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Your ultimate guide to planning enforcement notices
If you have previously made, or are in the process of making, alterations to your property, a planning enforcement notice could ruin everything. You might have to cease building works, spend money on modifying the property or – in the worst-case scenario – demolish all your hard work. In thi....
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Should I take a lease that’s ‘outside’ of the Landlord and Tenant Act?
Renting a business premises can be stressful, especially when it comes to negotiating your lease. Both you and your landlord will be trying to secure the most advantageous terms for your respective businesses and, without legal expertise and knowledge behind you, you may find yourself agreeing to t....
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I am looking to assign my lease. What do I need to do?
Assigning a lease means transferring the legal interest in the lease to a new tenant. This means that the new tenant will take on all your legal rights and responsibilities set out in the lease. Assigning your lease can be an option if your lease doesn’t contain a break clause and your landlord i....
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Do I really need a solicitor to renew a commercial lease?
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, most business tenants (with some specific exceptions) have the legal right to renew their commercial lease. This right is only forfeited if you are in breach of the terms set out in your lease, your landlord wants to take the premises back for their own use, ....
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Ending your lease with a break clause: a guide
A break clause is a clause within a tenancy agreement that gives either the landlord or the tenant (or both) the right to end the tenancy before the expiry of the contract term. The break clause will, among other things, usually set out who has the right to exercise the break, any conditions that m....
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Tax changes for divorcing couples coming in 2023
For separating couples, tax is likely to be the last thing on either party’s mind. Even so, consideration should be given to any potential tax implications at the outset of the relationship breakdown to minimise any financial impact. Different tax rules apply to married couples, who benefit from ....
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Trustees – don’t miss your trust registration deadline
In 2017, the Trust Registration Service (TRS) was established to register trusts for both tax and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) purposes. At first, trusts only needed to be registered if they were liable to pay tax – for example, Capital Gains Tax, Stamp Duty Land Tax, Income Tax or any other kind ....
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What counts as a ‘contribution’ in divorce proceedings?
When it comes to your divorce, it is natural that you will want your contributions to the marriage to be recognised and reflected in your eventual settlement. In UK divorce law, ‘contributions’ will include both: Financial contributions – for example, salary, rent or mortgage payments, bil....
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The Bank of Mum and Dad: Protecting family loans during divorce
The phrase ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ – sometimes shorted to BoMaD – has become commonplace in the media to refer to the growing practice of family lending – whether to help a child onto the property ladder, contribute towards wedding costs, or even to support them with living costs and legal ....
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Answering your Dispute Resolution questions
When it comes to our Family Law or Wills & Probate departments, what we do is fairly self-explanatory, and our clients will usually understand the types of services we provide. Dispute Resolution, however, can be a different matter. There are many types of legal disputes that can require the ex....
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Important summer holiday advice for separated families
Now that coronavirus travel restrictions are all but lifted, many of us are looking forward to a summer holiday in sunnier climes. But for separated families, agreeing arrangements over the summer holidays can be very stressful. Problems often arise when one parent wants to take the children abroad....
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A day in the life of… a Dispute Resolution lawyer
Our Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution, Leanne Philp, is a highly experienced and skilled lawyer specialising in contentious probate, breach of contract claims and building disputes – not to mention a busy mum! In her years as a lawyer, she has found that many people struggle to understand wh....
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Domestic abuse doesn’t always leave a mark
Long gone are the days when cuts and bruises were needed for domestic abuse to be recognised by the authorities and wider society. These days, psychological and emotional abuse, economic abuse, as well as controlling or coercive behaviour, are all legally recognised as forms of domestic abuse and a....
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EPCs for commercial property: a legal perspective
What is an EPC? An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rates how energy efficient your building is on a scale from A to G (with A the being the most efficient grade and G being the least efficient). Once issued, an EPC is valid for 10 years. Why is energy efficiency important? The....
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Wealthy pastimes through the ages
In our 2021-22 Private Wealth Guide, we explored some of the top leisure pursuits regularly enjoyed by wealthy residents of Hertfordshire and Essex. Based on data from Wealth X’s 2020 Billionaire Census, which listed sports, aviation and outdoor pursuits among the favourite pastimes of the super-....
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New divorce rules to come into force in April
The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 will bring in fundamental changes to divorce law for the first time in 50 years. The Act will introduce ‘no fault divorce’ from 6 April 2022, and the new process will be entirely online. Couples whose marriage has irretrievably broken down will b....
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Eight steps to getting your business sale ready
As the old adage goes, ‘Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.’ It’s true of many things in life – from exams and job interviews, to starting up and growing your business, to formulating a comprehensive plan for your business sale. In this blog, we’ll be focusing on this latter undertaking, ex....
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Share sale or asset sale? Which is best for your business?
If you are looking to sell your business in the UK, there are two main structures this transaction can take: a share sale or an asset sale. Each transaction structure has its own advantages and disadvantages and, as such, will result in different outcomes for both the buyer and seller. Selecting....
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Getting better with age – fine wine investment in Hertfordshire and Essex
In our Private Wealth Guide for 2021-22, we looked into some of the top luxury items the world’s wealthy are investing in to diversify their traditional investment portfolios. At the time of writing, Hermès designer handbags topped the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index (KFLII) – but a recen....
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This year’s fastest-growing salaries – and how to secure one
In this year’s Private Wealth Guide, we looked at the educational pathways leading to the highest salaries following graduation. It’s always interesting to see which careers are commanding high salaries at any one moment, as it tends to offer a snapshot of the skills and qualifications that are....
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