Blogs

Bank of Mum and Dad: Potential pitfalls of parental lending

NatWest, HSBC, Nationwide… when we think of mortgage lending, our thoughts inevitably stray to the household names of the banking sector. But did you know that parents and relatives – also known as the Bank of Mum and Dad or BoMaD – are collectively the UK’s ninth largest mortgage lender? I....

Is it time to buy your freehold?

Extending your lease can be a long and complicated process. However, doing so promptly, with the help of a specialist solicitor, can save you thousands of pounds in extra costs and add value to your property. If you are in a position to do so, however, the best course of action might be to buy the ....

Leaseholders set to gain new rights

Issues with the current leasehold system, which dates back to the 1800s, have been the subject of public and media scrutiny for many years now. Although leaseholders were given more rights in the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, which allowed them to extend their lease and ....

Preventing sexual harassment in the workplace

According to charity Rights of Women, 44% of callers to their sexual harassment helpline reported that they had been sexually assaulted in their place of work. In a survey of callers to the charity’s Sexual Harassment at Work advice line between August 2019 and August 2020, it was revealed tha....

Buyers still stand to benefit from Stamp Duty holiday

The property market experienced a surge of activity in May and June this year, with buyers rushing to get their transactions completed before the extended Stamp Duty holiday deadline of 30 June 2021. The nil-rate Stamp Duty threshold was first increased to £500,000 on 8 July 2020, meaning that buy....

Freedom Day is coming… what employers need to know

Following a four-week delay on 21 June, so called ‘Freedom Day’ is almost here – exactly 480 days after England’s first lockdown measures were introduced. On Monday 19 July 2021, all remaining legal coronavirus restrictions in England are set to be lifted. However, with the Delta variant of....

The eviction ban has ended but landlords should still proceed with caution

In March 2020, the government introduced a series of emergency measures to protect residential tenants from the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. One of these measures was a ban on residential possession proceedings and eviction, with the aim that “no renter in either social or privat....

Enforcement of possession orders in the post-COVID era

On 1 June 2021, the ban on residential evictions was lifted in response to the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions. The enforcement process The first stage of an eviction is for a court to issue an order for possession telling your tenant to leave, or a suspended order for possession,....

2022 will see ‘no fault’ divorce become law

In April 2022, the much-awaited Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 will introduce what has become known as ‘no fault’ divorce. It has long been seen by campaigners and legal professionals as a much-needed amendment that will greatly reduce the stress, expense and acrimony that charact....

I’ve heard of the 10 and 4-year rule in planning, what does it mean?

If you want to be certain that the existing use of a building is lawful for planning purposes, or that your proposed development does not require planning permission, you can apply for a Lawful Development Certificate. This certificate simply confirms that any change of use or development that has b....

Business owners: don’t forget about succession planning

According to a study conducted last year by the Institute for Corporate Productivity, 44.4% of businesses had no formal approach to succession planning, while 10% performed no succession planning whatsoever. Even the largest companies struggle; research suggests that two thirds (68%) of all FTSE 10....

Lifetime gifting and the ‘presumption against double portions’

The rules around inheritance are highly complex, as many of those who have had to go through probate or deal with Inheritance Tax issues know all too well. Because so few people fully understand them, however, they may risk unintentionally jeopardising the inheritance they leave behind for their be....