14 Feature Solicitor Laboratory honoured by Queen for world’s fastest DNA tests Paternity disputes can be extremely distressing and cause difficulties when it comes to making agreements concerning custody, child maintenance payments and contact arrangements. DNA tests are an effective way of ending doubts so all parties have the evidence they need to move forward. When choosing a DNA test provider, it is important to select a company which offers accuracy, speed and discretion at a competitive price. AlphaBiolabs offers DNA test results the next working day as standard, making them the fastest in the world. <strong>The</strong>ir efficient approach to DNA testing has now seen the UK-based laboratory honoured by the Queen with an award which was announced on her 90th birthday. AlphaBiolabs has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation for developing a fast DNA testing method. <strong>The</strong> Queen’s Awards scheme is regarded as the UK’s most prestigious business awards and each year the winners are announced on the Queen’s birthday. Have you got money asleep in your Client Account? Most law firms will have those sleepy ledgers which have funds snoozing away in them. <strong>The</strong>se dormant accounts can occur for a variety reasons, for example; amount is too small say under £1.00, the client doesn’t cash a refund cheque, client moves and you can no longer contact them, a file is inherited from a former fee earner, or it could be funds from an acquired firm. <strong>The</strong> temptation is to let sleeping dogs lie but that’s a recipe for disaster if you don’t want to your accountants to report you to the SRA for a breach of accounts rules. Why not clear those sleepy ledgers? It is quite easy to do. If you follow this checklist. 1 Is the amount above or below £500? 2 If the amount is above you will need to follow Accounts Rule 20.1(k) and obtain written authorisation from the SRA to deal with any distribution. 3 If the amount if below then you will need to follow Accounts Rule 20.1(j) Amounts over £500 will need a senior member of staff for example the COFA to be involved in any distribution efforts. For amounts below £500 this can be delegated to a cashier or non-fee earning member of staff to process. <strong>The</strong>y will need to make reasonable efforts to identify the client and who should be receiving the funds. This is particularly important when you are releasing funds held as a retention or from an estate. <strong>The</strong>n you need to make adequate attempts to contact them this could be as simple as writing to the last known address, through to using the Bulk Letter Forwarding Service of the DWP. Now comes the good part. Select a charity that you wish to donate the funds to. Ensure that they acknowledge receipt of any funds that you send to them. For amounts over £500 you may need an indemnity against any legitimate claim subsequently made for the sum received. In the Manchester area <strong>The</strong> Christie is Christine Calverley Based in Cheshire, with nationwide Walk-in Centres, AlphaBiolabs works with family law firms all over the UK, carrying out DNA tests for clients who need to establish the paternity of a child. <strong>The</strong> firm is accredited by the Ministry of Justice to carry out parentage tests as directed by the Civil Courts in England and Wales under Section 20 of the Family Law Reform Act (1969) which means the samples follow a strict chain of custody so the results are suitable to be used as evidence during court proceedings if necessary. Company offers speed and reliability Commercial director Rachel Davenport said: “We are delighted to have won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise and so pleased that our efforts to offer fast, accurate DNA testing have been recognised. Waiting for DNA test results can be frustrating at times as the result can often change the direction of a case so we have worked hard to make the process as efficient as possible.” one of a number of charities that can comply with this requirement. At Chafes Solicitors we have donated nearly £20,000 to the Christie, some following authorisation from the SRA and some through our selfauthorisation. <strong>The</strong> SRA Ethics Guidance on Withdrawal of residual client balances is clear and helpful, so why not look at those sleepy ledgers and give a boost to some charities? Caroline Calverley Practice Manager & COFA Chafes Solicitors LLP “At AlphaBiolabs, we understand the pressure of meeting tight deadlines and preparing evidence in time for important court dates. We offer results the next working day as standard, which is the fastest in the world and we also offer a same day service for legal DNA tests if required.” <strong>The</strong> company handles all of its testing in-house, and maintains a strict chain of custody for all legal DNA, Drug and Alcohol tests to protect the integrity of each and every sample. It was also the first UK based laboratory to use 24 markers for paternity testing, again ensuring accurate results. AlphaBiolabs began offering next day results as standard as a result of its work with the Jeremy Kyle Show and local authorities. <strong>The</strong>y are the only company trusted to carry out DNA tests for the ITV show and the team developed a streamlined analysis method so it could provide the programme with results in just five hours after receiving the samples. <strong>The</strong> Competition and Markets Authority <strong>The</strong> Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has recently worked with the Federation of Small Businesses to help smaller businesses understand more about anti-competitive activity so that they can identify when: • Suppliers may be colluding to charge higher prices • Competitors may be acting unfairly and illegally • Colleagues and staff in their business may be breaking the law <strong>The</strong> material also explains how businesses can report anti-competitive activity to the CMA by contacting our Cartels Hotline (0203 738 6888), calling 0203 738 6000 or applying for Leniency. <strong>The</strong> ‘Competing-fairly-in-business’ materials are made up of: • eight short films • two at a glance guides – a simple explanation of anti-competitive behaviours and a checklist, and • a ‘test yourself’ quiz We recently wrote to law firms headquartered in the Midlands to let them know about this resource. Similarly, we hope that you find our ‘Competing-fairly-in-business’ material helpful and we’d value your support in promoting the importance of competition, and the law that protects it, to your clients. Our research shows that businesses’ understanding of competition law in the North West is also low: • Less than half of businesses in the North West (48%) knew that price fixing could lead to imprisonment • Less than half (49%) knew that bid-rigging is illegal • Less than a third (29%) knew that setting the price at which others can resell your product is illegal • Only 15% of businesses knew that admitting to participating in a cartel could lead to immunity from a penalty • Only 4% have run training on competition law However, we also commissioned further research which revealed that most small businesses have a shared ethical sense that certain anti-competitive practices, such as price fixing, are unfair or wrong and, importantly, that they want to do the right thing. Competition in general, and amongst small businesses in particular, drives productivity and growth for the economy, it benefits businesses and consumers through better choice, lower prices and more innovation . <strong>The</strong> CMA is responsible for promoting competition, and helping businesses understand how competition law protects them is an important part of our work. We’re also engaging with small business representatives in the North West through local Chambers of Commerce to promote our ‘Competing-fairly-in business’ materials. Competition and Markets Authority Victoria House Southampton Row London WC1B 4AD 020 3738 6000 www.gov.uk/cma
We’ve won a Queen’s Award Quote QUEENALPHA for a 10% discount AlphaBiolabs 14 Webster Court, Carina Park, Warrington, WA5 8WD | t: 0333 600 1300 | e: info@alphabiolabs.co.uk | w: www.alphabiolabs.co.ukww.alphabiolabs.co .uk
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