Our client, a published author with a loyal and globally established readership, encountered significant reputational risk when a third party began infringing on our clients’ intellectual property rights.

The third party unlawfully began using our clients’ pen name, cover designs, and presentation to publish AI-generated books and pass these books off as our client’s work to create consumer confusion in the marketplace.

These AI-generated books did not reflect the quality of our client’s authentic writing, resulting in negative reviews and consumer dissatisfaction. This was damaging our client’s reputation and undermining our clients’ years of hard work and credibility.

Our corporate team acted swiftly to enforce our client’s intellectual property rights, addressing the infringement and protecting our client’s brand. Through strategic legal action, we helped safeguard the integrity of our client’s work and reputation.

We successfully addressed the infringement and protected our client’s brand, safeguarding the integrity of our client’s work and reputation.

As the use of AI continues to grow, instances of AI-generated content being used to infringe intellectual property rights will likely increase. If you are facing a similar issue, it is important to act swiftly to protect your reputation and your rights.

Our clients were executors of a Will. The deceased’s sister put a caveat against the Will and told one of the executors that she wanted £30,000 from the deceased’s estate, along with their cat and £2,000 for its care.

Franklins obtained a grant of probate and warned off the caveat. From this, we were able to reach an agreement to settle with the sister and agreed a Summons for Discontinuance.

Franklins successfully negotiated a settlement of the deceased’s sister’s claim from the client’s legacy. A Summons for Discontinuance was agreed upon to formally withdraw the caveat. This has been provided to the other solicitors to proceed with obtaining the grant and finalising the settlement of the deceased’s sister’s claim.

Clients should immediately seek legal advice when faced with issues as an executor or beneficiary of a will. Solicitors are able to settle disputes that arise from disagreements involving ills and uphold the deceased’s wishes.

Clients can also learn the importance of Wills and how they are upheld during and after the probate process.

Our clients had used an access way on their neighbour’s property on a daily basis for many years. The neighbour moved out and there was an acquisition into the property with new neighbours.

The clients got on well with the new neighbours until the relationship broke down over planning permission the clients obtained for a new extension.

The clients’ neighbours later blocked the access way to the side of their property over which the clients had a right of way on foot. The clients wrote to the neighbours asking them to unblock it so that they could pass through. The neighbours failed to respond or cooperate.

The clients then went on holiday and, upon their return, they noticed that their neighbours had erected posts upon the land.

Franklins made a claim on behalf of the clients for a declaration that they enjoy an easement and an order requiring the neighbours to remove the posts they had erected.

We also made a claim for damages for nuisance.

We were successful in establishing that the clients enjoy a right of way over the vehicular access.

We also succeeded in the claim for nuisance because the neighbours had blocked the alleyway.

It is helpful to keep a record of correspondence with opponents in boundary disputes, to prove that initial personal resolutions were attempted in a calm manner.

It is important to seek help early before the situation escalates to avoid increased legal fees and resolve the matter sooner. Professionals in litigation are trained to deal with matters like this on a daily basis and can advise how to move forward and how to resolve these matters.

Our client was the landlord of a property inhabited by two tenants. The tenants refused to pay rent and stopped all communication with the landlord. The landlord was locked out of the property.

One tenant was locked out by the other tenant and broke into the property. The landlord was informed later, when the police were involved. The tenants treated the property poorly, which led to serious damage within the property.

The landlord sought repossession of the property, the return of rent arrears and money for the repairs.

Franklins issued proceedings to the court in order to grant possession to the landlord. We advised the landlord not to contact the tenants once proceedings were issued.

Repossession of the property was granted to the landlord. As the tenants still would not vacate the premises, Franklins instructed the bailiffs to evict the tenants.

The landlord successfully gained repossession of the property. The case is ongoing, and the bailiffs are due to attend in the coming days.

Landlords should seek legal advice if a tenant is not responding or complying. Solicitors are able to submit court proceedings for a landlord to repossess the property.

Landlords should not aggravate the tenant further by trying to contact them when proceedings have already been issued and are underway.

Solicitors are able to advise the landlord further on their specific circumstances and instruct bailiffs if the tenant does not comply.

Our client initially attended a meeting for a non-molestation order following the respondent being abusive and controlling. The abuser had threatened both the client and her family.

We had to first advise the client regarding the current safety concerns and potentially putting in place a non-molestation order with zonal order to protect the client under Section 42 of the Family Law Act 1996. At the very least, an occupation order was needed to allow the client to live at the property under Section 33 of the Family Law Act 1996.

As we were informed that the respondent would not have anywhere else to live, we advised the client to live with family. It was safer for the client to vacate the jointly owned property and have a zonal order attached so the abuser would not be allowed within a certain radius of the client. Until the order was in place, we advised the client to call the police if the abuser came near.

We submitted a non-molestation order application without consent (ex-parte), which was granted by the court for a year. We had it served on the respondent by a process server.

We then had to arrange for the client’s remaining belongings at the property to be returned and for the sale of the jointly owned property. We advised the client that, as they were not married, if the matter was disputed it would come under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (TOLATA). We wrote a without prejudice letter to the respondent regarding the return of the belongings and the sale of the property.

We arranged for a third party to collect the client’s personal items. The respondent agreed to the sale and division of the property. Due to the non-molestation order, the client remained safe.

The property was sold and the client moved to a new property unknown to the respondent. The client was able to start her life over again without any abuse or threats.

“Thank you for everything Franklins have done for me during the most difficult time in my life.”

It is vital that clients receive the correct advice from the beginning so that they are aware of the process and to prevent any unnecessary stress. In cases involving domestic abuse, taking swift action to protect your safety is the priority.

Our client and their spouse had a child together and, although they were divorcing, they were still amicable and wanted to remain good friends. We had to make the client aware of the divorce process and the legality around matrimonial finances, without upsetting the spouse.

The divorcing couple were born and married in Poland but domiciled in England and Wales. We had to make sure they were also officially divorced in their country of marriage and birth.

We held an initial meeting going through the laws around divorce in England and Wales. Firstly, we had to obtain a copy of the marriage certificate from Poland as well as a translated version. We issued the divorce application with both versions of the marriage certificates as a sole application on the HMCTS portal.

We researched the laws for divorce in their place of birth and marriage, which meant we needed to send the final divorce order to the local registry where they got married. This would also make them officially divorced in their country of origin as well as England and Wales, where they now domicile.

We applied for the conditional order after the 20-week holding period and, once the order was pronounced at court, we waited for the required six weeks before applying for the final divorce order. We managed to advise our client on the matrimonial finances and reached an amicable agreement. The parties maintained a friendship without any disputes.

Once we received the final divorce order, we sent a copy to the relevant registry in the place they married and were born. This meant their divorce was compliant in England and Wales as well as their place of birth and marriage.

“Working with Franklins led to a smooth transition, making sure there were no disputes between my ex-spouse and me.”

When the client first came for advice, they were not only unaware of the legal implications and process of divorce in the UK but also in their place of birth and marriage. They needed to conclude the matter so that they were officially divorced in both jurisdictions.

Where parties were married abroad, it is important to consider whether the divorce also needs to be registered in the country of marriage to ensure it is recognised there.

Our client wanted to instruct us to proceed with a divorce and complete the already agreed matrimonial finances. The parties had separated over ten years prior but remained good friends. Our client had been paying part of his pension each month to his ex-spouse.

In the initial meeting, we advised the client on the divorce laws and how a conditional order is required before we could submit a consent order and Form D81 with the court. As the only asset being divided was the pension, we advised the client on the different pension orders available. We also had to advise the client of the risks of agreeing to the division of matrimonial finances without formal disclosure.

We wrote to the spouse recommending that they seek independent legal advice before proceeding, due to the complexity of pensions under Section 24 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973.

Once the consent order and pension sharing annex had been agreed by the parties, we contacted the pension provider to make sure they approved the orders. Each provider has certain requirements, and we reviewed their policy to ensure compliance.

An application for divorce was submitted to HMCTS under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 and the ‘no fault divorce’ provisions under the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020. The consent order was drafted along with the pension sharing annex and Form D81.

Once approved by the pension provider and the conditional order was received, the documents were signed by the parties and solicitors and submitted to the court for their approval. The court approved the documents, which allowed us to send them to the pension provider so that they could begin their process. We also applied for the final divorce order.

“They made what could have been a lengthy disputed process quick and easy, advising me on the process throughout.”

Seeking advice from the start can prevent lengthy, expensive and stressful proceedings. Even where parties have reached an agreement between themselves, it is important to ensure that the agreement is properly documented and approved by the court to make it legally binding.

Our client wanted her properties protected before she got married, and her partner wanted his company protected. We advised the client that they could have a pre-nuptial agreement implemented.

Although not legally binding, with certain formalities the agreement carries weight if the parties did divorce, especially since the case of Radmacher v Granatino [2010] UKSC 42.

We advised that both parties would need to disclose their assets by way of a Form E, which would be attached to the pre-nuptial agreement. Both parties would need to receive independent legal advice on the agreement and have it witnessed. The pre-nuptial agreement would also need to be signed 28 days prior to the wedding to show that it was not forced, otherwise a post-nuptial agreement would need to be drafted instead.

We went through the clauses that would need to be included, such as the family home, review of the agreement in five years, division of assets if they divorce, payments, provisions if they have children, and many more.

We met with the client at each stage and wrote to her partner with the initial letters. We advised the client throughout the process, and her partner received independent legal advice from another firm.

We drafted the agreement, which was approved by her partner’s solicitor. The agreement was signed and witnessed as a pre-nuptial agreement in good time, months ahead of the marriage.

A pre-nuptial agreement allows couples to plan ahead and protect assets they bring into a marriage. The legal process ensures that assets accumulated before the marriage are protected once they have married.

It is important to seek expert help early to ensure all assets are properly protected and that the agreement is not rushed. The formalities must be properly followed for the agreement to carry weight if the parties later divorce.

Our client had been having issues at work and, shortly after raising a grievance in respect of the same, was asked to have a ‘without prejudice’ conversation with their employer. As part of this conversation, the client was offered a settlement agreement, which the employer claimed was unrelated to the grievance, instead citing a breakdown in their working relationship and disciplinary concerns.

Our approach was to meet with the client to understand the background of the matter, including the circumstances leading up to the settlement agreement, their employment history, and to advise them of any potential claims they had against their employer. This allows the employee to understand what their options are moving forwards, both in respect of accepting the settlement agreement and any other avenues, such as pursuing a claim.

We also discussed the suggested amendments we had for the settlement agreement, in particular waiving certain restrictive covenants and requesting that commission payments be included.

In this case, there was quite a lot of background to go through, so a second meeting was required to go through the terms and effect of the agreement itself, once we had adequately considered all their options moving forwards. It is a legal requirement to take legal advice on the meaning of a settlement agreement in order for it to be valid and binding, so this second meeting was required in this case.

Following the meeting and some further correspondence with the employer to finalise amendments, the settlement was agreed and signed by the parties.

We successfully negotiated a settlement agreement which the client was happy to proceed with, including waiving some of his restrictive covenants to allow him to move forwards and obtain a new role, and an increase in the monies he would be receiving under the terms of the agreement to include a pro-rata commission payment for work completed in the current financial year up to the termination date.

It is important to seek advice regarding settlement agreements from someone who will not only explain the settlement agreement itself, but also who will take the time to consider the circumstances leading up to the agreement and your employment history. It is vital for an employee to understand what rights they are giving up as part of the process and also what options they have moving forwards.

Our client instructed us to review their current contracts of employment for all staff and the directors of the company.

We provisionally reviewed their existing contracts and made suggested amendments to comply with Section 1 statement requirements. We then prepared more detailed and bespoke Directors’ Service Agreements for the directors.

As part of our instructions with this client, our Corporate team was also subsequently instructed to put together a Shareholders’ Agreement.

Once the documents were approved by all parties, we coordinated with our Corporate team to ensure the documents were duly approved, signed and completed in conjunction with the Shareholders’ Agreement.

We updated the contracts of employment and completed three Directors’ Service Agreements in line with our client’s instructions. We coordinated internally to ensure these were completed in a manner that was cohesive with the corporate matters also being worked upon.

It is quite often the case that employer matters commencing with our employment team may also require advice from our Corporate team or additional documentation to be drafted by them, such was the case here.

We work collaboratively with our Corporate team and will often work together on matters to provide our clients with the best possible service from a holistic perspective.