Altrincham family lawyer called to House of Commons to change law (From Messenger Newspapers)

Lawyer from Lund Bennett Law in Altrincham will address All Party Parliamentary Group

3:45pm Monday 22nd October 2012 in News

ALTRINCHAM lawyer Kirsten Bennett has been called to the House of Commons to help change the law for the families of missing people.

The family law expert has successfully campaigned for the Government to introduce a ‘certificate of presumed death’ in England and Wales and will now advise a round table Parliamentary discussion on the practical issues of the new legislation.

Mrs Bennett advised the family of Partington resident Vinny Derrick who disappeared after a night out in Manchester nine years ago. His remains were discovered in Cheadle earlier this year.

Currently, it is difficult to register the death of a missing person in the absence of a body.

Without the death certificate practical issues such as selling property, dissolving a marriage, claiming life insurance and pensions are protracted affairs.

The campaign to introduce the law has now been taken up by John Glen MP who has sponsored the Presumption of Death Bill, Baroness Kramer, Sir Alan Beith MP and Missing People, the UK-based charity.

On Tuesday, Mrs Bennett will work with an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), chaired by Ann Coffey MP to explore the impact of new legislation and the benefits it brings to families and professionals alike.

Mts Bennett, solicitor at Lund Bennett Law, based in Altrincham, said: “We’ve been campaigning for many years for the introduction of this legislation which would help people when a family member goes missing and enable them to deal with the day to day finances of their missing relative. I’m delighted to be playing my part in helping bring this much needed change in the law for the families of missing people. Alongside the Government and opposition parties we’re looking to get this enacted ready for the start of the next Parliament.”