A special fundraising afternoon tea was hosted by Huddersfield Solicitors Ridley & Hall on Friday 24^th April.

The event supported the work of Missing People, which is the only charity in the UK specialising in bringing missing children and adults back together with their families. They provide support and assistance 24 hours a day every day of the year to families.

The charity launched the event “Everything Stops for Tea” in March asking supporters to host a tea party and fundraise for missing people. For partner Sarah Young at Ridley & Hall the charity is close to her heart:

“I became aware of the amazing work done by Missing People a few years ago when I had a case involving a local man who had gone missing abroad. There were legal issues that needed to be sorted out and I was instructed by his family. Since then I have acted for a number of families of missing people who have come to the point where they have had to presume that their loved one has died and needed legal help to sort out their affairs”.

Ridley & Hall’s afternoon tea raised £120 for the charity.

Sarah Young says:

“I hope that our event has raised the profile of the important work that Missing People does; it’s difficult to believe that about 250,000 people go missing each year – and although most of them return home, a small minority remain missing and are never found. “

Sarah is an expert on cases involving missing adults. The Presumption of Death Act 2013 became law on 1^st October 2014, due in no small part to tireless campaigning by Missing People. The Act helps the families of adults who are presumed to have died to resolve their financial and legal affairs. Sarah successfully obtained one of the first Orders of Presumed Death under the Act on Monday 20^th April for a client whose husband went missing in 2012.

She explains:

“Although a court order cannot help to resolve the unknowable distress caused by a disappearance, it will help my client to find some peace of mind. What’s important moving forward from a legal point of view is that the next government should introduce proposed ‘guardianship’ provisions into law, so that when someone goes missing (but isn’t presumed to have died) their legal and financial affairs can be looked after”.

Sarah Young is a Partner with Ridley and Hall solicitors in Huddersfield. She specialises in contentious probate, Inheritance Act and Court of Protection cases and has a particular interest in cases involving missing people and supports the work being done by the charity Missing People.

For further information please contact Sarah Young of Ridley and Hall, Queens House, 35 Market Street, Huddersfield HD1 2HL on 01484 538421.