Maternity & Paternity Rights Solicitors

Employment

Maternity and Paternity Rights Advice for Employers and Employees

Managing maternity and paternity rights can be one of the most complex areas of employment law for businesses to navigate. Gurve Legal provides clear, commercially focused advice to employers and employees across London, helping businesses stay compliant and resolve disputes before they escalate.

We act for both employers and employees, which means we understand the pressures on each side. Whether you are an SME managing your first statutory leave request or an employee whose rights have been overlooked, our employment solicitors are here to help.

Parental leave law is constantly evolving, with recent changes covering neonatal care leave and paternity leave flexibility adding new obligations for employers. Getting the right advice early reduces the risk of costly tribunal claims and keeps your working relationships intact.

Book a Free Consultation

Our Maternity and Paternity Rights Services

Employer Compliance and Policy Advice

Many SMEs lack clear, up-to-date policies on parental leave, which creates legal exposure when requests arise. We review and draft employment contracts, staff handbooks, and HR policies and procedures to ensure your business meets its statutory obligations across all types of family leave.

Maternity leave and pay policies
Paternity and shared parental leave procedures
Adoption and neonatal care leave documentation
Policy reviews for compliance with current legislation

Maternity Leave Advice

Eligible employees are entitled to up to 52 weeks of statutory maternity leave and up to 39 weeks of statutory maternity pay. Employers must understand their obligations on terms and conditions during leave, holiday accrual, and the employee’s right to return. We advise businesses on managing each stage of the process correctly.

Handling notice requirements and leave planning
Keeping In Touch days and contractual entitlements during leave
Managing pregnancy-related absence and adjustments
Advising employees on their rights and entitlements

Paternity and Shared Parental Leave

Recent legislative changes allow eligible employees to take paternity leave in non-consecutive blocks, adding flexibility for families and complexity for employers. Shared parental leave enables parents to split up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of statutory pay between them. Our team advises both employers and employees on eligibility, notice, and managing requests fairly.

Paternity leave eligibility and notice requirements
Shared parental leave arrangements and documentation
Managing overlapping leave periods for operational continuity

Redundancy During Maternity Leave

Making someone redundant during or shortly after maternity leave carries significant legal risk. Employees on maternity leave are entitled to enhanced redundancy protections, including the right to be offered any suitable alternative vacancy ahead of other employees. We advise businesses on running fair and legally sound redundancy processes that withstand scrutiny, and we advise employees whose redundancy selection may have been unlawful.

Redundancy process advice for employers
Assessing claims of automatically unfair dismissal
Settlement negotiations and tribunal representation

Neonatal Care and Parental Bereavement Leave

The introduction of neonatal care leave gives eligible employees up to 12 weeks of additional paid leave where a child requires neonatal care. Parental bereavement leave provides one or two weeks of paid leave following the death of a child under 18. Both are relatively new obligations that many businesses have not yet built into their policies. Our HR advisory service helps employers put the right frameworks in place.

Neonatal care leave policy drafting
Parental bereavement leave procedures
Advising employees on eligibility and entitlements

Discrimination and Unfair Dismissal Claims

Pregnancy and maternity are protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Employees who are treated less favourably because of pregnancy, maternity leave, or parental status may have grounds for a discrimination or unfair dismissal claim. We advise both employers defending claims and employees considering their options, including settlement agreements and Employment Tribunal proceedings.

Pregnancy and maternity discrimination claims
Constructive dismissal and detriment cases
Employment Tribunal representation and settlement

Flexible Working Requests on Return from Leave

Parents returning from maternity or parental leave frequently submit flexible working requests. Employers must follow a proper process and have valid grounds to refuse. We advise businesses on handling requests in a way that minimises the risk of discrimination claims, and we advise employees where a request has been unfairly rejected. Our team also supports businesses with their broader flexible working policies and procedures.

Flexible working request processes and decision-making
Advising on indirect sex discrimination risks
Policy drafting and staff handbook updates

Speak to Our Employment Solicitors

Why Choose Gurve Legal

We Act for Both Sides

Most employment solicitors focus on either employers or employees. We advise both, which gives us a practical understanding of how disputes develop and what it takes to resolve them. Whether you are an employer trying to stay compliant or an employee whose rights have been breached, you get the same quality of advice and the same commercial focus.

Practical Advice for SMEs and Growing Businesses

Parental leave obligations can be particularly challenging for smaller businesses where one absence has a real impact on operations. We work with SMEs across London to put proportionate, compliant policies in place before problems arise. Our advice is practical, not academic, and it is designed to help you manage your business while protecting your legal position.

Up to Date with Evolving Legislation

Parental leave law has changed significantly in recent years, with neonatal care leave, flexible paternity leave, and extended redundancy protections all introduced since 2023. Many businesses are still running outdated policies. Our employment team stays current with legislative changes and ensures your documentation reflects the law as it stands today, not as it was several years ago.

Dispute Resolution Without the Drama

Where disputes cannot be avoided, we approach them with the aim of reaching a resolution quickly and at proportionate cost. We handle employment dispute resolution and Employment Tribunal proceedings for both employers and employees, but we always explore settlement options first. Most matters can be resolved without litigation when both sides have clear, well-grounded advice from the outset.

Speak to Our Employment Team Today

Whether you need help reviewing your parental leave policies, responding to a grievance, or pursuing a claim for unfair treatment, our employment solicitors are ready to help. We provide straightforward, commercial advice with no unnecessary jargon, and we act for both employers and employees across all areas of maternity and paternity rights.