, and surprises as Glenn tries to get away with his crime.
Taking to the stage in the role of Sam, upon whom Glenn tries to frame the murder, is Andrew Marsden of our Batley office.
Whilst we all enjoy watching a well performed drama on the stage, we certainly do not want to be involved in legal dramas in our personal lives. But unfortunately, things can and do happen. And from time to time we all need a bit of help to sort those personal dramas out.
Brearleys have been at the forefront of providing high quality legal advice and services within the communities that we serve for many years now. We pride ourselves on our “cast” of expert lawyers and making sure that we follow “the script” to bring your legal problem to the best outcome achievable for you.
Get in touch with us now for help with your legal drama by calling 01924 473065
And if you would like to see Andrew in action (all standing ovations gratefully received) you can get tickets for Suddenly at Home And Find out More about the Dewsbury Arts Group on their website here https://dewsburyartsgroup.info/

17/02/2026

WE ARE RECRUITING
LEGAL SECRETARY - BRIGHOUSE OFFICE

Brearleys Solicitors are looking to recruit an experienced legal secretary to work in our Wills and Probate department at our Brighouse office.

The role is full time, office based and would be 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Experience in wills and probate, would be preferable. You would be working 1-to-1 with one of our Partners.

If you are interested in the role or know somebody looking for a new challenge, please ask them to send their CV to [email protected]

04/02/2026

It is our experience that February follows January in being a very busy month for Divorces! Therefore, with this in mind, we are extending our discounted rate for clients who instruct us in relation to a Divorce until the end of February 2026. The discounted fees are £425 plus VAT for Respondent and £595 plus VAT and Court fee for Applicant. You can contact us by telephone via any of our six Offices, via our website, or via livechat

03/02/2026

VALERIE HOLMES LAW, ANGELA VINEY, WILSONS SOLICITORS - PM LAW GROUP

Unfortunately, we have recently heard that the 20-practice network PM Law Group is to close. This will affect local firms Valerie Holmes Law, Angela Viney and Wilsons Solicitors.

We are concerned that there will be many of their clients who have ongoing conveyancing, probate, litigation or family matters/cases with them, that these firms will not be able to conclude.

As a West Yorkshire based firm, with offices in Brighouse, Cleckheaton, Birstall, Batley, Morley and Leeds, we are happy to help existing PM Law group clients as much as we can and we can be contacted on 01274 505359 or via any of our offices.

Many thanks
Brearleys Solicitors

Reports indicate that Yorkshire and Cumbria outfit PM Law has 'not closed in the manner we would expect', SRA says.

30/01/2026

JANUARY 100KM WALK / RUN FOR ALZHEIMER'S SOCIETY

Congratulations to our Solicitor, Olivia Hall, our trainee solicitor, Chloe Lord and our Wills & Probate paralegal, Nike Hardy, who have raised a fantastic £390 so far this month for Alzheimer's Society

Olivia, Chloe and Nike have walked / run 100km throughout January, to raise funds for this wonderful charity. We recognise that living with dementia can not only be difficult for someone with a diagnosis, but also for their loved ones. We deal with clients who may have just received a diagnosis or have been living with dementia for some time.

Olivia is a Private Client lawyer based at our Morley office, who specialises in drafting Wills, Estate Administration and Probate, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection applications.

Chloe and Nike also specialise in this area of law, based at our Birstall and Cleckheaton offices respectively.

If you would like to donate to their fundraising efforts, please follow the below link.

Many thanks

Brearleys Solicitors

Help Olivia Hall raise money to support Alzheimer's Society

13/01/2026

It is the start of the football January transfer window, an important part of the football season. A chance to strengthen your squad and build on the existing strengths of your team. A time to bring in players to cover for injuries. It is also a chance to move on players who are not performing as hoped or do not fit into a new strategy. And just as reassessing and strengthening is important in the world of football, it is also important when it comes to legal matters.

So why not have your own January legal window. The time to strengthen and help protect all that you have worked hard to build for yourself, maybe by the security of a will or a power of attorney. Is it time to move on from your life somebody who is no longer performing as hoped? Is it time to confront that long-standing niggling dispute? Or is it time to do something about that injury that was not your fault and seek some compensation. And also like the football world we caution against listening too much to rumours.

Do not get your legal advice from that bloke in the pub or third hand from somebody who knew somebody who went through the same thing. You should always get good and proper advice from people who know what they are talking about. To fix an appointment or to speak to a member of our team please call 01924 473065 or use the contact us feature on the website, or even pop in and say hello. We will always be happy to see you.

12/01/2026

JANUARY DIVORCE OFFER

Unfortunately, January is often referred to as “divorce month” due to the increase in divorce enquiries, partly due to the stress and expense of Christmas. Therefore our yearly January offer on Divorces is available again throughout January this year. People are back at work, and the children have returned to school, and for many it is also a time in the New Year that they decide their marriage is at an end. Therefore if this is something that you are considering we would urge you to get some legal advice on the implications of this and how it may affect you and your family.

We have six offices throughout the region, Leeds, Morley, Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton and Brighouse so to ensure you receive our discounted rate please contact us to arrange a free initial consultation to discuss matters either in person or via Microsoft Teams or telephone.

We can also assist in dealing with any financial and children issues, which inevitably arise from a relationship breakdown too.
Divorce offer prices are Applicant £595 plus vat and disbursements and Respondent £395 plus vat.