This is a brief guide on the law on surrogacy. It does not cover all aspects of surrogacy law and does not cover the situation if the child is born outside of the UK. Surrogacy is legal within the UK, but parties cannot generally rely on a surrogacy agreement as this is not binding on…
As part of any divorce, and when advising clients, we will always look at whether the particular circumstances of that case would enable them to agree a clean break. A “clean break” is in effect where, as part of their settlement, there are no ongoing financial obligations between the parties, which will therefore be linked…
We are often asked by clients “do I need a Will?” or “does my (loved one) need a Will?” and when answering this question there are several factors to consider. It is also important not simply to see a Will as something you might need but, in fact, something you might want! Firstly, it is…
Do you know that from Spring 2020, the law is changing so that all adults will be considered to be an organ donor when they die unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are an excluded group? (The excluded group are people under the age of 18, those who have lost mental…
We are continuing to see long delays at the Probate Registry. When we submit an application for probate, the usual turnaround time has usually been around 2 weeks. The recent delays, however, have seen applications taking up to 12 or 13 weeks. We have been told that the delays have come about due to an unusually…
We all know about and are familiar with the importance of advice from accountants in the context of business sales. They can advise to ensure that the transaction is put together in a tax efficient way – that maximum use is made of the various reliefs available (including, in particular, entrepreneur’s relief). This will have…
Conveyancers often talk about “completion” to their clients as if they should have an idea of what it actually means! Although it is fairly easy to guess what this term may refer to, understanding the legal significance of this term, and its practical implications, is useful when buying or selling a property. Completion is sometimes…
Sections 24 to 28 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (“LTA 1954”) provide that, at the end of the term of a business tenancy, a commercial tenant has the right to remain in the premises and an automatic right to a new lease. There are very limited grounds on which a landlord may refuse…
As a Private Client Solicitor, I am often asked by clients, usually within a Will meeting, “what is Probate?” Probate is defined as a judicial process whereby a Will is proved through the Courts; this, as one might expect, is not an overly helpful or clear explanation to give to clients! Generally speaking, Probate is…
The fundamental thing to understand is that, whilst they may be run in a way very similar to “old-style” partnerships (which have no legal identity separate from that of the various people making up the partnership – the partners), legally speaking limited liability partnerships (“LLPs”) are more similar to limited companies. LLPs exist as a…
