For the fifth year running, 11 of us from Barrett & Co took part in the Reading Legal Walk. This took place “after work” hours on 24 September 2018. The walk consisted of a 10km route around Reading with the aid of raising money for local advice centres in and around the Reading and Thames…
The Supreme Court ruled that Ashers bakery’s refusal to make a cake with a slogan supporting same-sex marriage was not discriminatory. The high-profile dispute began in 2014 when the bakery refused to make a cake with the slogan “Support Gay Marriage”. The customer, gay rights activist Gareth Lee, sued the company for discrimination on the…
A lease is an agreement, usually by way of a document in writing, which passes, affirms, or confirms an interest, right, or property and that is signed, witnessed, delivered and in some jurisdictions, sealed. This is commonly associated with transferring title to property, where an interest in the land or property is created, for a…
In an article published in our August newsletter, I referred to the recent decision of Owens v Owens and how this case highlighted the need for matrimonial and divorce reform. I also referred to the difficulties in starting a process where one party has to divorce the other, often having to use the fact of…
Many of our clients after having their Wills drawn up by our team return to our offices in Reading to get them signed and witnessed. Some may wonder if it is worth the trek through the increasingly busy city centre, just to sign a document! But, the benefit of doing so ensures that your newly…
Typically, the conveyancing process will take around 8 to 12 weeks to complete (although it can be shorter or longer). We set out the various tasks and processes involved, and these are listed below. A Purchase Once your offer has been accepted on the property we receive the usual Memorandum of Sale from the estate…
Find out here if you have been affected by new rules introduced on 1st August 2018. New rules were introduced on 1st August 2018 which extend existing rules about automatic disqualification of charity trustees and senior management positions within charities. Before 1st August, the range of reasons for disqualifying a charity trustee were reasonably narrow,…
Sympathy for the Devil, or, be sure you are clear about who you are giving references to, and what those references are intended to be used for. A rare moment of excitement in the usually grey world of Reynolds Towers (otherwise known as the Property & Commercial Department at Barrett & Co) was provided by…
We often get asked about care fees, the principle of deprivation of assets and generally how a local authority manages social care. The purpose of this article is to briefly explain these concepts and help you, the reader, understand their significance. It must be stated, however, that each case turns on its own facts and…
Alternative Dispute Resolution, or ADR, is something that is becoming increasingly common in dispute resolution procedures, whether via eBay or in formal court litigation procedures. Some contracts or areas of law require the parties to first attempt ADR, and it is general court policy to encourage parties to attempt ADR. There can be significant cost…
