Not-for-profit campaign group the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) says that grieving families are not always aware of their rights, and that a recently published guide to the coroner's system does not make them clear enough.

"Bereaved people, already distressed and completely unfamiliar with the coroner system, need to know exactly what their options are," said APIL president Matthew Stockwell.

Matthew said the Government's Guide to coroner services has good intentions, but risks allowing vulnerable grieving families to face the court system alone, when those implicated in the deaths of their relatives may well have the benefit of legal help.

"If someone was tragically killed at work, for example, it's a safe bet that any large company or public body he may have worked for would have help and representation at the inquest," he explained. "Yet mourning members of the public all too often find themselves unable to follow the proceedings, or effectively relay their loss to the court".

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Elisha Roberts of our Prestatyn office has welcomed a baby daughter, Aimee, and Nicola Underhill of our St Asaph office has welcomed a baby son, Samuel.

Mums and babies are doing well.

Congratulations to all!

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For further details, please visit our 'Careers' page:

/careers/current-vacancies.aspx

The story included figures from the ABI about how motorists' premiums are spent, and pointed the blame for high premiums at injured whiplash claimants.

In the letter, which was printed yesterday (Wednesday) Deborah Evans said "Insurers are fond of demonising people who suffer whiplash injuries in car accidents. It is a populist, if increasingly predictable, way for the Association of British Insurers to divert attention from the fact that its own research shows more of the motorist's premium is used to cover the cost of vehicle repair and replacement than anything else. Perhaps the ABI is hoping readers will forget that insurers' own practices in this area have been branded 'dysfunctional' by the Office of Fair Trading."

Read more on the BBC News Business website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21385919

During the ceremony Samantha was formally presented with her Practicing Certificate by the Deputy Vice President of The Law Society, Andrew Caplen.

Congratulations Samantha!

Read more on the BBC News Wales' Website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-21250121

Full details can be found on the A-T Spring Ball website.

Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare, neurodegenerative and progressive condition which starts in early childhood causing severe disability and premature death.  It affects many parts of the body robbing the child of his/her independence. A wheelchair is usually required by the age of ten.

The A-T Society's objective is to find a cure or treatment for A-T but it is also committed to supporting families affected by the condition. It is a very worthwhile cause. 

To purchase tickets, please contact Jo Rawson on 07525 836011 or e-mail atspringball13@hotmail.co.uk.

Nearly four in ten (38%) respondents predict the average UK house price will rise over the next year, whilst less than a fifth of respondents (18%) forecast a decline in prices.

The headline House Price Outlook balance (i.e. the difference between the proportion of people that expect house prices to rise rather than fall) stood at +20 in December. This is the highest reading since the survey began in April 2011, surpassing the previous high of +19 in March 2012. Optimism has risen since the last survey in October when the House Price Outlook balance stood at +15.

Martin Ellis, housing economist at Halifax, said: "Conditions in the housing market have been largely unchanged over the past 12 months with little overall movement in either house prices or sales for the second consecutive year. This remarkable stability, given the poor domestic and overseas economic climate, has probably been a key driver of the improvement in sentiment regarding the outlook for house prices over the coming year.

"Ongoing concerns over job security and the challenges in raising a deposit are likely to constrain housing demand and activity next year. Accordingly, we expect continuing broad stability in house prices nationally in 2013."

More than half the respondents (53%) think it will be a good time to buy in the next 12 months. This is nearly four times the proportion feeling it will be a good time to sell (13%). Fewer than one in ten (9%) think it will be a good time to both buy and sell over the coming months, suggesting the level of housing market activity is likely to remain subdued in 2013.

More than half the respondents highlighted concerns about job security (58%) and the challenges in raising a deposit (55%) as the main barriers to buying a home. The proportion highlighting concerns about job security is 7 percentage points higher than in October (51%). There has been a slight decline in respondents identifying the general availability of mortgages as a major hurdle to home buying from 31% in October to 29%.

Article Source: ExpertAgent Property News

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Please see page 27 of the Rhyl Journal for news of their success. 

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?PBID=5b28845c-8273-4b3e-b47c-b344a8c9b906

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/celebrity-news-gossip/beyonc-and-jayz-lose-right-to-trademark-baby-daughters-name-blue-ivy-3270249.html

If you have any need for assistance re Intellectual Property matters, please contact our Chester office and ask to speak to Andrew or Mairtin.

Source: Independent Woman Magazine

Our services in this area are recognized by the Legal 500, one of the countries leading guides to the legal profession. 

We offer a first consultation entirely free of charge.  We will ensure that you receive a very clear assessment of the likely prospects of success in your case at the very earliest opportunity.

We also are able to undertake home/hospital visits and are proud to offer a bespoke one to one service working with a range of experts in rehabilitation provide us to ensure that you receive the best possible service.

Mackenzie Jones are also members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers which is an independent not a profit organisation providing accreditation for Lawyers who specialise in personal injury work.  Mackenzie Jones are an APIL accredited legal firm reflecting our expertise and experience in this area.

The department is headed by Richard Jones, a Solicitor of nearly 25 years standing.  His team also included Anna Mills Morgan who is an APIL accredited senior litigator, Kaye Jones and Samantha Baines. 

The North Wales Open Tournament is the premier tennis tournament in North Wales and the finalists include County, Nationally Ranked and former UK international players.

The finals were held on Sunday, 15^th July and a great day was had by all. We were fortunate that the weather was kind to us!

Congratulations to Ian Noonan who won the men's singles, Emily Watson who won the ladies singles, Ian Preston and Sam Lees who won the men's doubles, Alice and Emily Williams who won the women's doubles and Ian Noonan and Stephanie Ball who won the mixed doubles.

Special thanks goes to the Ladies of the Club for the wonderful buffet lunch provided.

Mackenzie Jones, helping the local community.

Lexcel is developed specifically for the legal profession. It is an optional, recognised accreditation scheme for law firms and in-house legal departments which gives assurance that a practice meets high client care and business management standards.

To gain and retain Lexcel accreditation, practice must undergo a rigorous initial then annual application and assessment process. This includes conducting background checks and an on-site visit from an experienced, trained Lexcel assessor.

Tina Luke, Practice Manager, said: "While we are proud to have secured Lexcel, it is our clients and staff who are the main beneficiaries. They can be assured that the way we manage the practice has their interests at heart and runs effectively. There is a lot of choice in the legal services market, but being Lexcel accredited demonstrates our commitment to client care and best practice."

John Wotton, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, said: "Achieving Lexcel accreditation proves a serious commitment to the continual development of the practice's management standards. Practices opt to undertake the rigorous application and assessment process for the optional scheme to help demonstrate their investment in their business.

By implementing policies, plans and procedures within Lexcel's key areas, such client service and risk management, practices can show how the positive steps they are taking to help clients in the increasingly diverse, complicated and competitive legal market. Lexcel acts as a beacon of quality to clients and potential clients alike.

For more information about the Lexcel quality mark, please contact Steve Rudaini in the Law Society Press office on: +44 (0)20 7316 5624 or email: steve.rudaini@lawsociety.org.uk

We were instructed to pursue a claim for damages against the employers in April 2010.  The case was handled by our Richard Jones the Head of our Personal Injury Department.

From the outset, we managed the case in a pro-active fashion. We secured an early admission of liability from the employers' insurers, together with interim payments of £14,560.00 which our client was able to utilise in respect of his loss of earnings. 

We instructed two highly regarded expert witnesses, who recommended that our client undergo psychological treatment which we arranged on his behalf. We are pleased to confirm that our client has now returned to work.

Following negotiations with the Defendants' legal team, the claim was settled last week for the sum of £40,000.00.

This case demonstrates our expertise and knowledge in the field of accidents at work.

Mackenzie Jones. Here to help when you need us most.

On behalf of Andrew Foley Jones, Jon Bartley, Ashley Rogers and Jason Randa we are pleased to confirm that the Three Peaks was completed on the evening of Sunday 8^th July 2012 when the intrepid explorers wearily made their way down from the summit of Mount Snowdon.

The expedition began 24 hours earlier at the foot of Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands when following a six hour assent to Britain's highest mountain through snow and driving rain, the team then drove down to the highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike before travelling across to North Wales to climb the highest mountain in England and Wales, Mount Snowdon.

After covering approximately 950 miles by car, walking 27 miles up and down the three highest peaks in Great Britain with no sleep for 36 hours Sunday night was spent with a well deserved bottle of wine and hot baths for all.

For those of you that have not had the opportunity to donate, the just giving link is shown below and the page will be open until noon this Friday, 13^th July.

Any donation no matter how small is gratefully received.

Thank you very much for all your generous help on behalf of the Glan Clwyd Cancer Centre in North Wales. 

http://www.justgiving.com/teams/randa0

Jessica is a Legal Assistant at our St Asaph office and we are pleased to announce that she graduated on Tuesday 10^th July 2012 from John Moores' University in Liverpool with a Bachelor of Laws degree.

Congratulations Jess LLB (Hons)!

Here is wishing the guys all the best of luck from the Mackenzie Jones team and hoping the rain eases off slightly for them.

If you wish to donate there is still time, please follow the link below:

http://www.justgiving.com/teams/randa0

We were instructed to pursue a claim for damages against the employers in March 2011.  The case was handled by our Richard Jones the Head of our Personal Injury Department.

From the outset, we managed the case in an aggressive and pro-active fashion. We secured an early admission of liability from the employers' insurers, and payments on account of £200,000 which were utilised by our client to provide temporary accommodation, aids and equipment and a suitably adapted vehicle.

We instructed Mr Bill Braithwaite QC and Mr Anthony Goff of Exchange Chambers in Liverpool and obtained evidence from several expert witnesses of repute.

Following a recent meeting with the Defendants' legal team, the claim was settled last week for the sum of 3 million pounds, together with the right for our client to "re-open" the case at any time during his lifetime if he were to suffer serious accident related neurological damage to his spine which was not susceptible to medical treatment.

This case demonstrates our expertise and knowledge in the field of spinal injuries. Within a period of 15 months, we achieved the best possible outcome for the client who can now look forward to rebuilding his life knowing that his financial security for the future is assured.

Mackenzie Jones. Here to help when you need us most.

With a month to go to the Three Peaks Challenge, Andrew Foley Jones was joined by fellow Director Richard Jones on a training climb over the weekend.

If you would like to donate to the Bodelwyddan Cancer Unit please follow the link:  

http://www.justgiving.com/teams/randa0. 

Previously only firms on HSBC's managed panel of conveyancers were able to act for both the borrower and the lender, with all other firms able to act for the borrower only. The new arrangement will be introduced in August 2012.

All CQS firms, of which there are currently more than 1,400 in England and Wales, will be able to act for HSBC and for the borrower. From the outset, CQS-accredited sole practitioners will be able to handle all cases with mortgage values up to £150,000. The Law Society and HSBC will continue to work together to raise this value for CQS sole practitioners.

Recognising the merit in some of the different requirements HSBC currently has for its panel, the Law Society has invited HSBC to assist it in further developing the CQS assessment scheme so that it becomes the automatic requirement for a firm to join a mortgage lenders conveyancing panel. HSBC has suggested the Law Society consider inviting other mortgage lenders to assist the Law Society in this respect, a proposal the Society was delighted to accept.

Martijn van der Heijden, head of lending at HSBC commented:

'We introduced our panel in January to provide additional protection for both our customers and the bank. We listened to feedback from customers and solicitors, and through working with the Law Society can now agree to more solicitors acting for us while also managing our risks and maintaining the unique benefits of using one of our panel solicitors.

'We are committed to helping our home-buying customers and have set aside £15bn to lend in residential mortgages this year.'

Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson said:

'With this move HSBC is demonstrating its commitment to putting customers first as well as its confidence in the CQS scheme. The bank has been constructive in working with the Law Society, in designing this solution. As well as giving its customers a much wider choice of solicitor that can also act for HSBC, it has aligned itself further with the CQS and the high standards the scheme represents.

'The Law Society and its members have campaigned for this change in the interests of solicitors' home-buying clients since HSBC introduced its original panel. HSBC's willingness to engage with us has helped secure a good outcome for their mortgage customers, our CQS members and the house buying public.'

Under the new system, HSBC mortgage customers will have three options when appointing a solicitor or conveyancer:

• Option 1 ('the managed panel') will be using one of the current managed panel firms: conveyancers who can act for the bank and the borrower and who have signed up to offering fixed fees and other guarantees including no sale, no fee.
• Option 2 will be to use CQS members who are not on the managed panel. CQS members will not be obliged to commit to the fees set by the bank, or purchase a technology link to the bank's panel manager.
• The third option remains available for borrowers who wish to choose another firm of solicitors or conveyancers not in the two options above. In this instance, as was previously the case, the borrower will pay £160+VAT for a panel firm to complete the legal work required by HSBC.

The Mackenzie Jones Solicitors sponsored rugby team, will be making their debut in the elite competition and waiting for them in round one are Aviva Premiership giants Leicester Tigers.

Ironically Richard De Carpentier, who played for the North Wales Exiles when they won the Llangoed and Manchester Sevens titles in 2010, will line up against his old team having signed for the Tigers at the start of the season.

The 16 team competition, which runs over four weekends during May and June, will pit the best sevens players in theUK against each other. There are 12 core teams which will play at every tournament and they will be joined by four guest sides.

The first tournament is the ULR Rugby Sevens Tournament, in Bury St Edmonds, and sees the talented North Wales side drawn in what has been described as the "Group of Death" alongside Leicester Tigers, HFW Wailers and Templars.
The Wailers won the famous Heineken Amsterdam Sevens in May 2011 beating Templars in the final. Wailers made the final of the Dubai Sevens in December again having knocked out Templars in an earlier round.

The North Wales Exiles have themselves enjoyed some success over the last two years and are now regarded as the best sevens team inWales.  In 2010 they won the Manchester Sevens and Llangoed Sevens, as well as finishing runners-up at Caldy.

In May 2011 they came within a whisker of winning 10,000 Euros at the Heineken Kinsale Sevens, inIreland, taking the final all the way to sudden death. They went on to record stylish wins at the Caldy Sevens and won the Plate Final at the Newquay Surf Sevens.

Exiles boss Marcus Copeland has decided not to name his squad ahead of the tournament but he is expected to take James Farrell, from Rhyl, who has captained the team on five occasions. Danny Bibby is unavailable after being called into the England Sevens team for the televised IRB competition inGlasgow.

"We have decided not to name the squad until Saturday but it will be available to see on our new website www.northwalesexiles.com and you will also be able to click on a link which will show you televised highlights from the tournament and other rugby sevens news."

England rugby union winger David Strettle is to be special guest at this year's tournament. The Saracens player, who has been capped 11 times, will present the trophy to the winning team in the first of the Super Sevens Series tournaments for 2012.

The event, which is expected to draw a crowd of 3000 spectators will see sixteen of the top national and international sevens rugby teams complete at the Haberden, home of Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club.

"The quality of the rugby will be very high with some of the best Invitational and national 7s teams playing including the White Hart Marauders, HFW Wailers, Social Vibe Pups, Samurai Barracudas, Northampton Saints, Leicester Tigers and the North Wales Exiles. Following the late pull out of Romania, we are delighted to have an entry from the up and coming Nigerian national 7s  side, who have recently been making a real impact in the World Series, and are the team to watch for the future. This is a real coup for us," said Mike Robinson, event organiser. "It will be a fantastic day for anyone that loves rugby and a brilliant opportunity to see some of the best sevens players in the world play. For
example Wales 7s star Will Thomas, who recently played in theTokyo leg of the IRB world 7s series is appearing for the Barracudas together withAustralia 7s player Tim Walsh as their coach. "It's hard to pick out any favourites this year as there is little to choose between any of the teams," he added.

This is the first time the Bury St Edmunds ULR Tournament has been selected as a Super Sevens Series tournament and puts theSuffolk club on the national stage of fixtures.  Super Sevens Series rules are in line with the IRB World Series and there will be 12 core specialist sevens teams competing with four invited sides - guests of Bury St Edmunds - to make up the sixteen. Guest sides this year are Northampton Saints, Leicester Tigers, Esher andNigeria.

Points are accumulated throughout the series with an eventual overall series winner coming from the team with the most points across all four events.

Competing for the SSS series prize are:

Northampton Saints
Leicester Tigers
Nigeria 7s
Esher
Apache
British Students
Burrda Sport Ronin
White Hart Marauders
HFW Wailers
Templars 7
Wales Charitables
i- Synergy Kamikaze
Akuma North Wales Exiles
Samurai Barracudas
Social Vibe Pups
Rambling Jesters

As well as the rugby, there will be a Suffolk beer festival running from Friday 4th May through to Sunday 6th featuring a range of locally brewed ales. Other activities include a children's play area, food and cake stalls as well as several stands selling crafts and gifts. Gates open from 10am with the tournament kicking off at 10.30am. Tickets are £7 per adult, £3 for U16s and free for Under 5.

Mackenzie Jones underwent rigorous assessment by the Law Society in order to secure CQS status, which marks the firm out as meeting high standards in the residential conveyancing process.

Law Society President John Wotton said that the Law Society introduced CQS to promote high standards in the home buying process.

"CQS improves efficiency with common, consistent standards and service levels and enables consumers to recognise practices that provide a quality residential conveyancing service.

"Buying a home is one of the largest purchases anyone will make in their lifetime, so it is essential that it is done to the highest standard by a solicitor. There are many different conveyancing service providers out there, making it difficult for home buyers to identify those which can ensure a safe and efficient level of service."

Andrew Foley Jones says: "Mackenzie Jones is delighted to have secured CQS status. It is recognition of the high standards we provide to our residential property clients and is a signal to future home buyers of the excellent service level we provide at what is often a stressful time for many people.

"The overall beneficiaries will be clients who use Mackenzie Jones when buying a home. They will receive a reliable, efficient service as recognised by the CQS standard."

The scheme requires practices to undergo a strict assessment, compulsory training, self reporting, random audits and annual reviews in order to maintain CQS status. It is open only to members of the Law Society who meet the demanding standards set by the scheme and has the support of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, the Building Societies Association, Legal Ombudsman and the Association of British Insurers.

For more information on the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme visit www.lawsociety.org.uk/cqs

Or contact the CQS Unit on 020 7316 5550 or CQS@lawsociety.org.uk

Fronted by Director Andrew Foley Jones, the opening reflects an expansion in the business over the last 12 months which has seen the introduction of 4 new fee earners and 4 new support staff. 

To contact any of the team based at Chester please telephone 01244 699900.

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Everyone fit and well. Congratulations to all.

Used by commercial and private clients, corporate counsels, CEOs, FDs and professional advisers - as well as by other referrers of work both nationally and internationally, the series is wildly chosen for its definitive judgment of law firm capabilities.  The Legal 500 proclaims that Mackenzie Jones provides a "…professional services from start to finish".

Having successfully negotiated the selection process and training courses, Richard is now sitting as a part-time Judge in North Wales, dealing with both civil and family matters.

Richard said "it was a great privilege to have been appointed to sit as a Deputy District Judge. Sitting in this capacity has proved to be an invaluable experience for me as a Personal Injury Lawyer, has enabled me to see both sides of a case and to form more balanced assessments of the likely prospects of success in my own cases."