Briefing Notes

It is common for money to be loaned or gifted within families to help with property purchases or to meet other expenses. Very often, not enough thought is given at the point of payment to whether the payment is a gift or a loan, or indeed if it is a...

The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (bill) contains proposed changes to UK data protection law and is currently in the parliamentary process. Broadly, the proposals aim to liberalise existing UK data protection law by removing unnecessary...

Overseas entities which own registered land in the UK must register their details with Companies House to be included on the Register of Overseas Entities (ROE) by 31 January 2023. As the consequences of not doing so are potentially severe, if you have...

We live in an increasingly digital world and most individuals now own one or more digital assets. The importance of considering these assets and what should happen to them on death has never been greater.  What are digital assets? The term...

A practical introduction for corporates Collective and group redress is becoming increasingly prevalent in England in Wales. The claims are often large scale and there is infrastructure in place in the form of claimant law firms and available funding to...

Legal framework Broadly, anti-competitive agreements or concerted practices are prohibited under competition law (in particular, Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU ( TFEU ) and its UK equivalent, the Chapter 1 prohibition of the...

The EU has the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679) (the “EU GDPR”) which, until Brexit, was directly effective in the UK. Notwithstanding Brexit, the rules underpinning the UK’s data privacy regime have remained to a large...

As your requirements to occupy property evolve in a post-Covid world, we can help you navigate the challenges and opportunities for your business.  Challenges and opportunities Issues How we can help Hybrid working Reconfigured...

The family team at Stevens & Bolton can usually offer clients a fixed fee for dealing with their divorce. The divorce costs are separate to those for dealing with any financial or children matters. If we make a sole application on behalf of our...

The Divorce Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 (DDSA) comes into effect on 6 April 2022 and brings with it significant reform to the existing divorce process.  Applications made up to and including those issued before 4pm on 31 March 2022 will be...

The Regulations implemented the European Directive on self-employed commercial agents and they continue to apply post-Brexit. They impose significant obligations on principals concerning commission, minimum termination notices, compensation and restraint of...

With Covid-19 restrictions eased but restrictions on commercial landlords continuing, more landlords are turning their attention to taking action to recover commercial rent arrears, perhaps encouraged by recent favourable court decisions. Where landlords...

On Monday 16 August, the rules on self-isolation are changing. Employers will once again need to get to grips with more new rules and consider how to communicate them to staff and implement them fairly and safely in the workplace. Office based employers have...

What are worldwide freezing orders? A “freezing order” is a type of prohibitory injunction ordered by a court, obtained by one party (the applicant) against another (the respondent) to restrain the respondent from unjustifiably disposing of, or...

Lease renewals under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 are a very common feature of the commercial property market. In "COVID times" there are widely differing market conditions across sectors (contrast logistics and hospitality, for...

Mediation is a process to help couples who have decided to separate or divorce to talk things through. Mediators are trained to help you reach an agreement about how to make the best arrangements for the future. This may be about the way the children are...

It is a fact of life that relationships break down. When they do disputes often emerge as a couple attempt to address the emotional and financial consequences of that break down. It is increasingly accepted that the family court is often not the best place...

Many new clients bring us original or copy documentation relating to their spouse’s or partner’s financial or personal position. The Court of Appeal’s 2010 decision in the case of Tchenguiz & Others v Imerman has made it more...

To complement the traditional family mediation process we now offer a new mediation model. Hybrid mediation allows those who are reluctant to engage in the traditional process to mediate in a more supported way. It is an excellent alternative to the court...

Nuptial agreements are contracts entered into by a couple for the purpose of defining what would happen to their assets if their relationship failed.  Commonly these are signed prior to marriage or civil partnership although this does not have to be...

As many as 40% of all “permanent” couples now cohabit and one in four children are born outside marriage. Many cohabitees mistakenly believe that once they have cohabited for a certain period they acquire some form of “common law”...

It often comes as a surprise how much discretion a family judge has to redistribute the resources on divorce. These resources can include a whole raft of assets including company shares, pensions and interests in trusts. In recent times judges have taken a...

Various orders for financial provision can be made following divorce, including the payment of maintenance, lump sums, orders for the transfer of property and the sharing of pension interests. Guidelines provide for mutual disclosure of financial...

If separating couples cannot agree arrangements for their children it may be necessary to seek the assistance of the court. Issues in respect of a child’s home, choice of school and parental rights are not just dealt with within a divorce setting....

This note refers to properties bought by more than one person, who are not married, regardless of whether they are in a relationship. As such, it does not apply to married couples or civil partners. Those buying property jointly should be aware that there...

Court orders for maintenance can be in place for many years during which time the effect of inflation could reduce the value of the maintenance award in real terms. Instead of having to apply to court to have the order varied, a court can order maintenance...

This guide provides directors of UK incorporated companies with a general overview of the statutory and other duties and obligations which should be complied with in that role. We also offer practical guidance on safeguarding directors from personal...

Introduction This note outlines the key conditions which need to be met and the tax treatment of EMI options. It is not designed to be a definitive statement of the qualifying conditions and tax treatment but instead is intended to provide an overview for...

On 20 May 2020, the Corporate Insolvency & Governance Bill 2019-2021 was introduced to Parliament. With the Bill slated to be fast-tracked into law, here are some of the key insolvency aspects to be aware of.   Why now? Consultations were...

A company’s articles of association ( articles ) are a set of rules which govern the internal affairs of the company and form the basis of a statutory contract between the shareholders of a company and the company itself. Every company must have a set...