Next of kin is a commonly used term in everyday language, yet despite its frequent use ‘next of kin’ only provides legal rights where children are concerned and, even then, only in certain circumstances. The general rule is that the ...
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT), in Dobson v North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, recently looked at a case of indirect sex discrimination and what it termed the “childcare disparity”. This refers to the fact that ...
Through this series of articles, ‘Protecting your business’, our Employment Partner, Linda Wilson, takes a look at different topics, providing tips and advice to help businesses. This article focusses on confidential ...
Living through a global pandemic has meant seeing loved ones taken from us at an alarming rate, and it has been distressing for many to see someone taken into hospital and not know if you might be able to see them again. ‘Whilst ...
We are currently recruiting secretarial staff, and also looking for solicitors or legal executives for our Commercial Property team and Wills, Probate and Trusts department. We are a friendly firm with a focus on client service based ...
If you are someone’s executor, then it can be tempting to try to administer the estate yourself with a view to saving money. If the estate is simple and you are comfortable with the legal and tax regulations, then this may be fairly ...
Preparing and collecting all the information for your first meeting with your conveyancing solicitor, whether that meeting is face-to-face or virtual, will get your transaction off to a good start. Here Sarah Rowden, a residential ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
“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 ...
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, ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...