News & Insights
Read our latest articles, news briefs and legal updates across all our different services.
Deadline to recoup wrongly paid care fees
Do you have an elderly relative living in care or receiving care in the home? Does their main or primary need for care relate to their health? If so, they may be entitled to NHS Continuing Healthcare, a package of care funded solely by the NHS. Where a person qualifies for this type of funding,
Late payment threatens survival of smaller businesses
The growing problem of late payment is threatening the survival of many SMEs, according to new research. The credit reference agency Graydon UK, working in conjunction with the Forum of Private Business, surveyed 500 small firms across the UK. The responses showed that 16% had almost been put out of business as a result of
Main points of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill
Improving the employment tribunal system and setting up a new Competition and Markets Authority are two of the main points of the new Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill. It will also tackle directors’ pay and the burden of red tape. The Government says the Bill is a central element in its drive to deliver strong
New tenant was not entitled to exercise break clause
Businesses need to take great care when taking over a lease on commercial property from another firm. They may find that they don’t automatically inherit all the entitlements that were granted to the original leaseholder. The issue arose recently in a case involving a company called Gemini Press Ltd. It took over a lease which
Be careful what you promise – firm ordered to pay staff bonuses
Employers need to be careful what they say to staff during informal meetings, as one firm found to its cost recently. The firm, which carried out services for a large banking group, was about to be taken over. During an informal meeting with staff broadcast over the internet, it announced that a “guaranteed” minimum bonus
Business succession – keeping it in the family
Handing over a family business to the next generation may seem straightforward but it can create unforeseen problems. In fact, succession plans involving family members may contain more risks than handovers involving complete strangers. With strangers, people tend to be cautious and get legal advice; with family they often rely on goodwill and a muddle
Protecting your business with restrictive covenants
It is vital to get the balance right when trying to protect your business by subjecting employees to restrictive covenants. If the conditions are not strict enough, they may not prevent the employee setting up a rival enterprise or helping a rival firm; if they are too strict, they may not be enforceable, as in
Public bodies identify enough land to build 102,000 homes
Government departments have identified enough publicly owned land to build more than 102,000 homes. This puts them well ahead of the Prime Minister’s target of releasing suitable land for 100,000 homes by 2015. The surplus public land includes empty offices and unused storage space at sites across the country. The Homes and Communities Agency must
Landlords risk losing thousands if they fail to consult tenants
Landlords risk losing hundreds of thousands of pounds if they fail to consult tenants properly over service charges. In a recent case, Daejan Investments Ltd had to forfeit £270,000. Now Stenau Properties Ltd have fallen into the same trap. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires that landlords go through a thorough consultation process before