|
Tenancy Deposit Scheme provides protection for residential tenants
Many residential tenants pay a deposit to their landlord or letting agent at the start of their tenancy. This is held in case of breach of the tenant's covenants...
Commercial Property Owners need to prepare for Energy Performance Certificates
From April 2008 all newly constructed commercial property will need to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This requirement applies to all new commercial property as well as existing buildings with a floor area over 500m2...
1st October 2007 - Minimum wage increase
The adult National Minimum Wage is increased from £5.35 to £5.52...
Flexible Working Rights Extended
As from 1st October 2007 the right is further extended so that private foster carers (and their spouses and partners) are added to the list of people who are entitled to request a contract variation to care for a child...
The importance of written statements of employment
The moment an applicant unconditionally accepts an offer of a job, a contract of employment comes into existence. The terms of the contract can be oral, written, implied or a mixture of all three...
The pitfalls of not taking out Employers' Liability Insurance - Shaun Burke, Partner at Close Thornton Solicitors, examines the key issues.
It may come as a surprise to learn that many small businesses do not take out Employers' Liability Insurance (EL Insurance). There is a misconception that a small business is exempt from the legal requirements to have EL Insurance...
How to avoid inheritance tax with Potentially Exempt Transfers - their advantages and potential pitfalls
Potentially Exempt Transfers (PETs) are a way to give away cash and assets free of Inheritance Tax. A PET is only free of Inheritance Tax if the donor lives for seven years after making the gift...
Holiday entitlement - the increases and how to calculate holiday entitlement for existing employees
Holiday entitlement increased on 1st October, and is set to carry on increasing gradually for the next few years until employees are entitled to 28 days off a year...
England goes smoke-free on 1st July
From 1 July 2007, the whole of the United Kingdom will have smoke-free legislation in place, making it the biggest jurisdiction in the world (by population) to have legally-enforced protection from secondhand smoke...
Tenancy Deposit Protection - the new rules
As from 6th April 2007 any deposit or bond taken under an Assured....
Ancillary Relief Proceedings in divorce: last resort or cost controlling measure?
Katie-Lee Pearson, a solicitor specialising in Family Law, examines the key issues....
Personal Injury and Occupational Disease
A word of caution from Shaun Burke, Partner at Close Thornton, who has specialised in personal injury claims for over 17 years....
Companies' details on websites and in electronic communications
New law for companies and Limited Liability Partnerships....
Mortgages and Wills go hand in hand
Taking out a mortgage? Here are the reasons why you should also consider drawing up a Will....
Waste - Your Responsibility!
A guide to the prevention of unauthorised deposit, treatment and disposal of waste....
Darlington Property Market
Review of housing trends in DL1....
Inheritance Tax (IHT), your estate and the family home
Iain Robson, Partner at Close Thornton, explains how the value of your home can affect your IHT position....
Tenancy Deposit Protection
The new rules....
Inheritance Tax Planning – are you making the most of your ‘tax free’ sum?
Are you utilising the "tax free" sum you can give away? The current threshold for Inheritance tax (IHT) is £285,000 and many couples have made wills leaving all assets to the surviving spouse...
New Fire and Safety Rules – have you carried out a fire risk assessment?
New fire safety rules affecting all non-domestic premises in England and Wales will come into force on 31 October 2006...
Home Information Packs
The home buying process will undergo a major shake-up when Home Information Packs (HIPs) become mandatory on 1 June 2007...
Worth knowing… Increase in Tax Relief for Small Companies
Tax relief for small businesses has risen with the increase in the first-year capital allowance...
Removing age discrimination in Employment
From 1 October 2006 new rules will require that all employers remove bias on grounds of age in employment...
New National Minimum Wage rates
From 1 October 2006, a new National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates will come into force...
The Work and Families Bill – aiming to help working parents
The Work and Families Bill was published last year. It aims to help working parents balance the demands of their jobs with caring for their children by introducing a modern framework of rights and responsibilities...
Do the new asbestos laws affect you?
Asbestos represents the biggest occupational health risk ever faced by British workers. About 3,500 people die every year of diseases relating to asbestos particle inhalation. New laws have just come in...
Will your business fall into safe hands when you die?
Whether you are running a business with partners, fellow shareholders or have an interest in a larger business it is now time to consider making a Will if ….
Business losing confidence in tribunal system, says CBI
A new report from the CBI has revealed the level of concern among employers over the complexity of tribunal procedure, following amendments to the tribunal rules brought into effect this time last year.
Civil Partnership Act 2004 – a new legal status
Civil Partnership is a new legal relationship, which can be formed by two people of the same sex …
Are you ready for the Licensing Act 2003?
The new Licensing laws came into effect on 24th November…
Tax Treatment of Pre-Owned Assets
This measure is aimed at people who have entered into contrived arrangements to dispose of valuable assets to avoid Inheritance Tax while retaining the ability to use those assets…
The Data Protection Act 1998 – Demystifying Data
To help employers comply with the Data Protection Act 1998, a new code of practice has been published to encourage best practice. ..
New TUPE – new penalties
The DTI has announced new draft Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations …
How the DTI proposals to end age discrimination could affect your business
The Department of Trade and Industry has recently published a consultation document on proposals to introduce age discrimination legislation by October 2006 …
News archive
Many of our previous articles and news releases.
|