Important announcement
We are currently experiencing issues with the contact forms on our website.
Until the issue is resolved, please contact our reception team directly on email via whitley.bay@kiddspoorlaw.com or via phone on 0191 297 0011.
We apologise for any inconvenience.
We are looking for an admin assistant to join our private client department, based in Whitley Bay, to support the team.
Roles & responsibilities
The successful candidate’s duties will include (but are not limited to):
Working with a team of 6 Fee Earners, to assist with:
Candidate requirements & attributes
Salary
A competitive salary will be offered plus benefits.
Hours
Monday to Friday 9am until 5pm with 1 hour unpaid lunch.
To apply for this role, please email your CV to jillclattenburg@kiddspoorlaw.co.uk
About Kidd & Spoor
Established in North Shields more than 150 years ago, and at our current address since 1961, we have built a strong reputation in the local area. Our heritage enhances our ability to offer a unique combination of traditional values but with a modern, proactive outlook. Over the years we have worked extremely hard to build our excellent reputation for providing clear, practical legal advice but also, very importantly, we deliver it with great personal service.
Our experienced solicitors and their talented teams offer our clients expert legal advice in the areas of Residential Conveyancing, Family Law, Wills, Probate & Estate Administration, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Trusts.
We specialise in providing legal advice and support to our clients in the North East and UK wide.
St. Oswald’s Hospice Giving Day campaign aims to raise £300,000 in just 33 hours, to fund their vital bereavement support and social work services for a full year.
The bereavement support and social work services are offered free of charge to both adults and children. The charity receives no statutory funding so the cost to run them must be covered by charitable giving. Costs and demand for these services are rising, so together, we hope to secure them for the future, for everyone who needs them.
The giving campaign runs from 8am on Wednesday 17th December and will end at 5pm on Thursday 18th December, and aims to raise £300,000 in total during the 33 hours. Every donation will be doubled be a generous pledger, who has donated a match funding pot to match every donation made during the 33 hours of the campaign.
Lucy Brown, our head of the private client team is a champion for the campaign. St. Oswald’s is particulary personal for members of our team Lucy Brown, Emily Blackett and Ruby Shannon, who lost their close friend Kelly earlier this year. St Oswald’s supported Kelly, her husband and children during her illness and after she sadly passed.
Donations can be made through our team page HERE
The November 2025 Budget was the subject of much speculation in the press with rumours of major changes to stamp duty and the introduction of a new tax on the sale of a property. While these failed to materialise, there are other changes that could affect you.
‘There was a lot of concern about how the 2025 Budget would affect property owners,’ agrees Patricia Hall, head of the residential property team. ‘And this may have led some people to put their plans to move or invest in property on hold. Fortunately, the situation is now much clearer. However, while the changes introduced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer may be less drastic than some feared, it is still important to be aware of the new rules.’
Here Patricia answers some of your questions.
I plan to move shortly. How will the 2025 Budget affect me?
If you are selling your home, or buying a new one, the 2025 Budget makes no changes likely to affect you.
Last year’s Budget changed the way stamp duty land tax (SDLT) applies to the purchase of property, particularly in relation to second homes or investment properties. However, the 2025 Budget made no further changes and so the existing rates still apply. This means most buyers will continue to pay SDLT on their purchases, the amount depending on the property’s value.
How will the 2025 Budget help first-time buyers?
The 2025 Budget contained no measures to directly benefit first-time buyers. However, potential reforms to the Lifetime ISA could make it easier for buyers to save for their first home. First-time buyers could also benefit indirectly from the Government’s plans to increase housing supply, for example, through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
Is there anything else I need to consider?
Buying or selling a property is an important economic transaction, with many legal issues to be considered in order to protect your interests and your enjoyment of the property in the long term. It is important to also choose a solicitor who understands your individual aims and aspirations, and knows your local market, as well as all the legal aspects of the transaction.
How we can help
For further information, please contact Patricia Hall in the residential conveyancing team on 0191 297 0011 or email whitley.bay@kiddspoorlaw.com.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.
In our last blog article of 2025, Trevor Gay shares some helpful tips ahead of the Christmas period in relation to arrangements for children.
Christmas Jumper Day is one of Save the Children’s biggest annual fundraising events. It’s been going since 2012.
Every December, the charity encourages workplaces, schools, groups etc to put on a Christmas jumper and make a small donation in return.
Our team were more than happy to don their most festive attire today, not only to get into the Christmas spirit, but also to raise money for such a fantastic cause.
Many people take out a lasting power of attorney (LPA), nominating someone they trust to manage their property and financial affairs and another for their health and welfare affairs. This will help ensure their wishes are respected if they become mentally incapacitated and unable to make decisions for themself.
‘Lasting powers of attorney can have many benefits – control, autonomy, flexibility, financial security and peace of mind – to name but a few,’ says Lucy Brown, head of the private client team. ‘The Mental Capacity Act 2005 and its associated Code of Practice provides the framework for LPAs and contains a number of safeguards to ensure that an LPA is not abused, but, as the BBC’s Sue Mitchell revealed in The Willpower Detectives: Shadow World, vulnerable people can still be exploited if they choose the wrong person to be their attorney.’
‘Making someone your attorney under an LPA bestows an enormous amount of power on them,’ continues Lucy. ‘You therefore need to select someone truly trustworthy and ensure that every possible safeguard is put in place so they can only wield the powers you intend them to have and the risk of abuse is minimised.’
What are the different types of LPA?
What are an attorney’s duties and curbs on their powers?
Acting in your best interests
The main duty of an attorney is to always act in your best interests. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 offers guidance on what best interests are, but this includes making decisions that mirror your values, beliefs and preferences where possible.
In addition, they should follow any verbal or written instructions you give them when you have mental capacity. If no such instructions were given, they should take reasonable steps to understand your wishes, which may require talking to your family, friends, or professional advisors.
Your attorney is also obliged to keep your money and property apart from their own, and must ensure your rights are observed and your independence unrestricted unless absolutely necessary. They are not allowed to take fees for their services beyond reasonable expenses, make loans to themselves, make purchases below market value or get involved in tax planning without court approval.
When can an attorney take up their duties?
Once registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) a property and financial affairs LPA can be used while you still have mental capacity if you consent, unless the LPA document forbids this.
A health and welfare LPA can only be used when you lose capacity, and it is up to the attorney to proffer evidence that you are mentally incapacitated. They may need to ask a doctor to provide an assessment of your mental state.
Assessing your mental capacity
Your attorney must allow you to make decisions for yourself if you are capable of doing so, and should assess your capacity on a decision-by-decision basis. Some days you might be capable of paying your mortgage, for example, but not have the mental capacity to sell your home. On other days you may be capable of making any decision, in which case the attorney should allow you to do so. Again, a doctor may be required to assess whether you are capable of making certain decisions.
Duty of skill and care
Your attorney is required to carry out their duties with a reasonable level of care and skill. Decisions should be informed and considered, based on the information available, and professional advice should be sought when needed.
If they are acting under the health and welfare LPA, they should monitor you to ensure you are receiving the support you need and ensure that your physical, emotional, and social needs are being met.
Conflicts of interest
Conflicts of interest must be avoided by the attorney, meaning they are not allowed to use their position to make decisions that enrich them or others at your expense.
If a potential conflict of interest arises – for example your attorney has a financial interest in a care home and is making decisions about your care arrangements – they are legally obliged to tell you about it and seek professional advice.
If the conflict cannot be satisfactorily resolved, they may need to seek guidance from the court or even step down to ensure your best interests are maintained.
Accessing your personal information
Your attorney has a right to access your personal information, such as medical records or bank details, to help them make decisions in your best interests. They can only ask for this information however, if it applies to a decision that they have a legal right to make.
Record-keeping
Your attorney should keep records of any decisions made on your behalf, documenting all financial transactions, care decisions, and any other matters that they deal with. Receipts, statements, and other documents should be kept as evidence of the decisions made. This is important because the OPG may ask for evidence that the LPA is working properly.
What more can you do to safeguard against abuse?
Further measures you can put in place to minimise the risk of LPA abuse include:
How can a solicitor help?
Our solicitors are experienced in helping people with all aspects of estate planning, and will ensure your LPA is properly drafted, registered and contains sufficient instructions and restrictions to curb the possibility of abuse.
For further information, please contact Lucy Brown in the wills and probate team on 0191 297 0011 or email whitley.bay@kiddspoorlaw.com.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.
Prenuptial agreements, or ‘prenups’ have long been a staple in television dramas, popular songs, and celebrity-focused reality shows. They are often portrayed as business contracts, designed to protect the wealthy spouse from losing everything in a bitter divorce. These portrayals, while entertaining, often distort the true nature and function of a prenuptial agreement under the law in England and Wales.
‘If you are considering a prenup, or simply want to understand more about them, it is important to separate fact from fiction,’ says Trevor Gay, head of the family law team. ‘Speaking with a matrimonial solicitor is a good idea, as this will help you to understand how they work, whether it will help meet your objectives and enable you to make informed decisions.’
Trevor highlights some common myths about prenups put forward by scriptwriters, and explains the reality.
Myth 1 – a prenup is only for the rich and famous
It is easy to see why this myth is perpetuated, when only high-profile prenup cases hit the headlines, and when TV show characters embroiled in a prenup storyline are usually very rich or in the public eye.
However, prenups can be for everyone regardless of wealth and status. A prenup can be a practical step for anyone getting married or entering a civil partnership, especially if they have existing assets, financial responsibilities, business interests, or specific expectations, such as an inheritance.
Myth 2 – you can sign the prenup the night before your wedding
A popular occurrence in a drama is one partner springing a prenup on the other on the night before their wedding, often leading to tears and rushed signatures. Or there may have been ongoing negotiations over the terms of the prenup, which only gets signed on the eve of the wedding.
The reality is that a prenup should be signed at least 28 days before the wedding day, otherwise it may be declared invalid. This helps to ensure both parties have had ample opportunity to consider and take legal advice before considering whether to sign the document. This in turn eliminates the risk of a future argument about one party not knowing what they were signing up to. Ideally, the discussions should begin several months before the planned wedding day.
Myth 3 – I have to sign it
Drama shows where the agreement is signed at the last minute also give the impression that the agreement has to be signed.
However, there is no legal obligation to do so. A prenup is, by its very nature, an agreement which both parties have to voluntarily and willingly enter into. If one party does not wish to sign, they should not be coerced, manipulated or forced into signing. That would amount to duress and could lead to the prenup being declared invalid by the courts in the future.
Myth 4 – we can write our own prenup
Another dramatic scene is where a couple, usually impromptu, write up their prenup on the back of a napkin. They do not think about taking any legal advice and skip off into the sunset. Then, cut to a later scene where they are battling out a bitter and expensive divorce in the courts as a result.
For a prenup to be considered valid, it is important that each person has received independent legal advice, and that there has been full disclosure of each person’s finances and assets. A DIY prenup, or a completed template downloaded from the internet, is unlikely to meet these requirements and may be easily challenged or disregarded altogether in the event of a divorce.
Myth 5 – a prenup is not valid in court anyway
Currently prenuptial agreements in England and Wales are not automatically legally binding, but following a UK Supreme Court decision in 2010 it was confirmed that the courts will give ‘decisive weight’ to a properly prepared prenup.
Some of the conditions to be met include:
If your prenup meets all of the necessary criteria, at the time of any divorce, the court will take it into careful consideration. Of course, if circumstances have significantly changed since the signing of the prenup, the court will have to ensure any decision remains fair and just.
Myth 6 – a prenup is expensive
Understandably, you will want to know exactly what a prenup will cost, and TV shows and popular culture give an unrealistic idea of the cost when ultra-wealthy characters turn to celebrity lawyers.
In reality, the cost of a prenuptial agreement is a small fraction of what it might save you in the event of a divorce, which could extend to thousands, if not tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds, in the long run.
Your family lawyer will ensure that:
Without professional advice, even the most well-intentioned agreement may be unenforceable.
How we can help
Whether you are looking to protect family assets, secure the future of your children, or simply plan responsibly for your marriage, we are here to guide you through the process of putting together a prenuptial agreement.
For further information, please contact Trevor Gay in the family law team on 0191 297 0011 or email whitley.bay@kiddspoorlaw.com.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.
Welcome to the team Louise!
Introducing Louise Yabsley, a conveyancing executive who recently joined the residential conveyancing team at Kidd & Spoor Solicitors.
Louise has worked in Conveyancing most of her 30-year career, working for several city centre firms, two of the top 100 UK legal firms in London and in-house, which has given her exposure to all aspects of residential conveyancing. In addition, she studied part-time at Northumbria University to obtain her law degree.
On September 12th, Kidd & Spoor Solicitors proudly sponsored a charity golf day at Tynemouth Golf Club.
This event brought together golf enthusiasts and community members alike, all united by a common goal: to raise funds for Bright Northumbria Charity.
80 participants enjoyed a day of golf while benefiting a fantastic cause raising £1,712, showcasing our commitment to giving back to the community.
The funds raised during this charity golf day will significantly impact Bright Charity’s ongoing projects.
Photo courtesy of The Bigger Picture Agency Ltd.
