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Welcome to Our Blog! Legal Updates, Guidance, Events and Insights from Our Teams
Watkins Solicitors is delighted to announce that tickets are now live for our fifth annual Domestic Abuse Conference Bristol, taking place at The Mount Without on Thursday 12 November 2026. Over the past five years, the conference has grown into an...
Watkins Solicitors is delighted to have successfully completed our latest Lexcel assessment and retained our accreditation from the Law Society. Lexcel is the Law Society’s recognised practice management standard for law firms, covering important...
Watkins Solicitors is delighted to congratulate Emily Mitton, who has qualified as a solicitor after progressing from Paralegal through to qualification with the firm. Emily was admitted as a solicitor on 4 September 2026 after completing the Solicitors...
On Friday 25 September, the Watkins Solicitors team came together for Macmillan Coffee Morning, with colleagues baking, bringing in cakes and treats and helping to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. There was a brilliant response from across the...
On Thursday 24 September, members of the Watkins Solicitors team joined more than 170 people from across Bristol’s legal community for the Bristol Legal Walk 2026, making this year’s event the largest yet. The annual event brings together...
Our residential property / conveyancing solicitors answer your questions on registered charges, whether you are a borrower or potential lender
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On Friday, the Watkins Solicitors team came together for our annual summer party at our North Street office in Bristol. After a busy few months across the firm, it was a lovely opportunity for colleagues from different teams to spend some time together away...
If your child or young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan, commonly known as an EHCP, you will regularly hear about their Annual Review.
But an Annual Review is more than simply a meeting with the school.
It is a statutory process for looking at whether the EHCP still accurately reflects the child or young person’s needs, whether the provision is working and whether anything needs to change.
Witnesses can be important in a SEND Tribunal appeal, particularly where a professional needs to explain their recommendations or give evidence about a disputed school or college placement.
But what happens if an important witness cannot attend on the hearing date or will be outside the UK?
In a recent video on our Education Law TikTok channel, Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors, explains why families should deal with this as early as possible.
After preparing evidence and attending a SEND Tribunal hearing, families understandably want to know when they will receive the decision and what happens next.
You will not usually leave the hearing knowing the final outcome.
In a recent video on our Education Law TikTok channel, Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors, explains what parents should expect once the hearing has finished.
The day of a SEND Tribunal hearing can feel daunting, especially if you have never attended a Tribunal before.
Knowing what to expect and having everything organised beforehand can help make the day more manageable.
In a recent video on our Education Law TikTok channel, Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors, explains some practical things parents should prepare for.
When preparing for a SEND Tribunal hearing, parents often ask which professionals need to attend and whether everyone who has written a report should be called as a witness.
The answer will depend on what is still in dispute.
In a recent video on our Education Law TikTok channel, Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors, explains how families can think strategically about the witnesses they need.
An upcoming SEND Tribunal hearing can feel daunting, particularly if you have spent months gathering evidence and trying to resolve disagreements about your child’s Education, Health and Care Plan.
Good preparation can make the day itself much easier.
In a recent video on our Education Law TikTok channel, Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors, explains some of the practical things parents should check before their hearing.
Families sometimes contact us many months after an Annual Review because they are still waiting for the local authority to complete the process.
If your child’s Annual Review took place seven months ago and you are still waiting for a decision or an amended EHCP, this is not a delay that should simply be ignored.
In a recent video on our Education Law TikTok channel, Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors, explains the statutory timetable and why parents should act promptly.
Parents often ask who should be at their child’s Annual Review and whether they can ask other professionals to attend.
An Annual Review should bring together the people who can provide relevant information about the child or young person’s needs, progress and provision.
In a recent video on our Education Law TikTok channel, Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors, explains who families might expect to be involved.
Parents sometimes come away from an Annual Review meeting unsure about what should happen next.
The meeting itself is only one part of the statutory Annual Review process. There are important steps and timescales that should follow.
In a recent video on our Education Law TikTok channel, Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors, explains what families should expect after an Annual Review has taken place.
An Annual Review is an important opportunity to look properly at your child or young person’s Education, Health and Care Plan and consider whether it still reflects their needs and the support they require.
Parents often ask us what they should be doing before the meeting and whether there is anything they can prepare in advance.
In a recent video on our Education Law TikTok channel, Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors, explains some practical steps families can take before an Annual Review.
Families navigating special educational needs can be faced with a large amount of information, unfamiliar terminology and important decisions about their child’s education and support. Our SEN Information Day has been created to bring parents and carers together with our specialist Education Law team for clear, practical information in an accessible setting. The day is intended to help families better understand the SEN process, the role of Education, Health and Care Plans and the options that may be available when support or provision is not working as expected.
