Blog
20th September 2019
Prospective clients looking for a law firm may find the Legal Services Consumer Panel’s Tracker Survey of 2019 interesting reading. The report is based on findings from a YouGov survey of more than 3,500 users of legal services over the last two years and so is a significant sample. The findings, in this time of comparison websites, that ‘shopping around’ is often a bad thing for…
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Repair of commercial premises – a comprehensive Schedule of Condition is a valuable tool for tenants
16th September 2019
Most commercial leases are drafted to benefit landlords, particularly regarding repair, condition and decoration. Often, leases are fully repairing, obliging a tenant to upkeep, repair, and maintain the property without contribution from the landlord. Generally, a lease may oblige the tenant to put and keep the property in good and tenantable repair and condition. Depending on the state of repair of the property when the…
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03rd September 2019
When buying a property, the standard deposit expected on exchange of contracts is 10 per cent of the purchase price. Of course, the nature of a deposit is to show a buyer’s good intentions and allow a seller to rely on the same, as leverage, to ensure their buyer fulfils their obligations under the contract. The deposit therefore acts as adequate security to ensure a…
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23rd August 2019
In 1944 a spinal injury centre dedicated solely to the treatment of severely disabled people was opened by the Ministry of Health at the former Ministry of Pensions Hospital, now the Stoke Mandeville Hospital, under the direction of Dr Ludwig Guttmann - it was the first time systematic treatment and rehabilitation was planned and put into place. Before the new methods of treatment were put…
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15th August 2019
Many of us know that, if we have an accident in the UK that to some extent was the fault of another driver, we may be able to make a claim against the insurer of that vehicle or driver. But what is the current process for making such a claim if we have an accident abroad, and will that change if we leave the EU…
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09th August 2019
Benjamin Franklin said that the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. However, taxes can be minimised with better organisation, the full use of allowances and taking appropriate professional advice. There is a personal income tax allowance of £12,500 and further allowances against income from shares and savings. Those in a marriage or civil partnership can tax plan effectively for income, capital gains…
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01st August 2019
The recent trial of a cyclist who faces a £100,000 bill for costs after injuring a pedestrian is one that is of great interest to me, a personal injury lawyer and keen cyclist. Among those expressing sympathy for cyclist Robert Hazeldean is broadcaster and safe cycling campaigner Jeremy Vine, who said: “I feel very sorry for this fellow. I haven’t met anyone who thinks he…
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29th July 2019
Digital assets are becoming increasingly prominent in our day-to-day lives. We bank with them, shop with them, and even share our lives on them - but a survey by YouGov revealed a rather worrying statistic: 52 per cent of those surveyed said that nobody would be able to access their digital assets when they die because they had not provided any arrangements about what should…
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17th July 2019
The increasing availability online of all types of advice has undoubtedly encouraged many people to ‘go it alone’ when dealing with a wide variety of issues. As solicitors, all too often we meet with clients who need our help to sort out a problem that could have been avoided if professional advice had been heeded at the outset – and it is not unusual for…
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12th July 2019
Earlier this year I read a troubling article in the Law Society Gazette stating one in 15 junior lawyers had suicidal thoughts. This struck me as worrying, especially when coupled with recent Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics indicating work-related stress was the leading cause of work-related ill health in 2018. With more than 15.4 million working days lost and one in 15 junior lawyers…
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