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I recently acted for a client in connection with his personal injury claim which arose as a result of a slipping accident on private property. The facts of the case are relatively straightforward, but the approach adopted by the defendant caused significant...
A decision in the case of ‘C’ has been handed down, judging him to have the capacity to engage in sexual relations and to potentially engage a sex worker and identifying issues for those who may be asked to help make such arrangements for others ...
It is all very well obtaining judgment against your debtor, but that does not necessarily mean that you can turn that judgment into cash. This can often prove the most challenging part of debt recovery and has especially been the case throughout the Covid-19...
During “lockdown”, owning a dog has become a popular choice for many people particularly those living alone and facing months in isolation or those looking for a reason to enjoy the great outdoors. However, many are coming to realise that...
A consultation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (“DEFRA”) into proposed changes to the Regulations governing animal welfare in transport closed in February 2021 and has provoked much debate within industry. Rebecca...
The Trust Registration Service (“TRS”) was originally set up in 2017 and only required trustees of express trusts with a relevant tax liability to register. The relevant taxes are: Income tax Capital Gains Tax Inheritance tax Stamp Duty...
As of 4th May 2021, there will be a new scheme, which will allow struggling debtors time to ‘breathe’ and time to sort out their financial struggles. This new scheme is called The Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space) Guidance and comes...
The Stamp Duty holiday in England and Northern Ireland has been extended to 30 June 2021, after it was initially scheduled to be finishing at the end of March. Following a difficult period for the housing market, Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed that Stamp...
About a year ago, the hot topic in employment law was the new Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme that we all got to know and love as the furlough scheme. The hot topic currently is the debate about mandatory vaccination . At the time of writing,...
We often get asked about the tax situation on divorce. Whilst there is no one size fits all, the following is a general outline of the common tax issues that arise on a divorce or separation. Advice should always be sought at an early stage and a plan...
Businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to stay afloat as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to ravage the UK. Despite several recent vaccine approvals and the government introducing a range of financial support schemes – including the Furlough...
In the lead up to the budget a number of economic commentators urged caution in respect of an increase in tax, so as not to stifle the economic recovery of the UK. That being said, with UK national debt the highest since 1963, it was still expected that...
The legal position on GDPR and personal data transfer between the UK and the EEA has changed post-Brexit as follows: EU GDPR Regulation As an EU Regulation, EU GDPR no longer applies to the UK. However, if you operate inside the UK, you will still...
Landlords still make this mistake and tenants often do not know any different so the problem isn’t trained away and continues to reoccur. So what is the problem? Failing to comply with s.47 and s.48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 The...
Will and inheritance claims have been significantly increasing for many years now. According to the Ministry of Justice reporting in the Times last year, in 2016, the number of individuals seeking to claim a share or a larger proportion of a deceased...
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The way food and drink producers, manufacturers, retailers and suppliers label food is changing as of January 1 2021, and you need to be ready. When the UK exited the European Union on 31 January 2020, the transition period was set in motion which ends on...
With the Brexit/Withdrawal Agreement coming into effect, freedom of movement between the EU and UK has ended. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens entering the UK for work purposes may need to apply for a visa through the UK’s points-based immigration system....
This article aims to answer some questions about UK farm employers’ access to seasonal workers under the Government’s extended Seasonal Workers Pilot. The end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020 marks the end of freedom of...
The Government has confirmed that legislation will be bought forward allowing leaseholders to extend their leases by a maximum of 990 years at zero ground rent, turning away from the 50-year lease extension with ground for leasehold houses and a 90-year...
Following ten rounds of intense negotiations in the run up to Christmas, the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement (the TCA ) came into provisional effect at 11pm on 31 December 2020 when the European (Future Relationship) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act ) came...
This brief article considers environmental regulations and, taking Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) as an example, whether UK authorities are likely to deregulate and relax requirements following the end of the transition period and the provisional coming...
Does Brexit mean an end to Cross-Compliance? That is the Government’s plan for England. Cross compliance is a core feature of the CAP direct payments regime and rural development agri-environment schemes. Leaving the EU means that the UK is no...
The precautionary principle generally puts a check on decision-making when scientific evidence about an environmental hazard is uncertain and the risks are potentially high, while critics would argue that it can hold back innovation and progress. It is a...
This article aims to answer some questions following the Trade and Cooperation Agreement concluded between the UK and the EU and provisionally in force from 1 January 2021. Why can’t my seed potatoes be sold into the EU from 1 January 2021? This...
This brief article aims to answer some questions about the certification, labelling and trading of organic food products following the provisional coming into force of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) on 1 January 2021. Can organic products...
This brief article aims to answer some questions about the use of Protected Geographical Indications following the provisional coming into force of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) on 1 January 2021. From 1 January 2021 the names of UK...
Will the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator change as a result of the EU/UK trade deal? Nothing in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement impacts directly on the Groceries Supply Code of Practice or the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator. The...
A new tax on wealth is being considered and a report by The Wealth Tax Commission has been released this month making recommendations to the Government. To find out how such changes could affect you as a taxpayer and whether you should review your...
Our Personal Injury team recently took part in #SolicitorChat, a conversation on Twitter where solicitors answer questions on a set topic. A recent one covered personal injury claims in winter, and we thought our answers would provide a useful...
A medium sized food processing factory which produces products such as donor kebabs for the national and international market was raided by Trading Standards and the National Food Crime Unit at the Food Standards Agency (“FSA”) and subsequently...
Cyclists: The ‘menaces’ that provoke fury amongst road users like no others. Cognitive Scientist Tom Stafford argues that motorists hate cyclists because they believe that they disrupt the ‘moral order’ of the road. Contrary to...
The Government have today (13 November 2020) updated the extended Coronavirus Job retention Scheme (CJRS) in relation to notice pay. As you may be aware, the CJRS has been extended to 31 March 2021 with a review of the scheme in January 2021. Under the...
This week, the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has released a report on Capital Gains Tax (CGT). These follow a request by Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to “identify opportunities relating to administrative and technical issues as well...
Less than 48 hours after it was issued, the latest furlough scheme guidance has been revised to correct some errors: 1. In relation to the expiry of fixed term contracts and rehiring, the correct date is now confirmed as 23 September 2020 (not 23 October...
The Commission has published a range of user-friendly guides for trustees. Launched in Trustees’ Week 2020, the five x 5-minute guides cover a ‘core syllabus’ of basic information that should help trustees run their charities effectively....
Just as we waved a fond farewell to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, so it has returned! The Chancellor has announced this afternoon that the Scheme will remain open until 31 March 2021. All we know at the moment is that for claim periods running to...
Businesses are reminded to ensure their systems and processes are as secure as possible following the Information Commissioner's latest fines against two organisations for data breaches. In October, British Airways was fined £20 million for ...
Despite the horrors of the Pandemic it seems children and their parents may still be blowing blow the cobwebs off their costumes this Halloween ready to threaten unimaginable horrors if not rewarded with chocolate and sweets, so it is time to perhaps think...
The way your business must deal with individual debtors is changing. On 7 October 2020, the Treasury announced new rules for debt letters that are less intimidating and provide more support for people in debt. The law is expected to be officially changed in...
After several months of possession claims being stayed, the stay has now been lifted. The Master of the Rolls has set up a working group to address concerns about the consequences of the current stay on housing possession claims ending. The group...
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) Regulations 2020 have come into effect from midnight last night. Regulation 7 makes it an offence for an employer to knowingly permit a worker (including an agency worker)...
On 28 August 2020, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published an updated version of its "Statement on coronavirus (COVID-19), consumer contracts, cancellation and refunds" which was first published on 30 April 2020. The statement now...
There has been much talk recently within the media and industry of the impact on data protection rules since the announcement of the ‘Schrems II’ judgment, but what is this case and how might it affect us? The Position to Date Data...
With the world in a very strange place and businesses struggling to pay invoices, there is every possibility that even if you have never fallen victim to a bad payer in the past, you may find yourself with a client who will not, or cannot pay you. If you...
COVID-19 and the lockdown brought about some tricky times for the enforcement of judgments. Whilst we have been able to instruct our High Court Enforcement Agents to attend commercial premises , there has been a blanket ban on attending residential...
The Employment Rights Act 1996 (Coronavirus, Calculation of a Week’s Pay) Regulations 2020 have been published today and take effect tomorrow, 31 July 2020. The Regulations set out how a week’s pay is to be calculated for a furloughed employee...
In normal circumstances we strongly recommend a client making a will (“the Testator”) attends the office initially to take will instructions and again to execute their will and have their will witnessed by two members of staff. Given the...
The administration of a trust is becoming increasingly comparable to that of a company, with the Trust Registration Service (TRS) and the responsibilities of trustees in respect of that, comparable to those for Companies House. Trustees are required to...
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is currently reviewing its Privacy Shield and Standard Contractual Clauses guidance following the judgment issued by the ECJ in the case of Data Protection Commissioner v Facebook Ireland and Maximillian...
