Thursday 28 August 2014

Dublin House Prices up €8000 in just 1 month!

Dear Sirs,

Several recent publications have illustrated that prices nationally and particularly in Dublin are increasing at a significant rate.

The Irish Independent has recently asserted, that prices in the Dublin region have increased by €8000 in as little as 1 month!

This is great news for people looking to sell their properties, as their prize assets are increasing in value. Timing is everything , as to when you go to market with your property and it would seem that the coming months will be critical in terms of realising the potential of your assets.

If you would like to discuss selling your property or indeed buying a property, feel free to give me a call or email me to arrange an appointment .

I can discuss with you what is entailed in doing so and can further make recommendations in terms of surveyors, architects, engineers and mortgage assistance.

We at Hudson Solicitors, Dun Laoghaire are experienced conveyancing and property law practitioners, we are competitive on price and we would welcome any queries you may have.

Best regards,

Wesley Hudson
Principal
HUDSON SOLICITORS
DUN LAOGHAIRE.
 016877196
[email protected].

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Changes to Monetary Jurisdictions in Personal Injury and Other Matters.

There have been key changes to the monetary jurisdictions of the Courts of recent,  which any claimants/plaintiffs should be aware of.

Formerly any matter over circa €6000 would be dealt with in the Circuit Court, that has now changed to €15,000.
Formerly any matter over circa €38,000 would be dealt with in the High Court , this has now been increased to €60,000 in Personal Injury Matters and €75,000 in non Personal Injury Matters.

The full breakdown is as below. 
The changes to the monetary jurisdictions of the civil courts provided for in section 2(1) and part 3 of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2013 took effect on 3 February 2014.
From that date, the new limits of the civil jurisdictions will be:
  • District Court – €15,000,
  • Circuit Court in civil proceedings other than personal injury actions – €75,000,
  • Circuit Court for personal injury actions as defined in section 2 of the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004 – €60,000.


HUDSON SOLICITORS DUN LAOGHAIRE
016877196

Monday 18 August 2014

Dun Laoghaire Library.

The new €36.6m library is due to open this Autumn in Dun Laogahire, sitting adjacent to the Royal Marine Hotel.

It has come under extreme criticism since it's erection , with residents of Dun Laoghaire  describing it as a monstrosity and calling for it's demolition, adding an extra €2m would be money well spent to knock it down.

Do people really feel that strongly about it, or is it simply the shock value of such a large development. It will be interesting to see what the reaction is of Dun Laoghaire residents , when it opens it's doors in early course.

The development is stated to house, massive digital library facilities, coffee shops and an art gallery and is being dubbed as a new Civic Centre.

Perhaps the fact that it has been labelled as Dun Laoghaire's new library that people have not fully appreciated the value that it may bring to the town.

Only time will tell, however there is no doubt in my mind that Dun Laoghaire, requires an injection of newness, which can only be a good thing, for residents and business owners in the locality.

Wesley Hudson.
Principal.
HUDSON SOLICITORS.

01-6877196.

Wednesday 13 August 2014

Changes in Social Welfare payments- Personal Injuries.



A new piece of legislation, reforming Social Welfare distribution, has now come into effect.

If a person is in an accident and unable to work and in receipt of social welfare, under normal circumstances the insurance company when compensating the individual, would not have to discharge the Social Welfare received by the individual , due to being unable to work.

Under the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2013, now the Department of Social Protection, can reclaim this amount paid out , directly from the Insurance Company.

This will have implications on settlements, as the traditional method of 'all in settlements' to cover loss of earnings, will not be allowable under this new legislation. This will all have to be itemised.

The Department of Social Protection it seems, is unwilling to allow Insurance Companies to be in a position to avoid having to discharge these figures and ultimately will now, will have to discharge this expenditure.

Which is bad news for the Insurance Companies- however positive news for people claiming , as they will have a more thorough assessment of their matters and these 'all in' type settlements will become a thing of the past.

For more weekly updates please like and follow Hudson Solicitor's Dun Laoghaire's Facebook page, twitter feed and google + page.

Hudson Solicitors, Dun Laoghaire.

Tel:01-6877196
[email protected]



Thursday 7 August 2014

Save Dun Laoghaire Courthouse!

Dun Laoghaire's courthouse has been in operation since the 1800's and not just for the legal profession, but for residents in the locality, it has been a symbolic building in the town for many years.

The implications of removing the courthouse, will have far reaching effects on the carriage of justice in the area and ensuring that matters are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner.

How you ask?

Firstly , the state's proposal is to have all the listings in the District Court in Dun Laoghaire centralised at the CCJ (Criminal Courts) on Park Gate Street, (beside the Phoenix Park.)

In legal matters, particularly criminal matters, the attendance of witnesses, is key to the smooth running of legal matters. Witnesses such as you or I , local Gardai, business owners etc, are required to ensure that an accurate assessment of the specific matter is conducted and ruled on thereafter.

The realities of the proposed centralisation, is that witnesses to matters that have occurred locally, will be less likely to have the time or desire to travel into the City Centre to assist with local matters, that will be listed centrally now. This will undoubtedly lead to cases being frustrated or ultimately collapsing due to a lack of corroborating (supporting) evidence.

Same can be said for Family Law matters, with local social workers and therapists, experiencing the same difficulties. Whilst if one is summonsed to court, there is a legal requirement to attend- however the practicalities is,  that it does not always occur that way and convenience is an important factor.

The State is proposing a saving of circa €40,000 in exchange for the closing of the courthouse in Dun Laoghaire. You do not need to be an economist to weigh up the costs to the state, of potential appeals, retrials , judicial reviews, due to criminal matters collapsing. Most of which are legally aided by the State.

The reality is this proposal is extremely short sighted and for my mind, what will happen is, that in years to come, the necessity to re-open the court house in Dun Laoghaire again, will become apparent.

As a community we can oppose this proposal, by having our voices heard and lobbying the relevant parties and contacting our local politicians.

Wesley Hudson
(Principal)
HUDSON SOLICITORS.

Friday 1 August 2014

What to do if you obtain a Personal Injury?

Personal Injuries can occur in many different situations, whether at work, driving your car or simply falling in a public place.

If you have been unfortunate enough, to hurt yourself in a situation that was not of your own doing, you have two years from the date of the accident to do something about it.

The Injuries Board, was set up in Ireland to deal primarily with Personal Injury matters. The function of the Injuries Board is to assess the extent of the Personal Injury and to ascertain the level of compensation, relevant in the particular set of circumstances.

The Injuries Board (Formerly PIAB), is the first step in the process of filing a Personal Injury claim in  Ireland. The requirements to file a claim, firstly, is to attend a Doctor/GP/Specialist and obtain a medical report for submission, along with the documentation that the Injuries Board request.

This can be a complex process, especially in terms of which parties you wish to hold responsible for the Personal Injury sustained.

It is vitally important to ensure that the correct parties are being listed as the defendants in such cases and to also bear in mind the two year statute of limitations on bringing such action.

For example if you list a party whom you deem to be responsible and then some time later , you believe there was another party that may have also contributed , you may be barred from adding them at a later time, should the two year period have passed from the date of the accident.

This is one example of why it is critical to obtain the correct advise before proceeding with a Personal Injury Application.

Should you wish to discuss this or any other related matter, with me, feel free to contact me in the office.

Yous faithfully,

Wesley Hudson
Principal
HUDSON SOLICITORS