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Property and Wills

What Happens to a Property After Someone Dies?

Losing a loved one is difficult enough without having to navigate unfamiliar legal and administrative processes. One of the most common questions families ask is what happens to a property after someone dies and whether it can be sold or transferred immediately. The answer depends on a number of factors, including how the property was owned, whether there is a valid Will and whether probate is required. Our private client and lifetime planning team advises families across each of these stages, from applying for probate through to the sale or…

Selling a Business

Selling a Business: The Key Legal Stages

Deciding to sell your business is one of the most significant decisions you will ever make. Getting the process right requires careful planning, the right professional team, and a clear understanding of what lies ahead. From the first preparations to the final handover, the journey typically takes between three and six months, and the legal process is central to every stage. The preparations may take longer especially if a pre-sale reorganisation is required to hive-out the business and assets into an SPV whose shares are then to be sold. This…

Conveyancing Searches

Conveyancing searches: what are they, and do you need them?

Buying a property is a large financial commitment which most people will make, and much of the work that protects that commitment happens out of sight. Among the least understood parts of the process are "searches". The results of a search can determine whether a purchase proceeds. This article explains what conveyancing searches are, what they cover, and whether you really need them. It applies to property in England and Wales. What are searches? Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of property from seller to buyer. As part…

Corporate Crime

SMEs urged to review risks as liability rules expand

Businesses face wider accountability under new criminal liability rules The government’s drive to make companies more accountable for wrongdoing is moving beyond large corporates and into the SME sector. New rules taking effect this month will make it easier to prosecute all sizes of companies and partnerships where senior managers commit criminal offences while carrying out their duties on the organisation’s behalf. It means small and medium-sized businesses could find themselves on the front line for corporate criminal liability. From 29 June 2026, Section 250 of the Crime and Policing…

EPC

EPC reform: what landlords and homeowners need to know about the changes ahead

Energy Performance Certificates have been a familiar feature of buying, selling and letting property in England and Wales for over fifteen years. Following the publication of the Warm Homes Plan on 21 January 2026, the rules governing EPCs and the minimum energy-efficiency standards that accompany them are set for their most significant overhaul in more than a decade. This article examines what is being proposed, where things currently stand in law, and what the changes are likely to mean for landlords, homeowners and prospective buyers. Where things stand today The…

High Court Decision on Overseas Surrogacy and Trust Beneficiaries: A Legal Perspective

The recent High Court decision concerning the inclusion of a child born through an overseas surrogacy arrangement as a beneficiary of family trusts represents a significant development in the evolving relationship between trust law, succession planning, and modern methods of family formation. The case arose from an application by Ceawlin Thynn, the 8th Marquess of Bath, and his wife, Emma Thynn, seeking the court’s approval for their son, Henry, to be included within the beneficial class of three family trusts. Although Henry was genetically the child of the couple, he…

Double Risk for Estates

Double risk for families dealing with estates

Hidden digital assets and mounting interest on inheritance tax bills are creating a costly double risk for families dealing with estates following the death of a loved one, as probate delays continue to impact thousands across England and Wales, adding further stress and financial pressure. Recent figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) show that more than 2,000 probate applications in England and Wales took over a year to be granted by the Ministry in the 12 months to April 2025. While the MoJ says many applications are now being…

For Sale

Homeowners urged to get ‘move ready’ as pressure grows

In a housing market where mortgage rates can shift on global headlines and property chains remain painfully fragile, homeowners are being urged to get “move ready” before putting their property on the market or starting their property search. The call comes as the property sector pushes for faster and more streamlined conveyancing amid wider economic uncertainty. Major lenders and property businesses are investing in digital systems designed to reduce delays, cut fall-through rates and speed up transactions. A government-backed open property coalition is working to accelerate the digitisation of homebuying,…

New Build Contract

What to Check in a New Build Contract

Buying a new build property is an exciting prospect. The appeal of a brand-new home, untouched by previous owners and often built to modern energy efficiency standards, is entirely understandable. But beneath the show-home finish lies a legal process that carries real risk if approached without care. Unlike a standard resale purchase, new build contracts are typically drafted by the developer’s solicitors and, unsurprisingly, they tend to favour the developer. Completion timelines, specification details, and financial obligations can all be defined in ways that protect the builder rather than the…

Mixed-Use Property and the Renters

Mixed-Use Property and the Renters’ Rights Act

Mixed-use properties (buildings that combine commercial premises with residential accommodation) are a familiar feature of the UK’s towns and high streets. The flat above the shop, the office with a caretaker’s dwelling, the converted warehouse with a ground-floor retail unit: these are common arrangements, and they attract buyers ranging from small investors to established property businesses. From 1 May 2026, anyone owning or acquiring such a property needs to understand that the residential element will be governed by a significantly reformed legal framework. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 introduces the…

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