Kate & Emily - Money

You've just split up and need to get a lawyer. This tells you what your options are and what might suit you best

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 20:34:54 +0000

Relationship Breakdown ~ what are the options?

This was written for us by Helen Adam of Family Mediation in Wandsworth (020 3087 2836)

When a couple decides to separate, there are various choices they can make about the way in which they do so. Normally, there are issues to be agreed over arrangements for the children and finance. Certainly as far as the finances are concerned, it is important to obtain legal advice. However that does not mean the couple has to become automatically locked into an adversarial court process.

The marriage or relationship may be over – but that does not mean that any decisions concerning this family should be automatically delegated to outsiders (lawyers and judges). The couple can still make good decisions for their future, usually with some expert help from outsiders. Just because the relationship has failed does not mean they are incapable of finding the best way forward for them and their children. The question for the couple is: ‘To what extent do we want to hand over decisions concerning our future to outsiders?’

Why you Should Make a Will

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 12:02:40 +0000

This article has been written for us by Sarah Budibent, a solicitor specialising in probate law.

Making a Will does not sound like fun, so it can easily end up being another job to put off for another day, like filling in your tax return and checking up on your pension.

Yet, most people would say that what happens to their family or their property after their death is hugely important to them and, without a Will, decisions about who will inherit and how much will be made according to fixed rules of law. The result may be far from what they would have wished or intended.

If you make a Will, you can decide exactly what you want done with your property after your death; you appoint personal representatives to carry out your wishes and guardians for your children; you can express wishes about the disposal of your body and you may also be able to save your beneficiaries from paying unnecessary tax.

Advice on how to bring your CV up to date

Sun, 2 Jul 2006 22:28:07 +0000

I'm Lizzy Tomlin and have over 10 years experience in the recruitment industry. I've written some guidlelines below to help you revise your CV and see ways of making it into something that sells you, and does you justice. Read on....

Returning back to work after a break is a daunting experience. I know my worries were: will I still look trendy? Will I understand the office talk, what will the workplace look like? will I understand all the new technology and will my colleagues take me seriously? I, like many, suffered from a total lack in confidence.

At this stage I think it is important to say that working is a doddle compared to bringing up a young family. If I was to write a 'person specification' for a stay at home parent I would find no candidate who could conceivably be all those things that we are: good communicators, problem solvers, jugglers, teachers and trainers, counsellors, negotiators, financial planners and of course possessing fantastic time management skills and never crumbling under pressure (especially if there is a large glass of wine to hand!). So, before we begin our return to work it may be worth writing down what our experiences have taught us and how we can turn these experiences and personal qualities into transferable skills that would make our prospective employer put our cv to the top of the pile.

However good someone’s skill fit is to a prospective employer if they can't work as a team, and lack social and life skills they won't get the job. Most employers are interested in who we are as people and not just what we do. It is easier to teach someone IT skills than all those life skills we have acquired and fine tuned since children. Without being too complacent though I would recommend refreshing IT skills so you feel confident sending and receiving emails, using the internet and Word.

Writing your cv is the most important process to securing your interview. A cv, like a person, is judged within the first 5 seconds. It is worth spending some time making your cv do you justice. The layout should be clear, modern, professional and straightforward. Don’t try and be clever with different fonts and flowery language you will be binned. Here is a list of do’s and don’ts:

1. Keep you cv to two pages
2. Do your cv in reverse chronological order. The recruiter will want to quickly find the most relevant part of your cv which is normally your last full time job.
3. Don’t leave any gaps (or make sure you explain them)
4. Be really careful with spelling or grammar, poor spelling and grammar can loose you the interview.
5. Make sure your cv is relevant to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a PA position and your last position was a film producer play it down and draw on the similarities of the two roles.
6. Remember transferable skills that you have gained during your break and try and fit them in your cv.
7. Don’t go back too far. You will run out of space and there is little relevance including your time as an office junior or a roll and relish girl on a gap year!! (Emily!)

Layout of CV
Here is a format I think that works and is modern and professional:

Curriculum Vitae
Lizzy Tomlin
Address
Tel, Mobile and Email

STEP 1 OF A FINANCIAL WORK OUT

Tue, 6 Jun 2006 12:02:06 +0000

This is a ‘scene-setting’ mission, somewhat akin to ‘planning to’ take up keep fit, i.e. going out to get the shoes and leisure wear, without actually getting sweaty in it!

Yes the first step of a financial work out requires very little effort and is more of a fact-finding mission. However, by the end of the first step you will have a good idea about what you need to do to tackle your own personal situation and will be ready for the other worksheets.

YOU WILL NEED:

I small notebook for your bag to be kept with you at all times

One shoebox

A little bit of time to answer some questions

Wrestle with your numbers in and out . Maybe you think you can't improve anything - bet you can

Tue, 6 Jun 2006 12:00:21 +0000

We all want to be richer than we are. For some it’s a bit more urgent than others. If you’re an urgent case then you use this worksheet to help you work out what you’re options are. If you’re a less urgent case, and just dream of a diamond encrusted door knob, then use this worksheet to see if you’ve overlooked a nest egg or can come up with a cunning wheeze to get one…

Draw a grid with 5 columns. This is what they’re for:

The 1st column is for you to list all your ‘EARNINGS AND ASSETS’.

The 2nd column is ‘CURRENT’ and this is where you write in current earnings and assets

Work out what is coming in and going out . A budgeting exercise!! Fun? You bet

Tue, 6 Jun 2006 11:59:09 +0000

This is a very simple list of what you might have coming in, and going out, on a monthly basis. You need to fill this in after you’ve got to grips with the nuts and bolts of your day-to-day spending. This worksheet helps you crank it up to a global, big-picture view and will either make you smile or cry. But either way, at least you KNOW what the situation is and can do something. No one likes that ostrich feeling and the pit in your stomach only goes when you’re feeling more in control.

INCOME
Calculate your monthly income here

Earnings
Additional earnings
Benefits
Maintenance received

Money

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 21:20:08 +0000

Living is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun. Not so witty, but it is wise
The lottery is a tax on people who are not very good at maths
In the words of an old popular music song, 'The best things in life are free, and you can give it the bird and bees, I want money'

Just like any decent balance sheet the money pages are going to focus on the ins and the outs. Yes, we’re going to show you how to spend more wisely. But fear not, it is not all Primark and Lidl, it doesn’t mean the days of Waitrose and Russell & Bromley are completely gone because we are going to learn not only how to manage money, but also how to make some more! Whatever little you may have don’t let money, or the lack of it, dictate how you live. Instead get a vice-like grip of your finances. Guaranteed this will make you feel better. We will also try and open up your mind to making some more! Get creative, get out there and get earning. Everyone has talents and we are going to show you how to unleash yourself in a rewarding and legal fashion.

Articles:

Worksheets:

Understanding where the heck you are now, and how you can start to find your way out

Sat, 25 Feb 2006 16:16:20 +0000

Even though you may not have had that much to do with running the money side of a household before, managing your money is not rocket science. Believe me, getting to grips with your finances can not only be fun, it is also immensely rewarding to see the pounds go further. But, absolutely best of all, it can give you back some feeling of control and security and really help with moving on.

DEVELOPING GOOD HABITS
However it can be hard to do get into some habits so that you know exactly what you have, what you are spending, what risks you are running, and how much more money you need to achieve your financial goals. Managing your risk is important and in this context by managing your risk I mean thinking about the things that could really knock you off course, illness, redundancy, interest rates rising. You need to address them and see which you can manage.

Wrestle With Your Bills And Win. When taking stock of your bills nail your current providers down before swapping.

Sat, 25 Feb 2006 16:12:35 +0000

This is the uber-tip to end all uber-tips:

Please, please before you do anything else I implore you to do the following

Get each of your bills in front of you.

I know it is very fashionable to keep changing provider but an easier way around is to … contact every single provider you use from your mobile to your gas supplier and put the following to them:

“I am reviewing all my providers before I decide what to do and I’m looking at the way I use your service, what is the best tariff that you can offer me and what can you offer me to reduce my bill?�?

Keep on being passed around or visit a showroom until you get the answer. This is an inside tip as I know it works !!!!!!!!!!!

Some Seemingly Barking Ideas To Make Money

Sat, 25 Feb 2006 16:11:31 +0000

Sell your clothes.
On e-bay a piece of women’s clothing sells every 7 seconds. So go through yours and flog the lot on e-bay. This will be a win win win, not only will you be de-cluttered but richer

Become a mystery shopper.
Eat out, drink out, and go shopping. All you have to do is report back the experience of being a shopper check out www.mysteryshopagency.com

Become an exam invigilator.
Have a look at the examining boards to find out who need invigilators to supervise exams in colleges, schools, and adult education centres by visiting www.britishcouncil.org

TV and film extra!