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The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill 2023 – what’s in it for freeholders?
If you are the owner of a leasehold property, you may be following the progress of the much-awaited Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill 2023. The proposed legislation, which is making its way through Parliament and is expected to receive Royal Assent this year, has been touted as “part of the most....
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The highest-earning neighbourhoods near you
In 2022, the average salary for full-time employees in Hertfordshire and Essex was £41,423 (3.27% up on 2021) and £38,021 (4.8% up), respectively. This is according to data from statistics provider Varbes. Whilst these figures hover just above or around the average mark for the United Kingdom,....
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Protecting yourself legally as an unmarried couple
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of marriages taking place in England and Wales decreased by 36.6% in the 30 years to 2019. Firstly, there is simply less societal pressure to get married these days. People are also less willing to shell out thousands of pounds for a....
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The places where house prices just keep on rising
Buying a property is the most expensive purchase that most people will ever make. For most homeowners, however, it’s been well worth it. Over the last few decades, property buyers have seen an excellent return on investment, with the price of an average home increasing by a staggering 207% in the....
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Why you need a cohabitation agreement
The number of couples who are living together without being married or entering into a civil partnership has massively increased in recent decades. According to a Commons Library briefing paper, the number of cohabiting couples rose from around 1.5 million in 1996 to around 3.6 million in 2021 – ....
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Wealth in the age of social media
The ways in which people can accumulate and grow their wealth are forever expanding and evolving. In our Private Wealth Guide for 2022-23, for example, we featured a number of social media stars across Hertfordshire and Essex who had risen to fame – and fortune – on social media websites such a....
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How to stay on the right side of IHT
Inheritance Tax (IHT) – the British public’s most hated tax – is levied on the value of a deceased person’s estate. From April 2022 to December 2022, the amount raised by IHT was £5.3 billion, £700 million higher than a year previously. As the frozen threshold forces more and more people ....
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Who are the South East’s richest people?
In our Private Wealth Guide for 2022/23, we featured celebrities hailing from Hertfordshire and Essex who have used their fame to amass significant fortunes. In this article, we decided to go one step further and focus on the wealthy heirs and businesspeople who have reached the very highest echelo....
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How long does an online divorce take?
Submitting a divorce application is not many people’s idea of a good time; it is, though, a necessary road to travel to arrive at your new life. Thankfully, you can improve the journey by enlisting an experienced Family Law specialist to act as your guide. Time for a change Since April ....
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The contribution of private schools to the UK’s scientific and economic wealth
In our Private Wealth Guide to Hertfordshire and Essex for 2022/23, we featured some of the UK’s best private schools for excellence in sport and the dramatic arts. One of the characteristics that sets independent schools apart from their state counterparts is the facilities available to the stud....
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Section 106 and 278 Agreements – what you need to know
If you’re a developer or anybody who has to deal with planning law in their line of work, you’ll likely have heard of Section 106 and 278 Agreements. These two types of legal agreement are made between developers and local planning authorities. Both are key components in any successful devel....
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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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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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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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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 ....
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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....
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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....
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Pensions on divorce
When a relationship sadly breaks down, the primary concern for both parties will be the issue of where they (and any children) will live and how they will afford their daily living expenses. During such a challenging and emotional time, it is common for one of the couple’s largest assets to be ov....
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Legal advice for employers as redundancies soar
Recent UK labour market data has revealed that redundancies reached record levels between September and November 2020 – the largest annual decrease in a decade. Meanwhile, February figures show there are now 726,000 less employees on UK payrolls than in February 2020 (although the larger falls oc....
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Uber drivers are workers, says Supreme Court
Uber drivers are to be treated as workers, and not self-employed contractors, according to a ruling handed down on 19 February 2021 by the UK Supreme Court. The decision follows a long-running legal battle between the ride-hailing app and its employees, over workers’ rights such as minimum wage a....
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