Compromise is the best and cheapest lawyer

If you haven’t seen the #freecuthbert and #savecolin social media twitter campaign where have you been?

Marks & Spencer have reportedly issued a legal claim in the High Court about their popular chocolate cake ‘Colin the Caterpillar’ against Aldi who sell a similar product known as ‘Cuthbert the Caterpillar’.

‘Colin the caterpillar’ has his own Wikipedia page and the product recently celebrated its 13th birthday. Unlucky for some but clearly Marks & Spencer want to protect their trademark and enforce their legal rights.

Aldi seemingly responded to the claim by making light of it and along with many tweets, tweeted Judge Rinder asking if he was available for the litigation. The infamous judge responded by tweeting in reply ‘Compromise is the best and cheapest lawyer’

Whilst we aren’t trademark lawyers, as family law solicitors we understand the importance of clear and early communication between parties to help them attempt to settle matters. We completely agree with Judge Rinder’s words – ‘Compromise is the best and cheapest lawyer’. Yes, stand up for what is right and fair but don’t lose sight of the main objective (a) to achieve a successful outcome and (b) to keep the legal costs in check.

At Maguire Family Law we encourage parties to take pragmatic approach and help advise which issues are likely to be worth spending time and money on and which are not. We always look at a cost/risk benefit analysis ie. do the costs/risks outweigh the benefits? If they do, then you ought to say clear otherwise good money is wasted after bad. So we are clear on costs from the outside, provide cost updates and look to minimise costs where possible.

The more arguments there are, the longer the process is drawn out and the more it costs. Divorce procedure is relatively straightforward and can be done at minimal expense. We have helped many a separated parties with an amicable divorce (yes it is possible!). We can help guide you through this and deal with relevant issues concerning the finances and any children.

So whilst the battle between Britain’s supermarkets heats up, do not let emotion be the driver in your family law case. We are here to help you; compromise is not a sign of weakness. Far from it,  it’s actually a strength in terms getting your agreement early on (on favourable terms) and moving on with your life.