No Fault Divorce

Last week over 150 Resolution members gathered in Parliament to call for ‘No Fault Divorce’.

Resolution represents family justice professionals including the Family Solicitors at Girlings Solicitors who are committed to supporting couples to achieve a solution to family disputes in a non-confrontational way. Currently parties...

'No Fault Divorce'

On 13 October 2015 there is to be a motion debated in the House of Commons as to whether there should be the introduction of a 'no fault divorce'. At present whilst the single ground for a divorce or civil partnership dissolution in England and Wales is that the marriage has irretrievably broken down, to prove this specific facts have to be shown, such as adultery, unreasonable behaviour,...

2015 Autumn Statement: key property announcements

On 25 November 2015, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne delivered his Autumn Statement and made the following key property announcements:

Prioritising Housing in London: The government has continued to attempt to tackle the lack of housing, particularly low cost housing. Prioritising housing in London has long been on the agenda and it is good to see that...

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A bleak future for variation-in-writing clauses?

A clause specifying that all variations to a contract must be in writing is a common clause in commercial contracts of every description. Such clauses create certainty between the parties.

The Court of Appeal has however recently cast doubt on the effectiveness of variation-in-writing clauses in the case of Globe Motors Inc v TRW Lucas Varity Electric Steering Ltd [2016...

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Lesley Rushton

Partner

What My Clients Have Said

We visited Lesley at Girlings to up-date our Wills. We were quite shocked at how basic our old Wills were, when we had followed the advice of a previous solicitor. Lesley was very thorough, knowledgeable and gave us so much advice, encouraging us to think about things we may not have considered in the past. She handled the process in a professional, caring manner. We came away from the appointment feeling that we had everything in order and in good hands. Susan Ball

I was and am impressed by and grateful for your efficient, helpful and sympathetic handling of my affairs. If anyone I know needs a solicitor I will certainly recommend you. Jennifer Brown

Everyone who wrote or spoke to me was concise and helpful. No room for improvement.

Many thanks for all your help dealing with first my father's and then my mother's legal affairs. You have been so helpful, as well as efficient throughout and made a fairly unpleasant process more than bearable. Alastair Wrigley

Miss Rushton was very kind and helpful throughout, which was very much appreciated. Captain T R Barton

I was completely satisfied with the efficient, courteous and friendly manner in which the whole matter was dealt with. M J Makepeace

I hope you don't mind this bit of levity [Jack and Jill in court] but it made me think of you although, I hasten to add, you are the complete antithesis with your communications! And much appreciated for that. Peter Atkinson

Thank you for making this whole experience so easy. There was never a time when I couldn't get an answer to a phone call or an email and that was always so helpful. Mrs Burden

Private Client

Head of Private Client

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Lesley heads up the Private Client Team from the Canterbury office and has specialised in matters relating to wills and inheritance for over 25 years.

Her experience is wide ranging and includes high net worth estates, estates involving foreign assets and repatriation, estates where a large number of beneficiaries need to be traced (the record stands at over 90) and those containing business assets.

Lesley adopts a professional and informative approach whilst ensuring that her clients feel comfortable and at ease in situations that can often be emotional and difficult.

She is approachable, sympathetic and effective, endeavouring at all times to meet her clients’ legal requirements with speed and efficiency. Lesley is also happy to make home or hospital visits for clients who cannot attend the office.

My Specialisms

Lesley is in the directory of specialist legal professionals for MENCAP and for the National Autistic Society. She also acts as an observer for Age UK Herne Bay and gives talks to local voluntary and charity organisations about Wills and Powers of Attorney.

She has particular expertise in the following areas:

Drafting of Wills and Lasting Power of Attorney
Work involving the Court of Protection – Deputy appointments and capacity issues
Declarations of Trust for property matters
Severance of Joint Tenancy and Entry of Restrictions at HM Land Registry
Dealing with probate: Estate administration, Variation of Wills
Advising on Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax planning, tax mitigation and estate planning to include foreign assets
Advice on Trusts
Personal Injury Trust advice and drafting
Lifetime gift planning.

Lesley adopts a professional and informative approach whilst ensuring that her clients feel comfortable and at ease in situations that can often be emotional and difficult.

Lesley was born in Canterbury and attended Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham. She graduated from Middlesex University with a Bachelor of Law Honours Degree and completed her Solicitors’ Finals at Guildford School of Law. She was articled to Girlings in 1990 and qualified as a solicitor in 1992. When she qualified, Lesley joined the Private Client team at Girlings. Five years later Lesley became a Partner and shortly after was appointed as Head of Department.

The Private Client Department is accredited by the Law Society under their Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS). This is a best practice quality mark for Wills and estate administration and sets rigorous client service standards to ensure transparency in process, costs and communications.