2016 - A Year in Review

2016 – A Year in Review

 2016 has been a year of change.  We have said goodbye to legends from all walks of life – Terry Wogan, David Bowie, Fidel Castro, Prince, Muhammad Ali, to name but a few.  In politics, a “new” government was formed in March, and June saw the passing of the Brexit campaign.  In sport, Tipperary are once again All Ireland Hurling Champions and Irish rugby had a first historic victory over the All Blacks in Chicago.

Closer to home, we have seen changes of our own.  Bríd joined the team in April and in August, Evelyn welcomed another beautiful baby girl!  Anne Marie was once again a member of the Cashel Arts Festival Committee who celebrated the 1916 Centenary in September with many wonderful events and Donal managed the under-14 Cashel King Cormac’s team to victory in the Peil West Final and the Hurling Garda Cup Shield final. Both the Cashel and Cahir office are as busy as ever thankfully and we hope to continue in this vein into 2017.

In terms of business, we have seen a confidence creeping back into the market locally.  Commercial as well as residential conveyancing has picked up.  This has brought a number of new businesses to the area which is great news for the local economy in general.

In November, the office took part in the Best Will Week 2016 and once again we were delighted to see a big uptake by clients.  Not only were we happy to support the annual campaign by mylegacy.ie, we also know how important it is for everyone to have a Will in place.   We believe that you should hope for the best but plan for the worst and often having a Will gives people great peace of mind.

Our radio slot on the first Tuesday of every month with Joe Pryce on Tipperary Mid West Radio continues to be popular.  We always aim to keep people up to date to with relevant changes in the law and have recently discussed the new Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act and the updated PIAB Book of Quantum on the show.

Looking ahead to 2017, we are sure there are plenty more challenges to come.  Brexit is one of the biggest concerns for Irish businesses going forward and will be monitored with interest South of the border.  For first time buyers, the new Central Bank rules will come into effect from 1st January and this will hopefully ease some of the current constraints on the market.  Whatever the New Year brings, our aim is to continue to provide you with the very best level of service and to always remain approachable, competitive and efficient.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Christmas from all of the team at Donal T. Ryan Solicitors LLP. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

12 Tips for Christmas

12 Tips for Christmas

More Christmas trees

Follow our 12 tips for Christmas and worry not!

  1. Misguided by Mistletoe at the Staff Party – Your staff policies on bullying and harassment and discrimination still apply at the office party. Just make sure everyone knows this and knows what they are. if you are attending your office party Looking forward to the office Christmas party? It’s often great fun and an end-of-year morale boost for staff… just be careful not to make any false promises while in the festive spirit.
  2. Finance – Be careful not to overspend – Set a budget for the festive season and stick to it
  3. Vouchers as Presents –  Before you buy, check the expiry date!
  4. Online shopping is one way of avoiding the queues come the January sales – but make sure you are do so safely. Check for the padlock sign on the payment page and monitor your credit card or paypal account regularly. – Safest way to shop – is to shop local!
  5. Taking a break over Christmas ? Make your home look occupied, leave a light on and get a trusted neighbour to check on your property, don’t leave any presents visible from the windows – Finally take precautions to make sure the pipes don’t burst!
  6. Check your house insurance– if you have got expensive Christmas presents you may need to up the insurance to cover them!
  7. Family law – If you are involved in a family law dispute, if possible, put aside your own differences and try to put the children first during the festive season.  Let the children enjoy their Christmas, without tension and acrimony between their parents. Don’t forget family law proceedings are private – you cannot post or tweet about them
  8. Social Media – Employers should ensure that employees should not place material on social media sites which would adversely affect the reputation of the employer and that such conduct may result in the employee being disciplined in accordance with the employer’s disciplinary policy.
  9. Safety First – Christmas lights spread festive cheer but don’t forget to turn them off before you go to bed… the bright lights might keep your neighbours awake…or set your house on fire!
  10. Return that Gift – Check as shops’ return policy before you buy and ask for a gift receipt. There is no obligation for shops to offer an exchange or refund for unwanted Christmas gifts but many still do as a gesture of goodwill – otherwise it could be regifted!
  11. Don’t ever drink & Drive – If you’re drinking, leave the car at home and make sure you don’t drive the following morning – You could still be over the limit!
  12. Eat, drink and stay merry this Christmas – but do it all in moderation.