When selling a property, you as the seller are required to complete a Property Information Form (TA6) as this forms part of the draft contract pack sent to the buyer’s solicitors. It is an important document and buyers rely on the information contained in the form when deciding whether to buy a property. From the 25th June 2024 a new Property Information Form will be required to be completed. Not all sellers need to compete the form. For example: if you are an Executor due to the limited knowledge you are likely to have on the property you are under no obligation to complete the form. The new ..read more

Over the last 12 months there has been a noticeable increase in activity levels by the main UK regulators; conducting inspections, investigations and prosecutions where significant breaches of legislation have taken place resulting in actual harm or a risk of harm. In this article, we look at the consequences of non-compliance and some examples of why things go wrong and explain how we have been able to help our rural clients. What is the cost of getting it wrong? In the event of a successful prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive, Environment Agency, Food Standards Agency and ..read more

To secure planning permission, all new developments must be able to demonstrate a 10% increase (“net-gain”) in biodiversity. An ecologist will calculate (using a model produced by Defra/Natural England) the existing biodiversity value of the potential development site. The developer must then submit a plan to the local authority showing how it will deliver 110% of that biodiversity value after the development is completed, and maintain that biodiversity for a period of at least 30 years. The required 10% net-gain in biodiversity can be delivered on the development site itself, but in many case ..read more

The latest changes to the Family Procedure Rules came into force on 29 April 2024. This article will explain the recent changes to the Family Procedure Rules in private law children proceedings. For more information on the impact of the changes for couples involved in financial disputes, please see our earlier article. What are the Family Procedure Rules? The Family Procedure Rules govern the procedures and practices in the family courts in England and Wales. How have the Family Procedure Rules changed? The definition of ‘non-court dispute resolution’ in Family Procedure Rule 2.3(1) previously ..read more

A Partnership is a relationship that exists between two or more persons carrying on business in common with a view to make a profit. Partnerships are governed by the Partnership Act 1890 (“the Act”). A Partnership is not a separate legal entity and the Partners generally have unlimited liability. If a Partnership has no written Partnership Agreement, then the provisions of the Act shall apply. Removing a Partner from a Partnership There are only two ways to remove a Partner from a Partnership: Expulsion – but only if you have a Partnership Agreement which allows for this; and Negotiating a vo ..read more

As part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, Companies House are amending their fees on 1 May 2024 to bring them in line with the cost of providing services and to recover the costs of their new powers being introduced through the Act. Companies House fee changes Companies House are updating how much they will charge for making certain filings. These updated filing fees include: incorporation of a company – (now £50 to file digitally or £71 in paper); change of name – (now £20 to file digitally or £30 in paper, with a change of name filing to be processed by Companies Ho ..read more

Before you can ask the court in a particular country to do something, such as deal with an application for divorce, you must first check that it has jurisdiction to do so. In addition to jurisdiction, it is also important to consider whether England & Wales would be the most appropriate place (“forum”) for the divorce, and any associated financial proceedings to be dealt with if one or both of the parties have connections to other countries, or indeed which jurisdiction would be most favourable. What is jurisdiction? This is essentially a) the court’s power to be able to make legal decisio ..read more

It is important that you have employment contracts in place for anyone who is an employee or a worker. Then both parties (employer and staff member) start off on the right foot, being clear on the terms agreed between them to ensure a good working relationship and to guard against potential misunderstandings, plus employment claims going forward. When do you need to issue a contract of employment? An employment contract should be issued on an employee or worker’s first day of employment or beforehand. Employers have a statutory obligation to give employees and workers a document that states th ..read more

The Family Procedure Rules govern and standardise processes and procedures in the family court system in England and Wales. The rules originally came into force in 2010 but are updated periodically as and when a change is necessary to improve practice and procedure. The latest update is due to come into force on 29 April 2024. Upcoming changes The main update on this occasion is to introduce a new definition of Non-Court Dispute Resolution (NCDR) also known as ADR. Previously this definition focussed on mediation only, but will now be extended to cover a much wider range of options, including ..read more

The dairy industry in the UK has experienced a transformative wave of technological advancements in recent years, reshaping operations and efficiency. From AI-powered solutions to innovative data analytics, technology has become a prevalent element in modern dairy farming practices. In the rapid integration of technology into the UK dairy sector, the importance of robust contracts between dairy farmers and technology suppliers cannot be underestimated. These contracts govern critical aspects such as uptime guarantees, data provision and use, and service levels, ensuring seamless operations and ..read more