Search site
Call our office
Make an enquiry
How Can We Help?
Are you looking for high quality legal advice? You have come to the right place.
We regularly write about different legal topics and welcome your comments on our posts. If you would like more information on our services, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
New tax rules announced at the 2016 Budget are now in force as of 6 April 2018. Income tax and National Insurance Contributions (NIC) will now need to be made on all payments in lieu of notice (PILONs) upon termination of employment. Pre 6 April 2018 rules ...
2017 was a good year for Emerging Markets, which continued their recent strong run, keeping them on track to outperform Developed Markets in back-to-back years for the first time since 2009/10. Compared to 2016, which offered only marginal outperformance...
A recent study has found women are generally less well prepared for retirement compared to men. The research, carried out by savings company Standard Life, reveals that whilst over half (55%) of men own a pension, this figure falls to just over a third (36%)...
The start of 2018 has been an eventful time in the world of the stock market. After hitting highs at the end of January, both the Dow Jones and Standard & Poor’s 500 saw a considerable drop at the start of February, a fall from which the markets...
Introduction To say that March was a busy month is an understatement. Russia went to the polls to elect a new President and, in the least surprising result of the year, Vladimir Putin won another six year term. With the Chinese Communist Party removing...
If you have been following the news recently, you’ll no doubt have heard of “Cambridge Analytica” (CA). CA is alleged to have ‘mined’ information from Facebook users without consent and used it for various purposes. ...
Employers have a statutory duty to make contributions to certain employees' pension funds. Failure to do so can lead to a substantial pension bill later on as well as a heavy fine and court costs. The Pensions Act The Pensions Act 2008...
A recent decision from the Employment Appeal Tribunal indicates that employers need to take extra steps when considering the dismissal of pregnant employees before they accrue the two years required to enable an employee to issue a claim at a tribunal, even...
A recent report, “ Life on Debt Row ”, acknowledges what many people know all too well: debts are bad for a debtor’s physical and mental health. Debts also have a negative effect on a debtor’s family and friends. The RSPH report,...
The daffodils are blooming, the days are getting longer and spring is officially here. Traditionally, this time of year sees a pick-up in the housing market as more people start to get serious about finding their new home. If you’re house hunting...
In 2017, the Government consulted on the operation of the leasehold system in the UK. Reforms are now imminent. Developers should be aware that this issue is on Parliament’s action list: new legislation to ban leaseholds is coming “as soon as...
Statistics released by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) in March 2018 show that the number of employees taking claims to employment tribunals (ET) has risen dramatically. Employers need to review their workplace procedures and ensure they follow them...
Introduction “The first month of 2018 was a good one for the major stock markets which we cover in this Bulletin. We report on 12 markets and 11 of them made gains in January – in some cases, spectacular gains, which many investors would...
It may seem as though the year has barely begun, yet the month of March is already upon us. That means that spring is just around the corner. It also means that the ISA deadline of 6th April is rapidly approaching. Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) are...
Recent research has suggested that those in the baby-boomer generation should be prepared to pay higher wealth taxes in order to pay for healthcare costs likely to climb steeply in the near future. According to think tank the Resolution Foundation, this...
A national saving and investment survey has shown only 7% of people have spoken to their parents about inheritance. One of the most important parts of planning to leave an inheritance is to talk about it. This is obviously not an easy topic and it may be a...
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force in the UK on 25 May 2018. With little more than two months to go before the new regulation comes into force, do you understand how your rights and obligations will change in relation to the...
Introduction In 2016 Britain voted to leave the EU and new Prime Minister Theresa May invited George Osborne to consider an alternative career and replaced him as Chancellor with Philip Hammond, the MP for Runnymede and Weybridge nicknamed...
The rules on Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are about to change. Landlords only have until April 2018 to prepare for a tightening of the rules. Failure to do so could mean they will not be able to rent out their properties. What is an EPC? Whenever...
It’s 100 years since some women first got the vote and 48 years since the Equal Pay Act came into force. Nevertheless, many women in the workplace are still discriminated against in the workplace. It’s estimated that it will be a long time...
Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) is a rare condition which is caused by extreme pressure and swelling of the nerves at the base of the spine. The nerves become compressed and the condition can have a devastating effect on sufferers and their families. Someone...
We love to talk about our erratic weather in the UK, but patience is wearing thin for many during the current freeze – especially for employers and those struggling to get to work. With red warnings from the Met Office, motorists stuck for hours on the...
In a recent case, a fireman was required to do one week in four on "stand-by". In his case, being on stand-by meant being able to get to the station within 8 minutes. The court found that this duty affected his ability to engage in any leisure...
The government updates most of the employment pay and compensation rates on an annual basis. Here's a summary of the current key rates. New rates have been proposed which will be applicable from 1 April 2018. These are shown...
Please note that our GDPR Breakfast Seminar at Hollinwood Business Centre has been cancelled tomorrow morning, 1 March 2018, due to poor weather conditions. We will notify you of the new date in due course and please accept our apologies for any...
A new Land Transaction Tax (LTT) will replace Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) in Wales from 1 April 2018. The changes will make the rate of tax on Welsh properties cheaper at the lower end of the market, but more expensive at the higher end. The changes are set...
The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt has today acknowledged that drug errors in England cause appalling levels of harm and deaths ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43161929 ). His comments come as new data suggests 237 million errors are made each year...
Large organisations across the UK economy have started to publish reports on their gender pay gap. The reports make sobering reading and reflect the low numbers of women at senior levels. From public institutions like the NHS and the BBC to law firms...
We all know that when purchasing a property you want it to be a smooth and stress free experience. Buying a property which has not been registered with the Land Registry can cause huge headaches and delays in a property transaction. Our experienced...
The Government has set aside £60 million of grants for small businesses in the farming industry to help them improve productivity. The grants scheme enables farmers to bid for cash to help them buy new farm equipment. Farming Minister George...
Last November, Maternity Action* launched a report in Parliament on unfair redundancies for pregnant women and new mothers. Maternity Action is a UK charity committed to ending inequality for pregnant women. Citing statistics that 1 in 20 pregnant women...
A recent statement from the government has announced plans to extend the automatic enrolment scheme so that it applies to all workers aged 18 or over by the mid 2020s. Currently, the scheme ensures that workers aged 22 or older and who earn £10,000 or...
The first month of 2018 was a good one for the major stock markets which we cover in this Bulletin. We report on 12 markets and 11 of them made gains in January – in some cases, spectacular gains, which many investors would regard as more than adequate...
With markets around the world continuing to prove unpredictable as momentous financial and political events continue to unfold, it’s perhaps not a surprise that investors are increasingly concerned about when the ‘best time’ for them to...
In general, pensions information and advice which employers provide to their employees – such as presentations which employees are invited to attend – are unlikely to result in a tax charge on an employee benefit. However, if an external provider...
From April 2019, employees whose wages vary depending on how much time they have worked, will be entitled to more information in their payslips. Employers should look at their payroll processes now and prepare for the changes expected in just over a...
The conveyancing process in the UK can be frustratingly slow for those keen to get moving. But it's not all about waiting for the paperwork to be sorted by the solicitors: the house buyer and seller can both do a lot in advance to speed up the...
Employers should know how to spot drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace and be ready to tackle it. Failure to do so can affect the business, compromise the safety of other workers and lead to criminal convictions. Further, ignoring the problem will not...
Stories continue to emerge about cyber security breaches that let hackers gain access to sensitive commercial and private information. A recent report shows that something as simple as a reused password can expose a businesses to cyber fraud. Employers...
A recent case warns beneficiaries of a will to ensure they understand its effects – and to take action if they think they have not been adequately provided for. The provisions of most wills often come as little surprise to family and friends. They...
Following an analysis by the HomeOwners Alliance, it has been revealed that Manchester property sales are three times faster than London. The free EstateAgent4ME tool tracks the speed of the property market, providing homeowners with a greater...
Our Commercial Property Lawyers act for clients in a wide variety of business acquisitions and it is important that your VAT position has been considered before embarking on your new purchase. Whilst we are not tax advisers or accountants, we are able to...
Parties with a dispute often regard seeking advice from a solicitor as a last resort – an uncomfortable and expensive step that could complicate the dispute. But those who put off speaking to a solicitor could be affecting their chance of an...
Every day we are hearing of the crisis in NHS hospitals and unfortunately there appears to be little or no improvement. Dubbed as the “Winter Crisis” the NHS is under even more pressure as thousands of patients are admitted to hospital...
Another year seems to have flown by in the space of about five months. December, in particular, seemed to go past in a blur. It was, however, the month when some progress was – finally – made in the Brexit negotiations. It was also the month...
Care home fees is a hot topic for many reasons. To begin with, we are all living longer and therefore our chances of requiring some variation of care are increased, whether this be in a residential care home or via a package of care in our own properties. ...
As with any new year, there are a number of financial changes coming up in 2018 which are likely to impact on your monthly budget and long-term saving goals. Let’s have a look at five of the most significant and what they’re likely to mean for...
A recent report has revealed that millennials are set to benefit from an ‘inheritance boom’ bigger than that experienced by any other generation in the post-war period. The Resolution Foundation, the think-tank which carried out the research,...
If you’re an investor, it’s likely that you’ll have heard discussions or read reports around the arrival of Mifid II. It’s just as likely that you won’t have had much idea of what Mifid II is or how it might affect you and your...
The Government is looking into the current process for issuing money claims in the County Court. In particular, it wants to review the circumstances in which County Court Judgments (CCJs) are made against people without their knowledge. What is the process...
