Temporary reintroduction of Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme
As part of its £1 billion support package for businesses, the Government has reintroduced the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme for small and medium-sized employers. The subject of sick pay…
Jenny Hawrot LLB (Hons)
Partner
License for alterations – do I need one?
As a team, we’re regularly asked by tenants proposing to carry out work at their premises if they really need to document the plans. Often, the landlord has already told…
Alasdair Garbutt LLB (Hons)
Partner
Normality resumes for property possession claims
There’s no doubt that the past 18 months have been difficult for businesses and individuals, both financially and personally. Residential property landlords have been particularly impacted by the ban on…
James Melvin-Bath LLB (Hons)
Associate, solicitor-advocate
When is a post-termination restriction unreasonable?
Post-termination restrictions are a constant source of debate and controversy. It is often unclear whether they are enforceable, and in late 2020 the government ran a consultation on reforming post-termination…
Jenny Hawrot LLB (Hons)
Partner
We’re supporting Good Divorce Week 2021
The journey through separation, divorce and beyond is complex and challenging, and for many, this has been heightened further throughout the pandemic. While every family is different, there are ways…
Kristie Silsby LLB (Hons)
Solicitor
The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill
The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill is intended to put an end to ground rents for new qualifying long residential leasehold properties. Currently, freeholders can charge as much as the…
Héloïse Brittain LLB (Hons), FCILEx
Chartered legal executive
Key change to capital gains reporting
There is one radical change that may have slipped under the radar of most grappling with the pandemic: changes to how capital gains on the sale or disposal of UK…
Laura Stone LLB (Hons)
Associate, solicitor
Changes to marriage law with new electronic registration
There have been several legal changes recently in the way people can marry. Since 1 July 2021, civil wedding and civil partnership ceremonies in England and Wales can take place…
Kristie Silsby LLB (Hons)
Solicitor
Deeds of variation: When is it appropriate to use them?
If you are due to inherit and you would like to redirect your inheritance elsewhere (for example if you would prefer your children to inherit instead), you can do this…
Jennifer Cockett LLB (Hons)
Associate, solicitor
Big changes on the horizon for the Trust Registration Service
There are some changes for trustees to be aware of to the Trust Registration Service and a deadline which must be met by September 2022, explains one of our trust…
Tom O'Riordan LLB (Hons)
Senior associate, solicitor
The new Charities Bill – 10 years on
From providing more flexibility to giving greater powers to trustees, the new Charities Bill aims to simplify processes for charities and clarify grey areas in the law. Published on 26…
Charlotte Brunsdon LLB, BA (Hons)
Associate, solicitor
Trademarks – use them or lose them!
In the UK, a trademark may be registered for different classes of goods and services. However, registered or not, if the mark is not used as intended, it’s possible for…
Paul Gordon LLB
Partner
Cladding latest: “Urgent assistance” required for leaseholders
Since the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June 2017, leasehold property owners have been wary of buildings with cladding. Many leaseholders are faced with a large service charge bill, relating to…
Héloïse Brittain LLB (Hons), FCILEx
Chartered legal executive
Government releases roadmap for points-based immigration sponsorship system
On 26 August 2021, the Home Office released information about improving the process for businesses to sponsor migrants. Our employment & business immigration team shares the latest. The change will…
Hayley Ainsworth BA, MSc
Solicitor
Top tips for improving wellbeing in the workplace
The latest CIPD Health and Wellbeing at work survey has reported that most organisations are taking additional measures to support employee health and wellbeing, in response to COVID-19. Three quarters of…
Jenny Hawrot LLB (Hons)
Partner
SCCs: New rules governing cross-border data transfers and data exchanges from the EU and EEA
This September brings change to the use of standard contractual clauses (SCCs) governing data transfers from the EU and EEA. In June this year, the European Commission published two sets…
Kym Fletcher LLB (Hons) Euro
Consultant, solicitor
New health and social care tax announced
A new health and social care tax has been announced by the government. This will be introduced across the UK to cover the increasing cost of care and NHS funding…
Janine Guthrie FCILEx
Associate, chartered legal executive
Charitable legacies - benefits of leaving a gift in your will
At Willans, we recognise that there is a wide range of local and national charities that our clients support through their lifetimes, whether this is through regular donations or through…
Laura Stone LLB (Hons)
Associate, solicitor
New government guidance on compulsory vaccination for care home staff
The government has released guidance on the new regulations requiring all staff working in care homes in England to be vaccinated against coronavirus (unless medically exempt) from 11 November 2021.…
Hayley Ainsworth BA, MSc
Solicitor
Tenant eviction – a complete guide for residential landlords
At Willans our tenant eviction solicitors can provide residential landlords with specialist advice and expertise to help landlords with their rental property. In this guide we answer some questions commonly…
James Melvin-Bath LLB (Hons)
Associate, solicitor-advocate
Graduate Visa Route launch: Information for employers
On 1 July 2021, the UK Graduate Visa Route opened for applications. This visa enables international students who have completed an eligible UK degree to stay in the UK to…
Hayley Ainsworth BA, MSc
Solicitor
“It’s too hot to work” - or is it?
If this is the cry you are hearing from your staff during the current heatwave, you may be interested to know that although health and safety laws say that working…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
Flexible working: New government consultation planned
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of working life as we know it, from compulsory PPE in the workplace, socially distanced seating arrangements or the requirement to work from…
Hayley Ainsworth BA, MSc
Solicitor
Right to work checks and EEA citizens working in the UK – what’s changing from 1 July?
From today (1 July 2021), citizens from the European Economic Area (the EU plus Iceland, Liechenstein and Norway) (“EEA”) will no longer be able to rely on their passport or…
Hayley Ainsworth BA, MSc
Solicitor
New flexibility for commercial buildings as rules allow empty premises to be changed into homes
In a further relaxation of planning regulations, new rules allowing commercial premises to be converted into homes kicked in at the end of March this year. The government claims this…
Alasdair Garbutt LLB (Hons)
Partner
Lasting powers of attorney for business owners
Many people have heard of lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) for their health and personal affairs, but did you know you can put LPAs in place for your business, too?…
Helen Howes LLM
Solicitor
LEGO wins important intellectual property case
The General Court of the European Union (GCEU) has ruled in favour of the toy brick manufacturer LEGO in a recent intellectual property dispute. A patent gives the owner the…
Paul Gordon LLB
Partner
Ending a commercial lease: Key takeaways for tenants from our recent webinar
Your business’s property needs won’t always align perfectly with the expiry of your commercial lease, so it’s common for tenants to want to exit their lease early. In this scenario,…
Nick Southwell BA (Hons)
Partner
Lockdown business rent arrears are recoverable: High Court
Commercial landlords will welcome a recent High Court decision, in which an application for a judgment against a tenant in arrears was upheld. In the first judgment of its kind…
Nick Cox LLB (Hons)
Partner
Trusts: A useful tool to protect your family & business
People will come across trusts without even realising it. Mr. Bennett in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is desperately trying to find “suitable” husbands for his daughters because the family…
Simon Cook LLB (Hons), TEP
Partner
Willans supports Dementia Action Week 2021
We are pleased to help promote Dementia Action Week (formerly Dementia Awareness Week), which runs from 17-23 May this year. This national campaign week is supported by the Alzheimer’s Society,…
Simon Cook LLB (Hons), TEP
Partner
“I know we’ve had that conversation, but it isn’t logged anywhere…” | The importance of a lasting power of attorney
Good Morning Britain’s Kate Garraway has revealed the legal difficulties that she has faced on top of her husband’s battle with coronavirus, in a recent interview with The Times. The…
Simon Cook LLB (Hons), TEP
Partner
Prenuptial agreements | A complete guide
A prenuptial agreement is a bespoke document drawn up by a solicitor or lawyer. It is a sound and sensible way to protect the assets you have worked hard for,…
Sharon Giles LLB (Hons)
Partner
IR35 and the off-payroll working rules
IR35: The (delayed) new off-payroll working rules apply from 6 April 2021 Traditionally, contractors like being self-employed because they pay reduced National Insurance contributions, and are able to set various…
Matthew Clayton MA LLM (Cantab), CIPP/E
Partner
Asda – the Supreme Court’s landmark decision on ‘common terms’
A Supreme Court case involving supermarket ASDA has thrown equal pay claims into the spotlight. There has been much media coverage about the Supreme Court decision in the equal pay…
Jenny Hawrot LLB (Hons)
Partner
Brexit and your intellectual property: the changes
The Intellectual Property Office has provided useful guidance on the key changes post-Brexit. The Brexit transition period, set out in the UK and EU’s Withdrawal Agreement, came to an end…
Paul Gordon LLB
Partner
