Read our latest articles, news briefs and legal updates across all our different services.
Leaseholders with Countryside Properties will no longer be subjected to ground rents that double every 10 or 15 years. The effect of these increases is that people often struggle to sell or mortgage their home and their property rights can be at risk, for example, if they fall behind on their rent. Countryside will also
Probate lawyers are urging the government to introduce reforms to make it easier for families to access the ‘digital assets’ of deceased relatives. A new report carried out by STEP – the professional body for inheritance planning advisers – highlights the extent of the distress caused by being cut off from digital assets when family members
There’s been a large rise in the number of married couples using ‘prenups’ over the last 20 years, according to a new survey. The survey, carried out by Savanta ComRes for the Marriage Foundation, found that one in five couples married since 2000 have some form of a pre-nuptial agreement in place. This compared to
A landlord has lost its appeal against a decision that it could not impose service charges for certain works because it had failed to consult tenants properly. The landlord owned several flats let on long leases. It carried out various works to the flats and, in 2017, sought to recover the cost from the lessees
A jewellery designer who had built up a strong brand reputation has won a passing off claim against a new business using a similar name. The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court heard that Alyssa Smith started out as a sole trader in 2009, using the trading signs Alyssa Smith Jewellery, Alyssa Jewellery and @alyssajewellery. She attracted
The High Court has ruled that a restaurant manager was entitled to be a director and shareholder of a new business he had set up with a married couple. He was also entitled to payments as specified in a contract agreed by both sides. The manager had run a restaurant from premises which were held
The Court of Appeal has clarified whether external doors are landlords’ fixtures and so subject to landlord control. The case involved a tenant who was the registered proprietor of two long-leasehold flats with terms of 999 years. The leases included a covenant by the tenant at cl.3(4) not to “remove any of the landlord’s fixtures”
Two directors have been granted permission to continue running their companies despite being disqualified for breaching regulations. The court accepted that they were essential for the continuation of their business and hundreds of jobs could be a risk if they were not allowed remain at the helm. The case involved two directors of a company
A firm of consultants were entitled to a large fee for introducing a client to an insurance company even thought there was no specific contract. The law allowed for a fair payment to be implied in the business agreement. That was the decision of the High Court in a case involving Premia Marketing Ltd v
The Court of Appeal has ruled that a commercial tenant had correctly exercised a break clause in its lease despite having left the premises “dysfunctional and unoccupiable”. The break clause provided that the tenant could terminate the lease if it gave “vacant possession of the Premises to the Landlord” on the relevant break date. The