Fly-tipping is a huge problem for many farmers and landowners and can be expensive to deal with, particularly if you get landed with a large fine. Fly-tipping is essentially the deposit of waste onto land which is not permitted to receive it. As a landowner...
Last August, Rebecca Ironmonger from our Regulatory Team discussed the Environment Agency’s Regulatory Position Statement on the use of organic manure over Autumn/Winter 2021/22. Here, Rebecca provides an update on the EA’s approach. Last week,...
Estate planning is not an isolated task - life changes quickly and your estate planning should evolve with it. Below are our top 5 estate planning tips to help safeguard your assets, minimise inheritance tax and give you peace of mind for the future: ...
The introduction of no-fault divorce in England and Wales has now arrived after over 30 years of campaigning by some family lawyers and other campaigners. Up until now the rules in England and Wales meant that anyone who wanted to divorce or end their civil...
This month sees the introduction of new law as the Charities Bill has now received Royal Assent and passed into law as the Charities Act 2022. Here are five of the key proposed changes for charities and their trustees: Charities and trustees will be...
The situation in Ukraine is changing rapidly and we appreciate that many of our clients and partners want to support the crisis and help those in need. For charity trustees, this can create some challenge and so we have set out below a number of points...
The reforms were part of an insurance backed crackdown on whiplash and soft tissue personal injury claims, arising out of road traffic accidents. Those affected by the reforms, which were introduced in England and Wales on 31 May 2021, are only entitled...
In 2018 the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) asked the Law Commission to undertake a review to enable the safe and responsible introduction of automated vehicles on roads and public places. The Report The report contains a series of...
On the 29th January 2022 the Highway Code is changing: how many of us are aware of it? It seems that there hasn’t been a lot of publicity about the topic, but these rules will affect every user of roads, be it as a pedestrian, as a cyclist or as a...
It’s good news that the government’s original proposal to introduce a “death tax” has been scrapped, as this would have seen grieving families pay up to £6,000 for probate. However, introducing a flat fee of £273 is still...
A landmark case (Paul v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust) is heading to the Supreme Court on so called ‘secondary victims’ of clinical negligence claims and who may fall into this category of claimants when considering liability. A possible...
A national increase in property prices has fuelled 3,754 probes into inheritance tax (IHT) between 2020 and 2021. On average, each IHT investigation launched by HMRC gained an additional £71,000, totalling a further £254 million for the 2020/21...
In order to free up GPs to help with the booster roll out, from today, if an employee starts sick leave between 10 December 2021 and 26 January 2022, they are not required to provide medical evidence of sickness absences for Statutory Sick Pay purposes until...
Parliament reacted slowly to the emergence of Covid-19 in this country when it came to will-writing. Despite the Government locking the country down in March 2020, it took Parliament until July 2020 to temporarily amend Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 to...
COP26 saw many countries pledge to take steps toward decarbonisation and, whether or not these commitments go far enough, it’s clear that the ‘green revolution’ is beginning to take shape and there is a real opportunity for solar to drive...
The Treasury has written to the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) in response to its second report on Inheritance Tax (IHT) and on its two Capital Gains Tax (CGT) reports. The second report on IHT had the aim of investigating and commenting on the...
I have encountered a fair number of new enquiries recently where the obvious first step to take is to apply to enter a caveat at the Probate Registry. I, therefore, felt that it would be a topical yet timely reminder of what they are, why they can be useful,...
When a person dies leaving no will, they are said to have died intestate. As they have not provided directions as to how they wish their assets to be dealt with, their estate is shared out in accordance with a set of legal principles known as “the...
The eagerly awaited Court of Appeal judgment in Hirachand was handed down last week. When this issue crops up in a case, I find that it is incredibly difficult for one to grapple one way or the other, let alone second-guess which way the judiciary is going...
Since the emergence of Covid-19 in March 2020, every industry in the UK has faced challenges. Some have seen their development and growth thwarted, whilst others have shone. We’ve hopefully seen the back of the worst of it. I’m now at the...
After death, there is often a need for your Personal Representatives to apply to the Probate Registry for a Grant of Representation. The Grant confirms the Personal Representatives’ authority to administer the estate which is needed to collect...
We can often find discussing money matters, like inheritance, a little uncomfortable. However, in some cases it is quite common and, as in my experience, we are starting to observe a changing attitude towards talking about property, finances, and death. ...
With the end of the furlough scheme, there is no doubt that people might be re-thinking their working arrangements, whether that be working from home or a hybrid between working from home and in the office. Please note that this note does not cover...
In April this year, we considered the proposed changes to the regulations surrounding animal welfare in transport contained in the government consultation. Last month, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (“DEFRA”) published...
The past eighteen months have forced us all to think about a lot and for many this has meant finally writing a will or rummaging around for their “current” one to give it a much-needed review and update. Sorting out wills tends to stay on...
For many farmers, the spreading of manure or sludge from water sewage treatment plants is an essential part of the process of preparing the soil for crops and for disposing of excess manure that they do not have the capacity to store. The Reduction and...
There have been a number of changes in the tax environment over the last few years aimed at discouraging private ownership of second or investment properties. The changes include the introduction of the higher rates of SDLT (an extra 3%) and the changes to...
In May, it hit the news that the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, had become the subject of a County Court Judgment for a debt of £535. However, before questions about what would happen if bailiffs turned up at Number 10 could be answered, Downing...
From 1 October 2021, the Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019, more widely known as Natasha’s Law, will come into force. Natasha’s Law was introduced into Parliament as a result of tragic deaths due to allergy sufferers’...
Getting a County Court Judgment (CCJ) is an important step in the debt recovery process and is often a relief to creditors. It is an official confirmation that the debtor owes money and must repay. However, getting the CCJ does not mean that the debtor will...
