Read our latest articles, news briefs and legal updates across all our different services.
Discretionary trusts are a great way to reduce the burden of inheritance tax but they must be drawn up properly to be effective. A recent case before the High Court shows how problems can arise if the trust is not prepared correctly. The case involved a man who made a will in which he
A group of female nursing assistants who were paid less than male maintenance workers have won an equal pay claim against an NHS Trust. The pay of the two groups was based on wage structures established in 1987. More than 9 out of 10 maintenance workers were men and 8 out of 10 nursing assistants
The government is proposing to scrap mandatory annual returns to help companies save time and money. Under company law at present, companies must provide details every year about matters such as the business address, business type, names of directors and information about shareholders and shares. For most businesses, this information barely changes from one year
The government is introducing new measures to encourage longer term tenancies and improve standards in the private rented sector. A model tenancy agreement, developed with the sector, will set out the rights and responsibilities of both landlords and tenants, and provide an industry benchmark for written tenancy agreements. Ministers say the agreement will ensure families
More than 102,000 new businesses were set up in theUKlast year, according to the latest government figures. The total number of businesses now stands at a record level of 4.9million. Business Secretary Vince Cable said the figures “are a timely reminder of the number of people willing to try their hand at business”. The government
Employers need to show they have been fair and that they have investigated all the issues thoroughly when dismissing an employee for alleged misconduct. Failure to do so could result in the dismissal being ruled unfair, as illustrated in a recent case involving a bookmakers and one of its cashiers. The cashier was accused of
An electricity supplier which undercharged a company over several years has been told it cannot now recover the £50,000 outstanding on the account. A court has also ordered that it must pay the company compensation for wrongfully disconnecting its power supply. The case involved EON energy and a company that operated an antiques market. The
The ‘Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee’ scheme has been introduced three months early to boost the housing market and enable more people to own their own home. The scheme applies to both new build and older properties and is available to both existing homeowners and first-time buyers. It was due to be introduced in January
When setting up a new company, it’s important for directors to ensure that all the legal requirements are fully met and that everyone involved understands their rights and responsibilities. Failure to do so can soon lead to confusion and legal action, as illustrated in a recent case before the High Court. It involved two men
The Government is making an extra £69m available for loans to start-up businesses as a way of creating jobs and boosting the economy, Ministers say more than 30,000 new businesses have been created over the last two years with support from government schemes including Start-Up Loans and the New Enterprise Allowance. It’s hoped the new