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Early-stage businesses often struggle to secure cost-effective funding, but sometimes funding alone is not enough to help them thrive, especially when expertise is critical to success. A business angel can provide both, and this could be a good solution to...
Acting as an executor means that you are responsible for reporting the value of the estate and declaring any inheritance tax due, so it is important to make sure you follow correct procedures. ‘Since January 2022, new rules apply in respect of...
The subject of pay is always a hot topic and requires sensitive handling. Employees feel they need more, due to the rising costs of living, or believe they deserve more due to increased responsibilities or experience. Meanwhile, employers are under...
There are many reasons why someone might choose to leave money to charity in their will. Tax planning may be a key incentive, or it could be due to a lack of close family members. Some may simply wish to create a longer lasting personal legacy or they might...
Living in a privately owned block of flats where communal areas and shared facilities are managed on your behalf can work really well and promises a hassle-free lifestyle. But what happens when those responsible for looking after your building fail to do...
Once you have decided that your marriage is over and you have taken the first step towards divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership, most people would like to be able to complete the formalities as quickly and smoothly as possible. However, the...
While celebrities often have many professional advisors who look after their business affairs, like many ordinary people they sometimes do not get around to making a will and setting out their particular wishes. ‘When you die without a will,...
Now is a time of transition as employees return to the workplace either on a hybrid basis or for all their working time. ‘Employers need to keep in mind the impact of this shift on any employees’ disabilities,’ says Kenneth Amakye , ...
If you have suffered the devastating loss of a relative which was caused by the reckless or criminal behaviour of someone else, then you may be entitled to claim compensation. While no amount of money can ever make up for their presence in your life, it may...
A secret trust can be a useful way of leaving a gift in your will if you do not wish the details of that gift to become public knowledge. Historically, secret trusts were used by those wishing to pass assets to extra-marital partners or illegitimate...
In an episode of the Netflix series House of Cards , the American First Lady Claire Underwood opens the door of her huge refrigerator and stands there cooling off from a hot flush. The scene generated plenty of debate online, as it was a rare case of the...
The last 18 months have seen employers turn on a dime to keep their business on track, while guarding the health and wellbeing of staff and customers. While flexibility has been key, it has also been important to update and comply with frequently...
Running your own business can be the fulfilment of a lifelong dream, but it also brings stresses and strains which sometimes contribute to relationship breakdown. It certainly adds complexity when trying to agree a financial settlement after divorce. ...
According to the Hamptons Letting Index there has been an increase in first-time landlords entering the buy-to-let sector, with many enticed by the stamp duty holiday and low interest rates. Unfortunately, some property investors think being a landlord is a...
The official government message encouraging people to work from home is expected to end with the final step out of lockdown. For many employees though, homeworking is here to stay. According to a recent BBC survey , 43 of 50 big UK employers will not bring...
If your business is expanding, you may have outgrown your current premises. Before you start looking for a new site, it is worth investigating whether you could extend your existing property. Depending on the site and the nature of your building,...
For the majority of people, their most significant asset is the family home. So, it is not surprising that when it comes to dealing with the financial consequences surrounding divorce, questions about what will happen to the matrimonial home are...
If you are reviewing your commercial property portfolio, you may decide that the time is right to sell some of your property. It goes without saying that you will want to get the best possible value from the sale. Prices are strongly affected by...
The rollout of the vaccination programme has been welcomed as the beginning of the end for the Covid-19 pandemic. For many employers, ensuring their workforce is vaccinated is an important step in getting their business back to operating as usual. However,...
Is your business ripe for more growth? Do you have the team that can take your business to the next level? Or do you want to take a step back and reap some of the rewards of your efforts? If continuity is important to you, then a management buy-out (MBO) or...
While some people are enjoying working from home, this is not the case for everyone and the negative impacts over several months are taking a toll on some employees. ‘Employers are unsure of their responsibilities for mental health and how to deal...
The viability of many businesses is on a knife edge and flexibility in scaling the workforce up or down at short notice has become increasingly important. For many employers, keeping their workforce as flexible as possible will be essential for their...
Our civil litigation lawyers outline the process private residential landlords must now go through to regain possession of their property due to new Covid-19 rules
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 friend to assume control...
Cash was king, but now it is seen as a potential carrier of Covid-19 and to keep cash transactions to a minimum, cashless payment systems are becoming essential. For some organisations this will be new territory, while for others online payments have...
Although lockdown is easing, government guidance advises people to continue to work from home if possible. Meanwhile the media is reporting that some employers are deciding to keep staff working from home. Homeworking has advantages; it eases the...
Emergency legislation has introduced greater protection to tenants during the coronavirus crisis, at a time when it was important to ensure that people did not find themselves homeless due to financial difficulties. You may have read newspaper stories...
Dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic has caused seismic changes to all of our lives, including our family life. During the lockdown we are all forced to isolate in our homes, and for some this forced time together and the disruption to our normal...
For clients in the midst of trying to buy, sell or rent a property, the coronavirus outbreak is causing particular uncertainty at all stages in the process. We want to reassure you that our property law team will continue to operate as normally as possible...
It is no secret that the Coronavirus is affecting, and will continue to affect, the ability of the UK to continue with daily life, as normal, for some time to come. We are striving towards limiting disruption to our service delivery for as long as is safely...
When a key employee is about to leave, employers look to minimise damage to their business and may wish to keep the employee away from customers and commercially sensitive information. Often this is done by putting the employee on garden leave during their...
If your partner owned their home when you moved in together, then it is not uncommon to agree to pay all or most of the bills as a way of sharing living costs without the hassle of changing the mortgage paperwork or the legal title. When a relationship has...
If you have put your life plans on hold to help out a family member who has promised to leave you land or property in their will by way of reward, you will understandably feel aggrieved where they fail to make good on this. Whether there is anything you can...
Millions of unmarried couples who live together could be unaware of their rights if the relationship breaks down. Despite what many believe – and around one in four people living together think they have the same legal protection as married couples...
When you extend credit to a customer it is very easy to forget that it is the same as handing over cash. In order to preserve and protect the financial health of your business, it is vitally important to ensure that you regularly review and update your...
Although the UK has some of the safest roads in the world, the number of road traffic accidents resulting in death or serious injury each year is increasing. The police received reports of 26,610 people killed or seriously injured in the year ending June...
An increasing number of executors choose to deal with an estate themselves when a close relative dies, but is this really a wise move? The reality is that probate is usually a complex process, even where the estate appears at first blush to be small...
Recovering a debt quickly is an essential part of ensuring your business remains in good financial health, but when you are busy focusing on attracting new custom and fulfilling current commitments it can be easy to forget this. As a result, procedures...
If you have suffered physical or psychological harm as a result of a non-surgical cosmetic procedure within the last three years, then let us help you make a claim for compensation.
Everyone has the right to make a will leaving their money and property to whoever they choose. But what happens where decisions about who gets what have been unfairly influenced by another person? Does the will still stand or can it be...
Without a valid will that says otherwise, your spouse may inherit most if not all of your assets on your death and any children you have from previous marriages could be left with little or nothing. This is why more and more cases are being brought...
We are delighted to announce that as of 1st July 2017, the Practice of Stephens & Son will be joining together with the long standing and well established Gravesend law firm, Hatten Wyatt. Over the last decade Hatten Wyatt has grown significantly and...
Leading Kent law firm, Stephens & Son, marked the start of a year celebrating 222 years of service to the community by unveiling its new livery on 1st May 2015. The Chatham based firm can trace its history back to the first Mr Stephens, who practised in...
