The legal definition of waste is at first blush simple, a material which the current holder has discarded is waste. However, this apparent simplicity is deceptive. When determining whether a material has been discarded and is therefore legally...
Following a successful pilot scheme, Martha’s Rule has been extended across all of England’s acute NHS hospitals as of the 4 th of September 2025. The Success of Martha’s Rule and extension of the Scheme After extensive campaigning by...
The law on waste is quite frankly a minefield of utter nonsense drafted originally by the EU and further refined, and complicated, by the UK parliament and the Environment Agency. Sometimes, waste is exactly what you think it is - a load of...
James Dinsdale, an accountant, died in 2020 leaving behind an estate worth £1.8 million. James was survived by his legal wife, Dr Victoria Fowell, and his partner Margaret Dinsdale. James had married Victoria in Las Vegas in 2012. They later separated...
In a press release dated 30 June 2025, the Environment Agency announced that they are doubling the funding for inspections of farms “as part of a wider drive to help farmers slash agricultural pollution”. But what will that mean practically for...
Being a trustee of any type of trust (and there are many!) is a serious responsibility. Whilst the word “discretion” might suggest freedom to make decisions, trustees are bound by a framework of legal duties, designed to protect beneficiaries and...
As a popular baking show returns to our screens, its blend of precision, patience, and occasional drama offers a surprisingly apt parallel to the world of debt recovery . Just like baking a flawless Victoria sponge, collecting outstanding debts requires the...
Passwords and passkeys go hand in hand with sensitive and confidential information - emails, bank accounts, digital assets, and data stored on the cloud. From having one password for everything (definitely not recommended!), to separate passwords for...
October 2024’s Budget announced a raft of changes to Inheritance Tax (“ IHT ”) which have been extensively covered in the press and by this Firm. To summarise (very briefly!): Agricultural Property Relief (“ APR ”) and...
A recent High Court ruling has demonstrated the critical need for transparency within financial remedy proceedings upon divorce . Mr Mario Michael, a successful property developer in London with an interest in 200 properties, was ordered to pay his ex-wife...
As the Government’s flagship Employment Rights Bill is still working its way through Parliament, a new section has been added that will make non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) relating to discrimination or harassment unenforceable. What are the...
News 📰 It has been a quiet month, but section 1 of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 did come into force on 1 August 2025. The legislation prevents English higher education providers from entering into a non-disclosure agreement with...
The UK data protection law requires all businesses which are collecting, receiving and dealing (ie. ‘processing’) personal data to adhere to the ‘ transparency principle ’ - i.e. to ensure transparency with the individual whose...
In order to be valid, a Will must be signed by the testator (the person making the Will) in the presence of two witnesses. But what happens when there are suspicions that the testator’s signature is not genuine? The recent case of Khatun v Hasan &...
In light of the recent CEO and HR Manager cheating scandal that is taking the internet by storm, it draws the mind to the consequences of such affairs on the relationships and marriages of the individuals involved. Sometimes life throws curveballs and you...
Your spouse may have a Will in place which leaves some or all of their estate to you. However, over 50% of UK adults have no Will in place. If your spouse dies without having a valid Will, their estate will be governed by the intestacy rules. The intestacy...
Does the ice cream van jingle really mean they're out of ice cream? No, but your overdue invoices might mean you're out of cash - a common challenge for seasonal businesses and SMEs. As summer is here, we are using the ice cream van for our story,...
If you are the owner of a small company, particularly one where you are the sole director and shareholder, it might be easy to think of the Company’s money as being your own. You may be tempted to withdraw money from the company to fund your own...
Professionals do not like to admit it, but sometimes mistakes happen. This may be incorrect advice or drafting a Will or trust that does not quite make sense, fails to reflect the individual’s intentions, or even creates rather than reduces tax...
While details are still emerging, yesterday it was announced that Christian Horner, principal of the Red Bull F1 team has been dismissed with immediate effect after 20 years. Mr Horner faced allegations of sexual harassment and coercive and controlling...
In its decision in KRF Services (UK) Ltd [2024] EWHC 2978 (Ch) the High Court has clarified the recent uncertainty surrounding whether sole directors are able to make decisions on behalf of a company, particularly where a company has adopted the Model...
The Government has just published its timetable for implementing its ‘flagship’ Employment Rights Bill. In some ways it’s good news – the most significant change and the one most employers had been wary of is the introduction of the...
In order for a will to be valid, the testator (the person making the will) must have “testamentary capacity”. The test for testamentary capacity is set out in the case of Banks v Goodfellow . In order for their will to be valid, the testator...
Delivery Hero and Glovo, two major EU food delivery companies, have been fined a total of EUR329 million for participating in a cartel in the online food delivery sector by the European Commission. Both companies admitted their involvement in the cartel and...
The new Marks & Spencer strawberries and cream sandwich has gone viral on social media since its launch last week. However, whilst consumers are debating the flavours, accountants and lawyers are debating its tax classification – whether it...
News 📰 Implementation Roadmap – Employment Rights Bill The Department for Business and Trade has now published an implementation roadmap for the Employment Rights Bill. Here are the key takeaways and dates to look out for: Summer to...
On 11 June 2025, the FSA issued a food alert to consumers who have purchased and businesses who have sold Jolly Rancher confectionery products, owned by US company Hershey. The affected products are: Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Jolly Rancher Misfits Gummies ...
The DUAA amends, but does not replace, the UK General Data Protection Regulation ( UK GDPR ), the Data Protection Act 2018 ( DPA ) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations ( PECR ). In Brief: The DUAA is a new Act of Parliament that...
A lifetime gift can be made for various reasons, whether to reduce inheritance tax liabilities, or simply so that the person making the gift (the donor) can see the benefit of their gift whilst they are still alive. In the UK, there are rules and...
An Abatement Notice is a very specific type of Enforcement Notice served by a Local Authority where they conclude that there is a statutory nuisance. Unlike most enforcement notices, a Local Authority has a duty to serve an Abatement Notice if they determine...
