18th March 2021

MacDonald Oates is delighted to announce the recent completion of a seven figure company sale acting for the management team on its buyout of The Green Oak Carpentry Co. Ltd. which is a local, highly-regarded designer and provider of ...

15th March 2021

There have been a number of changes in regard to marriage law since 2004, with the most recent being the introduction of opposite-sex civil partnerships in 2019.  These changes have provided clarity over legal rights and financial ...

1st March 2021

If you are an executor of an estate, you may need to deal with debts that have been left behind. Any estate may have debts to be considered, even if the deceased was wealthy – it is reported that Michael Jackson died with around $500 ...

24th February 2021

The Supreme Court has handed down its decision in Uber v Aslam, upholding the decisions from the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and Court of Appeal.  This case was summarised helpfully by Lord Legatt of the ...

12th January 2021

Can I challenge a will that fails to make reasonable provision for me? It is becoming increasingly common for a dispute over a will or a deceased’s estate to arise, particularly where someone who expected to inherit has been excluded ...

6th January 2021

“Silver lining: a sign of hope in an unfortunate or gloomy situation; a bright prospect” As we enter the third lockdown in the UK, it is not surprising that many businesses and employers are struggling to cope and some sectors, such as ...

Employment Law
11th November 2020

HMRC has published updated guidance on the extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The CJRS was originally due to close on 31 October but has been extended to 31 March 2021. For the period 1 November 2020 to 31 January 2021, ...

MacDonald Oates LLP Solicitors
6th October 2020

We are delighted to congratulate Matthew Archer and Ben Holden on their promotion to Partners. Matt joined the firm in 2013 and specialises in commercial property and Ben who joined in 2018, specialises in wills, trusts and probate. ...

21st September 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a sharpened focus on health and safety in the workplace, there has been an increased interest in the statutory regime that protects employees from “automatically unfair dismissal” for certain prescribed ...

Stags
3rd September 2020

With life expectancy in the UK predicted to rise into the late 80s for men and women by 2030, an increasing number of people are choosing to safeguard their interests by making lasting powers of attorney. These enable a relative or ...

12th August 2020

Due to the devastating impact that COVID-19 has had on our economy, many predicted that businesses would be facing difficult decisions with regards to how they would be able to manage to retain staff whilst revenue dropped. The ...

1st June 2020

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has set out a number of changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), which will take effect over the next few months. The Chancellor confirmed that employers will be required to start ...

Stags
18th May 2020

The Government published ‘COVID-19 and renting: guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities’ on 28 March 2020. This guidance gives details of measures to help renters during the current coronavirus crisis. It clarifies the ...

29th April 2020

As we begin the month of May, it is perhaps a quieter, calmer month from an employment law perspective compared to that of March and April. In early March, most businesses were continuing to function without much thought of the virus ...

16th April 2020

The ”lockdown” and social distancing guidance published by the Government on 23 March 2020 was designed with one key aim in mind: to save lives. Staying home helps the NHS, stops the spread of COVID-19 and keeps people safe. But what ...

2nd April 2020

As you may expect, the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated employment law this month with new updates on an almost daily basis. Below is just a summary of the changes, but if you have any queries, please do contact us for further advice on ...

Hills
1st April 2020

Business owners should take advice from an expert commercial or employment solicitor on specific contracts and how the issues set out could apply to their own business.  There are a number of sources of information on the internet that ...

Trees
25th March 2020

The President of the Family Division has issued further guidance for the parents of children who are subject to child arrangements orders during the current Coronavirus pandemic. The key message is that ‘where Coronavirus restrictions ...

24th March 2020

We remain fully open for business to assist our clients during the current global outbreak of the Coronavirus, COVID-19. In line with current government advice, our offices in Petersfield and Midhurst remain open and operational ...

23rd March 2020

A civil partnership is a relationship between two people of the same sex or opposite sex – known as civil partners. Once registered, your civil partnership will mean that your relationship is legally recognised and will provide you ...

20th March 2020

MacDonald Oates remains fully open for business and is committed to providing you with the best possible service, tailored to your individual needs. As a responsible business we will continue to monitor and adhere to Government advice ...

Employment Law
18th March 2020

With more cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), being reported in the UK each day, employers will be wondering how to handle the issue especially as they may need to react fast if a situation develops in the workplace or if there are ...