All of the standard and model forms of building and engineering contracts contain provisions for advance payments, and for many years they have been little used, but with the continuing materials price rises developers and contractors alike are both turning...
More and more often, the situation is arising where a landowner is approached by a developer who wants to offer them a substantial sum of money to purchase all or part of the agricultural holding. Alternatively, the landowner is looking at ways...
It can make sense for companies to join forces in development projects, with each contributing their expertise, sharing the workload, or allowing to take on jointly projects larger than they could do alone. Whatever the reason, the question is always: what...
This month's bulletin looks at some recent case law and news that will be of interest to employers and HR professionals. News 📰 Increase in Tribunal Limits These come into effect from 6 April 2023. The main increases are: The maximum...
The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has circulated a message in relation to the Transparency Implementation Group Reporting Pilot which commenced on Monday 30 January 2023 in Cardiff, Leeds and Carlisle. Journalists will be able to...
2022 saw an enormous hike in the cost of living. Soaring energy bills, rising interest rates and the increased cost of food and fuel are undoubtedly having a considerable financial impact on people across the country. In relation to the breakdown of a...
This month’s bulletin looks at some recent case law and news that will be of interest to employers and HR professionals, including draft statutory guidance on “fire and re-hire”, the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, and flexible...
Framework agreements sound scary: central Government behemoths for massive projects tying both sides into 25-year deals with Key Performance Indicators, Service Level Agreements and severe penalties. They don’t need to be like that, and probably...
One of the main components in any personal injury claim is to recover compensation for the injury suffered, but it is also important to ensure that there is a provision for the cost of any recommended treatment to aid ongoing recovery. To put this into...
One of the most important pieces of legislation to come out of the Grenfell fire, the new Fires Safety (England) Regulations 2022, comes into force on 23 January 2023. Under the new Regulations, a responsible person – usually a managing agent or...
During a marriage or civil partnership, and while partners are not permanently separated, individuals can transfer assets between themselves without CGT arising. In essence, the other partner is treated as acquiring the assets (or interest in the asset) for...
With the government set to introduce new strike laws, employment lawyer at Roythornes Solicitors, George Miller discusses what this actually means for unions and employers. "Strikes are a public right in the UK and recent industrial action has led...
The first working Monday of the year is known by many as ‘Divorce Day’ because legal practitioners often receive an influx of separation requests, caused by the stresses of Christmas, upon returning to work. Caroline Elliott , partner and family...
If you already have a Will in place, this is something to be congratulated, especially with recent statistics suggesting that somewhere between 50% to 60% of adults in the UK do not have a Will at all. That being said, for those who have an existing Will,...
Sometimes in disputes clients who have the benefit of positive legal advice may attempt to use that advice to inform the other side of how strong their case is. On occasion this involves forwarding on the advice to the other side, and sometimes it involves...
One of the questions we get asked most often when we are out and about is “Is it worth me pursuing this debt with all the costs involved?” It’s not an easy question to answer. To some people, £500 is a lot of money, but to others,...
In the most recent study conducted in September 2020, 59% of UK adults have not written a Will, which amounts to around 31 million UK adults. Whilst everyone is different and has their own reasons for not doing so, there are some common reasons why...
It is becoming more and more popular in today’s property market that management companies are being created to be handed over to the residents of a development once finalised. As the residents will invariably have little experience in the inner...
Care fees are often an issue not considered until care is required. They are an issue that benefit from being given some thought before this stage and also that remain difficult to navigate for those paying them and for families who are just trying to help...
HM Courts & Tribunals Service have recently announced changes in how to apply for, and extend, a caveat. A caveat is a written notice that prevents a Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration being issued until the caveat is removed....
Most, if not all, financial remedy judgments contain a review of the guidelines in section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, together with an analysis of relevant case law. Few judgments, however, provide a detailed checklist with a clear overview of...
Divorce applications have reached their highest level in a decade following the introduction of “no-fault” law . On April 6, new legislation came into effect in England and Wales enabling couples to go through divorce...
Pensions can, for many separating couples, make up a significant proportion of family assets and should be fully considered when financial matters are dealt with during a divorce. Where a couple with UK pensions divorce in England, the court can make various...
Six months on from landmark no-fault divorce reforms, legal experts and sociologists alike are keeping a close eye on the take-up and the reaction to the new separation option. Caroline Elliott , partner and family law specialist, provides insight on...
One of the many challenges our new Prime Minister faces is that of energy security. The war in Ukraine and the subsequent soaring gas prices have focused the UK’s mind on just where our energy comes from, and what we pay for it. Part of the...
In the summer of 2021, the Court of Protection introduced an online case management pilot scheme, designed to speed up the process of obtaining a Deputyship Order. A Deputyship Order is required when someone loses the capacity to make some or all decisions...
The UK has the joint 4 th highest rate of Inheritance Tax (IHT) in the world at 40%. Japan tops the table at 55% whilst New Zealand, Portugal, and Sweden (among others) have a 0% Inheritance Tax rate. HMRC received £6.1 billion from IHT alone in the...
When a relationship ends, one of the most common concerns is whether one person can force the other to leave a shared family home. The outcome depends on your personal circumstances and there are safeguards in place to prevent a partner forcing the other out...
As the cost of living and running your business continue to rise, it can be tempting to try to challenge any enforcement action by local authorities, the Food Standards Agency, the Environment Agency and other regulators by yourself without the benefit of...
There is no standard formula for calculating appropriate financial provision on divorce. The court has a duty to consider all the circumstances of the case and to consider a range of specific statutory factors set out in section 25 of...
