If two or more people want to establish a business arrangement between them, they can choose to do so by creating a partnership rather than setting up a company. The legislation governing the establishment of partnerships is the Partnership Act 1890. Section 1 of the Act defines a partnership as ‘the relation that subsists between…
According to figures from the National Office of Statistics, divorce rates have fallen to their lowest level for 40 years. There has been a significant rise in the proportion of couples marrying after a period of cohabitation, with the data pointing to these marriages surviving the so-called “seven year itch”. It seems that many couples…
At the beginning of February this year, the Sentencing Council’s guidelines for health and safety offences came into effect. The message they sent was clear; the regulatory authorities expect health and safety to remain a key priority for all businesses. The guidelines make it clear that persistent offenders or those who adopt a cavalier approach…
Most businesses at some point need a building to operate from, whether it’s an office, a workshop, or a factory. Whilst some are in a position to buy, many more occupy premises that they rent under the terms of a lease. Here, we look at some of the issues you should consider before committing to…
A recent case heard before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has highlighted the grey area surrounding an employee’s right to privacy when accessing social media during company time. In this case, involving a company in Romania, an employee used a workplace messaging account to send private e-mails. This was in clear breach of…
Every year, 12,000 couples with children decide to live apart. As the recent high-profile case of Rebecca Minnock and her son Ethan illustrated, making arrangements for parenting following the break-up of a relationship can be challenging. Section 1 of the Children Act 1989 states that whenever a court has to make a decision concerning the…
Planning permission granted to extend and convert Colemans’ offices to flats. On Wednesday 25 November the Maidenhead Development Control Panel unanimously resolved to grant planning permission for the redevelopment of Colemans’ offices which involved partially converting the existing building and further extending it to create ten two bedroom flats and one one bedroom flat. The…
So this is my first property update starting with autumn; one of my favourite times of year, although, you’ll probably find me saying that every season. All have their own unique charm, don’t you think? What’s been happening? Has it been busy or not? I feel like I have been asking myself this question a…
The question A number of people are asking us about changing their Wills to take advantage of the new inheritable ISA allowance. If you already know about ISAs (or if you don’t want to know about ISAs), skip down to “The answer” – otherwise read on. The background The background is that every adult is…
Buying a home can be the fulfilment of your dreams, but it can also be an anxious and stressful experience too. If this is the first time you’ve bought a property then the process of “conveyancing”, as it is often referred to, can seem daunting as there is a lot of paperwork involved. This is…