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No fault divorces

On 13 October 2015, Richard Bacon MP introduced a Bill to Parliament proposing an amendment to family law which could enable couples to say that there was no fault for the break up and to apply for a "no fault divorce". This would involve both parties making a separate declaration that the marriage or civil partnership had “irretrievably broken down” which is the ground that needs to be satisfied to enable a person to be able to petition for divorce. The other requirement being that the parties have to have…

Property prices help fuel family inheritance court battles

Rising property prices are helping to fuel increased numbers of inheritance disputes reaching the courts, with second marriages another major contributory factor. Such challenges are no longer the preserve of the wealthy, although they continue to feature highly. Recent cases hitting the headlines have included the family fall-out following the death of the billionaire owner of Sotheby’s, Alfred Tauber, through to a court case over a £600,000 estate destined for good causes, where the will was unclear. The trend towards higher numbers of inheritance disputes has been attributed to a…

Office to residential permitted development right to be made permanent

The office to residential permitted development right will become permanent in May 2016. In May 2013, a new Class J permitted development right was inserted into the GPDO 1995 Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2013. This Class J granted planning permission for a change of use of a building and any land within its title from class B1(a) (offices), to within class C3 (dwellinghouses), however this was a temporary right. This Class J was then converted to Class O in 2015. There are a number of commercial…

An update on residential tenancies

Following our article on the Deregulation Act 2015 and what it means for landlords, we set out below the major changes coming into force as of 1 October 2015. In relation to Assured Shorthold Tenancies granted on or after 1 October 2015 One of the most important changes coming into force is the prescribed form of Section 21 Notice. This form is annexed to the new regulations and must be used. The days of serving Section 21 Notices when the tenant signs the tenancy agreement will also be long gone.…

The importance of choosing a good conveyancing solicitor

Your solicitor will conduct a range of tasks on your behalf, whether you are buying or selling, or both. General tasks include: Drafting and reviewing sale or purchase contracts; Dealing with Land Registry; Managing the collection and transfer of funds; and Providing legal advice and recommendations. If you are buying a property your solicitor will also carry out additional tasks including: Conducting searches on the property (these can include Local Authority search, Environmental search etc.); and Managing Stamp Duty charges and payments to HMRC. Here are some tips you should…

Legal 500 – record ranking for Bowling & Co Solicitors

Record ranking for Bowling & Co Solicitors! The results of the Legal 500 2015 entries have been announced and Bowling & Co Solicitors have received specialist recommendations across four practice areas! We have been recommended for our expertise in Dispute Resolution, Commercial Property - Hotels and Leisure, Commercial property - General and Property Litigation. This is a great achievement for us that reflects the hard work that goes on at Bowling & Co and one we only hope to improve upon in years to come. Moreover, in this year's Legal 500, in addition to our…

Landlords operating a communal heating supply must act now!

Landlords of both commercial and residential buildings (including anything from small residential and commercial developments all the way to blocks of flats and shopping centres) which are heated, cooled or supplied with hot water from a central source and which have more than one tenant, each of which is paying for communal heating or cooling supplied by the landlord, may well be caught by the Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014. These regulations require landlords to provide technical details of the heating system or network to the National Measurement…

Top 5 things to check when investing in commercial property

Investing in commercial property can be an attractive proposal. From the point of view of returns on investment a commercial property can be a good choice. Rental yields for a commercial property are generally higher than a residential property and commercial lease periods are now returning to longer periods, providing a level of comfort for landlords. As the commercial sectors grow the requirement for office space will only increase. Before investing in commercial property, we suggest considering the following points: 1. Location Location, location, location. This can not be underestimated and is so important.…

Choosing the right legal structure for your business

Choosing a suitable legal structure for setting up your new business is a very important part of the process and a key decision to be made when you decide to start your business. In most cases you will want to choose between sole trader, partnership, limited company or limited liability partnership. There are other structures that can be used for social enterprises or not for profit businesses, but in this article we will focus on the four most common business structures. Sole Trader Setting up as a sole trader is…

Top FAQs from clients when making a will

Making a will is often overlooked and its importance underestimated. Regardless of the size of your estate you leave behind, a will can operate to dispose of it in accordance with your wishes. Below are a few of the most frequently asked questions from clients, answered by us, to hopefully shed some light on this often unspoken subject. I'm married with children - what happens to my estate if I don't make a will? If you have assets of less than £250,000, and die intestate (without making a will), then…

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