It’s that time of year again; the sun is shining all over the Med and it’s raining and cold in the UK. It’s time for a holiday to get away from it all and relax. OK flights and hotels are very expensive now the kids are out of school and the airports and resorts are packed out; but that should not in itself stop us having a good time.
My family has always been a bit countercultural in our choice of holiday. For many years, we have holidayed in Cork where the weather is just as cold and inconsistent as it is here; but at least they speak our lingo so no problems there. We enjoy going to familiar places and meeting friends we have known for many years. There is a lot to be said for going to somewhere you know. We go through the door of our holiday cottage and we know exactly where the central heating is. One of our friends may even have put it on for us in the winter. I sit down in my favourite chair and look again at a wonderful view and I am fully relaxed.
Going to new places can be stressful. I remember one famous trip to Canada when no sooner had I left the airport than I went through a red light which fooled me by being strung up high above the road. The wind was blowing and the rain lashing down and I was probably jetlagged and driving on the right hand side of the road in a hired car. I just didn’t see it. The Mountie was very understanding when he heard my English accent and I promised to take good care of my family whilst driving on the rest of the trip which I managed to do.
Our cottage has a well. The water looks clear but it has not had the benefit of a water treatment system so we only drink it if it is boiled. Bottled water is widely available so this does not bother us too much. The trouble is that if you travel to certain parts of the world, jippy tummy is a likely side effect. The bugs are different. The locals are immune but we are not. No wonder that holiday claims are becoming one the latest burgeoning legal industry.
Legal firms advertise widely for flight delay claims and holiday sickness claims. Back in 2014, one unfortunate tour operator was left with a bill of £1.7 million for 600 holiday makers who fell ill in Turkey. I am not sure that this new claims industry really contributes to the health of society as a whole. It certainly increases our travel insurance costs and, as well as that, of our package holiday but it does provide some law firms with a legitimate source of income!
Bulk claims of this sort have never interested our practice. We are more concerned that before you go on your break, you have made proper arrangements for the care of your families in the long term. Have you made a will and drawn up Lasting Powers of Attorney? The holiday season is a very good time to take stock. It is not that we are Job’s comforters, rather that we strongly believe that proper planning for the future contributes more long term security for our families than any break can provide; and the cost is relatively modest.
So instead of looking to the short term, it is important that we take a step back from routine and examine whether we have really done what we should do to protect and secure the long term futures of our loved ones. Taking a break should be a time when we resolve to see lawyers at Jackson Lees to make sure our futures are really secure.