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Property is usually our most valuable asset - which is why property fraud is on the increase. Solicitors have a role to play in checking property transactions are genuine as the recent Dreamvar Case has highlighted, but there are also...
Anyone starting divorce proceedings might have noticed that you can now submit a divorce petition to the Court directly online. This is a great step forward for the Court, and we’re sure many people will take the opportunity to...
Attention all Landlords! The Government has published a revised version of “How To Rent – A guide for current and prospective tenants in the private rented sector in England”. This guide booklet sets out the consequences of entering...
Claire Cooper, an Associate Solicitor in the Commercial Property team at Talbots Law says “clients never realise the importance of the terms of their lease until their circumstances mean that they need to rely on them. A client who signs up to a...
So the World Cup is in full swing and England is in the semi-finals!! It might even be coming home! Although the match is due to kick off outside of working hours, as an employer, what do you do about late requests for annual leave and...
With a substantial increase in the number of commercial clients purchasing HMOs or Assisted Living properties designed to provide care in the community, Claire Cooper, from our Commercial Property team looks at the background behind this increase, and the...
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled against Pimlico Plumbers this week and upheld the decision made by the Employment Tribunal and Court of Appeal, that plumber Gary Smith was in fact a ‘worker’ under the Employment Rights Act 1996, and not...
So who watched the BBC One drama The Split? Well, as a family lawyer, of course I did! Although I wasn't a big fan at the start, I was on the edge of my seat by the final episode waiting to see whether Hannah would stay with Nathan, despite...
Claire Cooper, an Associate Solicitor in the Commercial Property team at Talbots Law says “Landlords don’t like empty units and a tenant who doesn’t pay the rent is never desirable, but businesses can face challenging times which can leave...
Claire Cooper an Associate Solicitor in the Commercial Property team at Talbots Law says “with a growing society, more houses are needed and local authorities are reviewing green belt parameters and encouraging infill of already developed areas. ...
At Talbots Law we recommend that you regularly review your Will and Estate Planning to ensure that they are up-to-date. As we near the end of the financial year, Richard Stone, Talbots Law Trust & Estates Solicitor specialising in wealth planning, looks...
It’s January and, as usual, the media have brought out the annual stories about the first working Monday of the year seeing lawyers instructed in record-breaking numbers as relationships fall apart over the Christmas break. Maybe it’s time for...
DIVORCE DAY – IS THIS A REAL THING? 8 th January has been dubbed Divorce Day by many lawyers due to the increase in enquiries they receive on this date after the Christmas holidays. For many years now there has been media coverage in the New...
Melinda Rice discusses why making a will should be on your list of resolutions for 2018 Just to put things into perspective………. An average person works 40 hours per week between the ages of 20-65 and usually takes four weeks...
One of the questions clients often ask Talbots comes when they receive a cash "windfall". You don't have to be a lottery winner, simply someone going through a divorce, selling a property, or possibly dealing with the loss of a loved...
Complying with the new data protection law ("GDPR") - what to do now Many Midlands based businesses process the personal data of their customers and employees. If you do, you need to ensure you are compliant with the new law by 25th May 2018 -...
It’s often said that not enough people make a Will – unbelievably about 60% in the UK still don’t have one. “Well I’ve made a Will so that’s alright then!” Yes but….you should still review this to make...
Lubna Laheria, Talbots Employment Solicitor, looks at the effect this may have on employers. The tribunal rules have, since 2013, required issues fees of up to £250 and hearing fees of up to £950 to be paid by claimants who wish to pursue...
There’s been a trend in the new housing market over the past few years for builders to sell homes on a leasehold basis rather than freehold. Generally, a freehold is a more common way of buying a property, and it means that as well as the house, you...
What can the Land Registry do to improve the conveyancing process? If there’s one thing that frustrates all home owners and solicitors alike, it’s the frustration of having to wait for various organisations to complete their part of the...
When might a dispute arise? Many of the cases we see in this area are when couples split up and they disagree with the proportion each of them should receive when the property is sold, or the ownership is transferred. ...
As with most subjects, there are lots of people who are willing to give you a lot of advice when you announce you are going through a divorce. From the status of the children, to who gets to keep the dog, it seems the world is full of experts who will be...
Dilapidations relate to disrepair of properties and simply put are the maintenance and repairs required during and at the end of the lease. The majority of dilapidation claims relate to commercial premises. Landlords usually seek to enforce the...
It's unlikely that planning for a divorce is on the top of most people's life-goals, but it's an unfortunate fact of life that things can happen, and people end up having to deal with it.
According to National Family Mediation, less than 40% of couples went to a mediation information and assessment meeting in 2016 before making an application to a court for orders about children. This is concerning, bearing in mind the fact that it has been...
The law in England and Wales in relation to married and unmarried couples is vastly different. The often referred to phrase of “common law man and wife” is a common misconception which simply does not exist. Many people believe that...
The Queen’s Speech referred to some very important issues, amongst those issues was the intention to make further progress to tackle the gender pay gap and discrimination against people. The gender pay gap measures the difference between men and...
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (15th June) The so-called ‘dementia tax’ and proposed changes to inheritance tax dominated the recent general election; more people considering their plans for the end of their life. Recent research indicated...
Despite a shaky start and a slump in demand following the result of the EU referendum, confidence from overseas investors in the UK commercial property sector is beginning to rise, causing a rebound in the market. When the UK voted to exit the European...
In the recent case of Ashfaq v International Insurance Company of Hannover plc [2017] EWCA Civ 357 it was upheld that when insuring let residential property, a landlord is not acting as a consumer. In this case, the insured claimed that the property was...
All businesses experience bad debtors. There are usually 3 types of debtors: The slow payers who can pay but prefer extended payment terms; The disputers whose aim is to obtain a credit note to reduce their indebtedness; The insolvent who cannot...
Earlier in the year, the Government published a consultation paper proposing an increase to probate fees. Despite a large majority of respondents opposing the suggested change, it seems that the Ministry of Justice will be pushing on regardless. If approved...
Up to £1m IHT free by 2020/21 6th April 2017 sees the introduction of a significant new Inheritance Tax relief, the Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB), which could save as much as £140,000 in IHT where a family home passes to children or...
When we think about Brexit, issues such as immigration and trade may be the first that come to mind. Yet as the picture becomes clearer, there is a growing realisation that Brexit is going to have an impact on most fields of law, including family. ...
In preparation for April 2017, here are some key Employment Law changes. 1. National minimum wage increases On 1 April 2017, the rates of the national minimum wage will increase. The rate for workers aged 25 and over (the national living wage) increases...
The Courts have been playing up again over document bundles in family proceedings. For the uninitiated, applicants for orders have to file a bundle of the relevant papers for every hearing. This is because Court files are always in such a mess that it would...
(Provision for Family and Dependants) Act, 1975 Supreme Court decision There has been a lot of press coverage about the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Ilott v The Blue Cross & others, handed down to conclude a long running claim...
Employers relying on mobility clauses in redundancy situations could be deemed unfair dismissal: The EAT has held that two employees with contractual mobility clauses who refused to relocate were dismissed for misconduct, not redundancy and that the...
Director and Head of Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Bryan Colley, responds to recent articles regarding Personal Injury rule changes in compensation: When lump sum payments are made by insurers to claimants with life changing injuries, the actual...
When a loved one passes away, coping with the loss can be challenging enough on its own. However, if a dispute arises regarding inheritance, the situation can go from bad to worse in an instant. Due to the level of emotion involved, inheritance disputes can...
‘We all use them, some cannot seem to live without them but they could cost you your driving licence and so much more besides. I am ,of course, talking about your mobile phone. We all know that it is against the law to use your mobile phone whilst...
The laws that guide UK Plc may be under constant review, but one or two have survived the test of time, dating as far back as the fourteenth century. Did you know, for example, there is a 1313 law that makes it illegal to wear armour in parliament? Neither...
Especially if you happen to be one of the world’s dumbest criminals! I mean who would be so stupid as to fall asleep under the bed of the victim’s house he had just burgled? Mark Smith of Whitley Bay would, it seems. Whilst robbing a house, he...
Today, Frank William Abagnale is serenely approaching his 70th birthday having worked with the FBI for more than 40 years. He is regarded as one of the world’s most respected authorities on forgery, embezzlement and secure documents. Abagnale lectures...
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last year show that marriage is popular again! After 40 years of steady decline, ONS statistics confirm marriage rates across the UK are back on the rise. In 1971, there were 404,734 marriages...
Every Valentine’s Day in the UK, we give 25 million cards*; spend £1.3bn on gifts* and generally eat, drink and canoodle away February 14th with those we love. And would you believe, two-thirds of women celebrate the day even if they didn’t...
There are approximately 14 million grandparents living in the UK, and whilst we think these are the years to kick back and relax, often that is not the case. Three-quarters of grandparents look after their grandchildren on a regular basis, which is probably...
Divorce will always be tough for the children caught in the middle, no matter how amicable the split. After all, transitions are difficult for adults, let alone children. If you’ve ever stayed the night at a friend's house for the first time,...
For many children, grandparents play an integral role in family life. From holidays, birthdays and weekend visits to the care they provide when parents are at work, loving grandparents can be a huge asset to any family. However, when the relationship...
One thing I must advise: don’t sit me in front of the TV when there's a legal drama on - you won’t hear the last of it. The enjoyment of getting caught up in the flow of the narrative or lost in admiration for the cracking script, performed...
