Charity Supper and Race Evening

Charity Supper and Race Evening
Norwich Theatre Royal – Wednesday February 12^th 2014

We have, over the years, staged many events for various Charities and to start 2014 with a bang we have decided, in association with the Norwich Theatre Royal, to stage a Grand Charity Supper and Race Evening.  This is something that has not been tried by the Theatre before and we are lucky enough to be allowed to take over the whole Theatre for the event on the evening.  The proceeds from the evening will go towards buying an electric piano to use on the Norfolk Schools Project.  

This twice-yearly 12 week music project links with the curriculum to encourage and develop creativity, team work, pride and confidence.  200 NorfolkPrimary School children participate each year and perform their own mini operas on stage at the Theatre Royal to an audience of around 1,000.  All work is provided to schools free of charge.

We have a limited number of tickets to sell with a maximum of 400 and the cost per person will be £10.00 to include a hot supper before the racing.  There will also be limited opportunities to sponsor both individual horses and races on the evening, further details which will be sent out in due course.  The tickets will be sold on a “first come first served” basis and this will be an ideal opportunity to have a great night out with friends and family and I am hoping the atmosphere in the auditorium will be brilliant during the racing. 

There is the opportunity to bet on each race of course and there will be a pay bar open too.  I regret that unaccompanied children will not be allowed however.  The tickets will be officially on sale from 2^nd January 2014 but I am compiling a reserved list if you wish to put your name down to attend.  I will then collect entry fees after the 2^nd January.

I hope you will be able to join us with this groundbreaking event and if you require any further information or wish to register your interest in attending please contact me at gjk@rogers-norton.co.uk or 01603 675618.

The booking form can be downloaded here.

May I also take this opportunity to wish you a very peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Graham Knights
Practice Manager

Season's Greetings

Season's Greetings from the Directors and Staff of Rogers & Norton

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year and look forward to helping you with your legal requirements in 2014

Please click here to view your Christmas Card

www.rogers-norton.co.uk

Breakfast Club

Rogers & Norton have just held their last breakfast meeting for 2013 at the Theatre Royal and were delighted to welcome guest Speaker Ian Russell MBE who is the founder and owner of Wroxham Barns  as well as being a Director of VisitEastAnglia.  He was also founding Chairman of Norfolk Tourism and VisitNorwich.  Over 60 guests were entertained by his talk about the history of Wroxham Barns and his passion and commitment to tourism in the County of Norfolk.

Further details about this and future breakfasts and other events hosted by Rogers & Norton can be obtained from G J Knights, Practice Manager on 01603 675618 or gjk@rogers-norton.co.uk 

Major Success for R&N’s Litigation Team

R&N's litigation team have secured the release of goods detained by UK Border Force, valued at £1million pounds. Peter Hastings who was assisted by Jenna Ansell comments :-

"The goods were detained on 11 September 2013, and we were instructed on 18th September 2013. We urgently collated all necessary evidence to support our client's claim and made compelling submissions to the UK Border Force for the goods to be released. In doing so, we advised and drafted papers for the appropriate injunction proceedings. By 30 September 2013, it was agreed for the goods to be released. This was a fantastic result for our client, especially to secure the release so quickly and without the need to issue court proceedings".

Peter and Jenna's client praised their efforts and said " may I take this opportunity to thank you so much for your diligence and work on our behalf. It was refreshing to deal with a solicitor who took immediate action".

The team is recognised as specialists in HMRC and UK Border Force litigation and disputes, and follows a number of successes in securing the release of goods such as lorries and trailers and the setting aside of assessments.

September Breakfast Club

We have just held our latest breakfast meeting at the Theatre Royal in Norwich and 60 guests were treated to a first class breakfast followed by an engaging and stimulating talk from our Guest Speaker, Dr Andrew Wood OBE.  Andrew is not only Chief Executive of Adnams Brewery plc in Southwold but is also Chairman of the Local Enterprise Partnership for Norfolk and Suffolk and a Director of Adnams Bio Energy.

We hold quarterly meetings at this excellent venue and have a reputation for top quality Speakers.  Further information about this event or other Rogers & Norton functions can be obtained from our Practice Manager Graham Knights on gjk@rogers-norton.co.uk or by visiting our website www.rogers-norton.co.uk.

Breakfast Club

We have just held our latest Breakfast meeting at the Theatre Royal when our speaker was Anthony Grey O.B.E. who gave us an insight into his captivity by the Chinese in the Cultural Revolution and the effects it has had on his life since.

The audience of 60 had previously enjoyed an excellent breakfast and a great deal of networking was carried out at the event.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 24th September at the Theatre when our speaker will be Andrew Wood, Chief Executive of Adnams of Southwold.

To register your interest in attending this meeting or any more information upon any Rogers & Norton promotional events please contact Graham Knights, Practice Manager on 01603 675618 or gjk@rogers-norton.co.uk.

 

R&N Golf Blog

The new Rogers and Norton Golf blog is here... http://rogersandnortongolf.blogspot.co.uk/

Please visit for information about our upcoming golf days and events.

Disclosure, Disclosure, Disclosure!

As Family Law Solicitors advising clients in relation to their financial settlements upon divorce we are very much aware that our frequent reminders to clients of their obligation to be open and honest about the extent of their financial interests can seem rather tiresome.

However, the importance placed by the Courts upon parties’ honesty about their finances was exemplified in the High Court last week when Scot Young, a former property magnate, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for failing to disclose his assets in his divorce case. Specifically, Mr Young refused to disclose what had happened to £400 million of his wealth which he claimed was lost following a failed property transaction in Moscow. In proceedings brought by his former wife for his breach of a 2009 Court Order to pay her £27,500 per month maintenance, Mr Young was described by Mr Justice Moor as having “flagrantly” breached the Court’s orders to disclose what had happened to his fortune. Consequently, he was imprisoned for contempt of court.

Sentences of imprisonment are unusual in divorce cases for non-disclosure of assets. We have been involved in a case where the other party has received a suspended sentence of imprisonment for failing to disclose credit card statements as ordered by the court. This case involved modest finances and a rather stubborn former spouse who did not want to co-operate. As a result they now have a criminal record.

The case of Scot Young is a reminder to us all of the importance of honesty throughout the Court process. ‘Disclosure’ is not simply an excuse for your solicitor to nag you (!) or an exercise to run up costs. Whilst in the majority of cases the Court may simply draw adverse inferences upon one party’s refusal to provide the court with information about their financial position, in others it can result in significantly greater consequences.

Should you require any further advice from our Family Law Team then please feel free to contact Amy Walpole, Partner, or Sophie Key, Solicitor, on 01603 675648 or email matrimonial@rogers-norton.co.uk.

The video says it all!

This is the way to bring a little cheer to children's faces who are going through a tough time. Our visit to the Panto with Nelsons Journey explained in a one and a half minute video.

The video says it all!

Rogers & Norton

Children from Nelson's Journey meet the Panto Stars

This is the third year running that Rogers & Norton have taken children from Nelson's Journey to the Panto rather than sending out Christmas cards to everyone and we are delighted to report that the evening was a huge success with 30 children able to come along despite the fact that they are going through a very sad period in their young lives due to bereavement in some way.

We had a special tea party at the Theatre where the children were able to meet the Cast of the Show and it was wonderful that virtually every member of the cast gave up their time to entertain the children before the performance for which we are very grateful. Click here to see some pictures taken on the evening which give you a flavour of the event too.

The Theatre were excellent with their support and help on the evening as always and the Leeds Building Society donated goody bags for all the children to take home with them too. The Norfolk magazine photographer was there too along with the EDP reporter so hopefully the Charity will get some good media coverage to help their fundraising efforts.

We do arrange many varying promotional events throughout the year to try and put something back into the community and to help our chosen Charity, but this is by far the most rewarding evening of them all. To see the delight and joy in the childrens faces on the evening is a great reward for us all and we will continue to support the evening in future years.

Nelson's Journey do some wonderful work with children who have suffered with bereavement with some truly committed staff and volunteers and you can find more information about the Charity by visiting www.nelsonsjourney.org.uk.

If you would like more information about this event or other Rogers & Norton charitable events please visit our website www.rogers-norton.co.uk or contact me on o1603 675618 or gjk@rogers-norton.co.uk.

With kind regards.

Graham Knights
Practice Manager

All I Want for Christmas….

You may have read over the Christmas period the rather saddening reports that a ‘dad’ was the tenth most longed-for ‘present’ on children’s Christmas wish lists.

A survey of 2,000 parents, conducted by Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City revealed that, along with the expensive ‘must have’ toys and an array of pets, a number of children wished for a father in their lives.

The survey highlights the breakdown of family life. Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the number of children living in single-parent families in the UK has risen steadily but significantly from 1.6 million in 1996 to 2.0 million in 2012.*

From our dealings with clients we appreciate that it is not always through choice that many fathers, and indeed mothers, are prevented from being involved in their child’s life. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for the resident parent to be obstructive to the contact between a child and their non-resident parent. We are frequently asked by clients to write to their former partner to negotiate the arrangements for contact (formerly known as access). This is not just at Christmas but is a year-round problem for many families. On some occasions it is necessary for parents to apply to the Family Courts for a Contact Order.

Since April 2011 it is necessary for most cases to be referred to mediation before an application to the Court can be made. Mediation is a process whereby a trained, impartial mediator meets with the parties together and assists them to reach a resolution between themselves. If mediation is unsuccessful then it is possible to make an application to the Court.

In the absence of any welfare concerns the Court operates under a presumption that contact between a child and their non-resident parent is in the best interests of the child. Contact can take many forms including ‘supported’ contact at a local contact centre to ‘staying’ contact. The process may be resolved by agreement at an early stage or may proceed to a final hearing whereby a judge will make a decision as to the type and frequency of contact. The Court treats very seriously the issue of contact between children and their parents and relatively recent developments in the law has seen the introduction of custodial sanctions for resident parents who continue to obstruct contact in breach of a Court order.

If you are experiencing difficulties maintaining contact with your children or you wish for some advice as to how to manage your child’s contact with your former partner please contact our Family Team. We offer a one-off Fixed Fee meeting during which we can address your queries and advise you as to your options. Our fees are £50 + VAT for the Fixed Fee meeting.

Please feel free to contact Sophie Key, Solicitor, or Amy Walpole, Partner, on 01603 675648 or email matrimonial@rogers-norton.co.uk.

*Office for National Statistics ‘Families & Households 2012’ Statistical Bulletin 1st November 2012.