Read our latest articles, news briefs and legal updates across all our different services.
The government is introducing new measures to allow more offices and other commercial buildings to be converted into homes. Temporary permitted development rights were introduced in 2013. They made it possible to convert offices into homes without having to apply for planning permission. It led to 4,000 conversions being given the go-ahead between April 2014
A total of 115 employers, including high profile companies like Monsoon Accessorize, have been named and shamed for failing to pay some of their employees the National Minimum Wage. The companies spanned several sectors including hairdressing, retail, education, catering and social care. Between them they underpaid their workers by a total of £389,000. Monsoon headed
A husband has won his appeal against a divorce settlement that would have not have been possible to put into practice. The case involved a couple who were both 58 and were divorcing after 13 years of marriage. The wife worked in a primary school and the husband owned a small company. At the hearing
A company providing environmental training courses has won its appeal against the non-payment of invoices by a major client. The issue arose after the provider was hired to provide training on behalf of the client to small and medium-sized enterprises. The draft service agreement stated that payment would only be made if the provider produced
A national estate agency that operates on a franchise basis has successfully taken legal action to prevent competition from a former franchisee. The agency offered training and support to partners across the country. Franchisees could only operate within their own defined area and were subject to a restrictive covenant stating that if they ended their
The Home Office has released details of how landlords will be expected to carry out right to rent checks to make sure tenants are entitled to be in the UK. From 1 February 2016, you will be affected if you are a private landlord, have a lodger, are sub-letting a property or are an agent
Thousands of people set up lasting powers of attorney (LPA) each year to protect their interests if they ever lose mental capacity in the future. LPAs enable you nominate someone to look after your affairs if you are unable to do so yourself. The vast majority of LPAs work exactly as intended but occasionally things
A landlord was entitled to recover from tenants the VAT charges it had to pay its managing agent in respect of caretaking staff. That was the decision of the Upper Tribunal (Lands) in the case of a landlord who hired a managing agent to fulfil the various obligations set out in his lease agreements. The
The government has announced the latest measures in its campaign to eradicate the gender pay gap within a generation and to provide more opportunities in the workplace for women and ethnic minorities. Legislation to prevent discrimination and promote equality has been in place for more 40 years but women still earn less on average than
The Localism Act 2011 has made a number of changes in order to give local people more control over what happens in their neighbourhood. One such change is the ability to designate a property as an asset of community value. An asset of community value is an asset that furthers the social well-being or social