An appeal made by a wife ends her lifetime maintenance and her “meal ticket for life”. Mrs Waggott had initially been awarded a settlement of over £9 million plus £175,000 per year in spousal maintenance for the rest of her life. She appealed, asking the Courts to vary the spousal maintenance order to provide her with an additional £23,000 per annum.

​Ramsdens Solicitors has appointed Rachel Sharp, who joins Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence teams, as a Solicitor. Rachel, who joins Ramsdens from a Leeds based firm, has a wealth of experience, specialising in complex, high value Clinical Negligence actions arising from medical malpractice together with Personal Injury accident claims including, but not limited to those on the road, in the work place and those involving public liability.

The understanding and awareness of Dementia is increasing as more and more people are willing to speak out about their experiences, take action and break down barriers and stigmas. We appreciate that the subjects of capacity, memory, Wills and death can be daunting to talk about, but they are necessary discussions to have. If you are uncertain on how best to talk about these subjects, possibly because you are unsure how you would go about getting your legal affairs in order; or, you just don’t feel you need to; or, something else entirely, then discussing these earlier on in your life is a positive step, as you will be better equipped to deal with life’s rollercoaster.

‘Our mission is to transform the landscape of dementia forever. Until the day we find a cure, we will strive to create a society where those affected by dementia are supported and accepted, able to live in their community without fear or prejudice.’– Alzheimer’s Society

A Deputy is a person appointed by the Court of Protection to manage the finances and/or personal welfare of another person who lacks the mental capacity to manage their affairs themselves. Once a person has lost their mental capacity a deputyship application by a third party may be necessary and indeed may be the only alternative if the person lacking capacity has not previously made a Lasting Power of Attorney.

There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2025. This will soar to 2 million by 2051. 225,000 will develop dementia this year, that’s one every three minutes. 1 in 6 people over the age of 80 have dementia. 70 per cent of people in care homes have dementia or severe memory problems. There are over 40,000 people under 65 with dementia in the UK. More than 25,000 people from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups in the UK are affected.

Dementia Action Week (previously Dementia Awareness Week) takes place from 21st - 27th May and the Alzheimer’s Society are calling on everyone to take action, whether it is only a small action, it can have a big impact. This is to help improve the everyday lives of people affected by dementia and create a dementia friendly UK.