Read our latest articles, news briefs and legal updates across all our different services.
The introduction of fixed recoverable costs (FRC) has been described as the biggest change to civil litigation for a decade. The FRC regime will attempt to fix the amount of legal costs that the successful party can claim from the unsuccessful party in litigation. The aim of the reform is to provide certainty to parties
Business owners, particularly in small businesses, can often wear too many hats. Whether it be as a shareholder, director and/or employee, each of these hats carries very different rights and responsibilities:- Shareholders: investors in the business and their relationship to each other is governed by the Companies Act and any shareholder agreement (if one is
Perhaps it was a slow news day but watching the news over breakfast this morning I was interested in an article concerning local residents who turned out in their hundreds to help thousands of frogs and toads cross a busy road! So what does this have to do with planning decisions for commercial properties? From
Jeremy Hunt delivered his Spring Budget on 6 March, and it will probably be his last major fiscal announcement ahead of this year’s anticipated general election. With a focus on reducing tax for the working population and helping parents, there were several announcements in the Budget that affect businesses and employees which I consider and
The number of compulsory company liquidations soared by 66% in the year to January, according to the latest figures from the Insolvency Service. The number of all company insolvencies was 5% higher than the number in January 2023. Of the 1,769 registered company insolvencies in January 2024: Nicky Fisher, President of R3, the UK’s insolvency
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has issued guidance for employers confirming that the menopause can be classed as a disability. The new document, entitled Menopause in the workplace: Guidance for employers, sets out an employer’s legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010. EHRC says many women experience negative impacts of menopausal symptoms in
Separating couples will get early legal advice as part of the Government’s family court reforms, but the idea of introducing mandatory mediation has been scrapped. A legal advice pilot will be launched to help families agree child arrangements quickly, addressing barriers to early resolution including a lack of understanding of the options available such as
The number of ‘No Fault’ divorce applications has fallen significantly following the initial surge when the new system came into effect in 2022. Government figures show that in July to September 2023, there were 27,290 divorce applications. That was down 12% compared with the same quarter in 2022, which was the second quarter following the
The High Court has settled a dispute between three brothers over the inheritance of the family farm. The court heard that the brothers had all worked on the farm for most of their lives having been given assurances by their father, Albert, and mother, Brenda, that they would inherit equal shares. Richard Winter and Adrian
Television personal finance expert Martin Lewis has urged people to set up a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). He stressed that they provided crucial protection, not just for the elderly but for the young as well. Mr Lewis told viewers on his ITV show: “This is really important. A power of attorney is more important