Blog
15th September 2017
In this column and elsewhere we have previously written about the legal duty of care owed by road users to each other – be they drivers, cyclists or pedestrians. In November last year, national bicycle charity UK Cycling published figures confirming that 98 per cent of all pedestrian deaths or serious injuries between 2005 and 2015 were caused by motorists and, during this period, 852…
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07th September 2017
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) were recently criticised by a retired senior judge who, in the foreword to his new book, warned he would never sign a LPA because of his concerns that the system leaves donors vulnerable to abuse by unscrupulous attorneys. But is this a fair assessment? LPAs are legal documents through which you, the donor, can choose whomever you wish to act…
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04th September 2017
It is no secret that the UK is a nation of pet lovers. Many of us think of our pets as integral members of the family. But what happens to our furry friends when families break up? While the average length of an English marriage is 11 years, most domestic dogs and cats will live longer than this and, in some cases, much longer. So…
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04th September 2017
The start of the summer marks the time of year when current law students embark on this year’s application race for the perfect training contract – that essential first job on their ladder to professional qualification. It is a competitive, time-consuming, and often disheartening process, with an average of at least three law students chasing each available training seat. After two years with George Ide,…
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04th September 2017
If you own property but have no deeds to prove your ownership, you may hold possessory title to that property – and land registered in this way is more commonplace than you might think. Although possessory title often relates to small parcels of land rather than houses or entire plots it is possible that a substantial part of a property, or in some cases the…
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04th September 2017
For private client solicitors, one of the most important parts of the job is helping people ensure their final wishes are carried out according to their true intentions. From planning the inheritance of your estate, making provision for your family or passing on your treasured heirlooms, to deciding who is going to feed the cat – making a will can bring you peace of mind…
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04th September 2017
The government has recently introduced a new online service that lets users view privately-owned vehicles’ MOT histories; all you need is the vehicle’s registration number, along with its make and colour. It is especially important for vehicle owners to note that viewing the DVLA-held information via this website may reveal how many miles a vehicle has done between its MOT tests – and this is…
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04th September 2017
Choosing someone as your legal representative or executor is a very important decision. Often, sometimes for financial reasons, people decide to appoint a close family member or friend to manage the administration of their estate after their death or to handle their affairs should they lose their mental capacity and, more often than not, this does not create a problem. But what happens if the…
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03rd August 2017
As a relatively new option for property owners, commonhold tenure has not achieved the popularity it perhaps deserves. Not, that is, until now. Commonhold is a property ownership regime comparable with leasehold tenure that could be about to find deserved favour with future residential property purchasers, especially those looking to buy a new flat. In short, commonhold grants a flat or apartment owner the indefinite…
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31st July 2017
Most commercial leases for business premises are structured as full repairing and insuring (FRI) leases and many potential FRI tenants are surprised to discover they are assuming complete responsibility for building repairs, whether or not they were responsible for the disrepair in the first place. With this in mind, tenants should never sign a FRI lease without first taking legal advice as to whether the…
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