Manak Sponsored competitive swimmer Jaedon Lynch attended the Carifta Championship in Barbados in April, after being selected to represent the Jamaican National Swim team.At the event, Jaedon had an excellent performance, winning two silver medals and one bronze medal. He also posted personal best times in the 200m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley and 200m Breaststroke.All of us at Manak Solicitors are incredibly proud to support Jaedon and we look forward to the next event!Jaedon is ranked as a Top 5 swimmer in the Kent County and South East region in most 50m and 100m events.

Manak sponsored swimmer Jaedon Lynch was recently selected to represent Jamaica again, this time at the Caribbean and Central American Championships which was held in Barbados from 28th June to 3rd July 2019.This was the 4th call up for the youngster to represent the country.26 countries competed at the championshipsMexicoPanamaDominican RepublicPuerto RicoBahamasBermudaBarbadosArubaVenezuelaJamaicaHondurasTrinidad & TobagoGuatemalaGuadeloupeEl SalvadorSurinameGrenadaNicaraguaSt LuciaCayman IslandsMartiniqueUS Virgin IslandsAntigua & BarbudaCuracaoHaitiSt Kitts & NevisIt was a tough competition for Jaedon as he competed with the best swimmers in that part of the world and had to adjust to the hot weather conditions and time zones.However, Jaedon showed tremendous strength of character and determination by swimming a personal best time on the breast stroke leg of  the 4x100m Medley to help team Jamaica 13-14 year old boys to secure a 3rd place finish and a bronze medal!Jaedon will now return to the UK to focus on his preparation for the English National Championships in August.Jaedon is one of the top ranked 24 English swimmers who have been selected for the championships.The National Summer Meet is Swim England’s biggest domestic swimming event of the year and forms part of a swimming competition structure in Great Britain whereby the top ranked swimmers in each event are invited to compete at the British Swimming Summer Championships.Jaedon will be competing in the 50m Breaststroke event.

Manak Solicitors are incredibly proud to be able to sponsor The Food Fest at Lullingstone Castle this year! We had amazing weather over the two days and we definitely made the most of it as everyone was enjoying the sun, eating food and listening to the best unsigned music acts in the UK! The sun was beating down all weekend making it the hottest days of the year so far, a perfect time to hold The Food Fest!The Food Fest hosted some incredible food stalls from around the world, including Thai, Moroccan, Steak, Pizza, Barbecue and many, many more! It was great to see the community come together and celebrate over some delicious food on a sunny June weekend! The variety of food available was amazing to see, and we loved to see so many independent food stalls attend and show off their products to the public. We felt very full after sampling a lot of the foods on offer!The Food Fest also hosted the best unsigned music acts in the UK, many of which performed on our own Manak Stage. We loved seeing everyone flock to the stage to support the bands and artists, who all put on an amazing show for the crowd. The crowd participation was also excellent, singing along and giving the performers standing ovations. The Acoustic stage also had a great turnout, giving our solo performers a chance to shine!Thank you to everyone that attended the event to make it a very memorable experience. We would also like to say thank you to Lullingstone Castle, all of the businesses, the other sponsors of the event and of course The Food Fest organisers for putting on a great festival. We are already counting down the days until next year!

On 19th February 2019, the Home Secretary announced that Shamima Begum was to be deprived of her UK citizenship on the grounds that she was able to obtain citizenship of another country.This raises the question as to whether it is lawful for the Home Secretary to deprive Shamima Begum of her British citizenship, if by doing so she were to be made stateless.Under section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981 the Secretary of State may make an order to deprive a person of citizenship status if satisfied that it is conducive to the public good. If such a person were to be made stateless as a result of the order then the Secretary also has to consider whether there are reasonable grounds for believing that they are able to become a national of a country outside the UK.In Shamima Begum’s case, it has been widely reported that she is also of Bangladeshi descent and may therefore be able to acquire citizenship of that country. This is of course subject to the nationality laws of Bangladesh.What is perhaps certain is that there will be an appeal against the Home Secretary’s decision, the outcome of which will be widely anticipated and scrutinised. The citizenship rights of her new born son will also be of primary consideration.Stay informed and visit our immigration law page to find out more.Kemesha LynchImmigration SolicitorManak Solicitors

PRESS RELEASE22nd February 2019Nosheen Bukhari, Solicitor and Director of Manak Solicitors in Kent is urging people to check their eligibility for a lasting power of attorney (LPA) fee refund, after almost two million people were overcharged by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) between 2013 and 2017. Claimants can expect to receive a refund of up to £54, with any accrued interested since the registration was made.So far, only 200,000 of the 1.8million people owed have claimed their refund, meaning that there’s £77million still owed to customers.To apply for a refund visit: http://gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund. The exact amount will depend on when the registration was made, and claims must be made by 1st February 2021.An LPA is an important document that gives a loved one the power to make decisions on your behalf when you can no longer do so. There are two types of LPA: a health and welfare LPA, and a property and financial affairs LPA.Recent research from SFE found that there are only 7% of LPAs in place across the UK, meaning that millions of people are currently unprepared for later life. SFE urges anyone planning for their future to consider setting up an LPA and seek advice from a specialist lawyer.Lakshmi Turner, Chief Executive of SFE, said:“Whilst it’s comforting to know that people are making provisions by putting in place LPAs, millions of families, many of whom may have been going through a tough time with elderly relatives, will have been needlessly overcharged.“It’s good to see the OPG addressing the error, and with the deadline for applications approaching, we’re urging people to check their eligibility for a refund soon.”Nosheen Bukhari said:“It takes about ten minutes to claim online. You’ll need the donor’s bank details and a copy of the LPA, if you have it. If you need help or more information about making a claim, there’s a Refunds Helpline you can contact, either via telephone on 0300 456 0300 or email [email protected].”If you need assistance, speak to your local SFE lawyer. To find an SFE accredited lawyer near you go to: http://www.sfe.legalFor more information on Manak Solicitors please contact 01689 870 769For more information on SFE, interviews and case studies please contact Georgie Wilson on 0203 6965800 [email protected]

National Swim Team for 2019 as well as representing Jamaica at the Carifta Swimming Championships in Barbados.Jaedon is one of the youngest members in his age group to be selected, and will be heading out to the Championships in Barbados this April.Manak Solicitors are very proud to be his official sponsor for the 2019 swimming season. Jaedon is ranked as a Top 5 swimmer in the Kent County and South East region in most 50m and 100m events. We wish Jaedon the best of luck at the Carifta Swimming Championships!Original Article – http://sevenoakssc.org/index.php/component/k2/item/656-sevenoaks-swimmer-jaedon-lynch-picked-to-represent-jamaica-at-the-carifta-swimming-championships 

On 28th January 2019, the UK Government outlined arrangements that are to put in place for EU citizens if the UK was to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 without a deal. The Government has made it clear that this policy does not apply to EU citizens already living in the UK, prior to 29 March 2019. Those already in the UK will be protected by the EU Settlement Scheme.If there is no deal reached between the UK and the EU by 29 March 2019, EU citizens will be able to enter the UK for the purpose of visiting, working or studying, for up to 3 months free of charge. Stays of longer than 3 months will however require European Temporary Leave to Remain, which if granted, will be valid for a period of 3 years, and will be subject to a fee.Those wishing to stay in the UK for longer than 3 years will be required to apply for further leave to remain under the new skills-based immigration system, which is due to begin in 2021.Irish citizens are exempt from the policy and will not need to apply for European Temporary Leave. They will continue to enjoy the right to enter and live in the UK under the Common Travel Area.If you have any concerns or questions over immigration law, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team of specialists.Kemesha LynchHead of ImmigrationManak Solicitors29.01.2019

Manak Solicitors are once again proud to be the official sponsors of 13-year-old competitive swimmer Jaedon Lynch for the new swimming season 2019. Jaedon competes for Sevenoaks Swimming Club and is currently ranked as a top 5 swimmer in the Kent county and the South East Region in most 50m and 100m events. Jaedon is preparing for the Kent County Swimming Championships which starts on 20th January 2018 at the London Aquatic Centre. Jaedon is the reigning Kent Champion in 50m Breast Stroke and is hoping to re gain this title and to win more gold medals at the championships in other events.Jaedon’s goal is to qualify for the British Swimming Championships in Summer 2019 and to again be selected to represent Jamaica at the Caribbean Swimming Championships and the Central American Swimming Championships in April and July 2019. The qualification for these events is tough but Jaedon is working hard to achieve his dream.Manak Solicitors wishes Jaedon all the best for the season ahead.

Here is a short video showing our Virtual Reality Experience and Giant Snow Globe from Light Up Orpington 2018!VID_20181115_182021_1 from Manak Solicitors on Vimeo.