LPAs for farmers

Does your farm’s strategic planning include a lasting power of attorney? The agriculture sector is one of the riskiest to work in, with 23,000 people working in this industry suffering ill-health or a non-fatal injury each year according to Health & Safety Executive figures. As well as the hazards farmers face working with heavy machinery and vehicles, toxic chemicals and unpredictable livestock, they are also at risk when working at height, near pits or silos.  Farmers carry a heavy weight of responsibility on their shoulders, and if they become incapacitated and are unable to make decisions for themselves, it could be catastrophic for the farming business. Risk management is part of every strategic plan, and Laura Carter, Solicitor & agricultural law specialist at Pearsons & Ward Solicitors in Malton explains why an increasing number of farmers…

Divorce and the division of overseas assets

It is not uncommon for a divorcing couple to have some property in another country, whether this is a holiday home in the sun or the alps, a property in your country of birth, or an investment in commercial property or assets abroad.  ‘The term property in this context can cover houses, land or financial assets such as bank accounts or shareholdings in a business,’ explains our family law team expert at Ware & Kay in York & Wetherby. ‘You or your spouse may hold this property jointly, or one or other of you may hold it in your sole name.  Either way during divorce the full detail of assets abroad must be disclosed.’ Valuation of foreign assets From a part share in a vineyard to your own Caribbean island, any assets abroad will be considered in…

Porn at Work

Ralph had worked for his employers for 5 years He was part of the IT support at his employer, had a clean record and had even been employee of the year. However one day his world came crashing down when he was suspended and invited to an investigation meeting by his employer for: ‘’Inappropriate use of company property. In particular you have used the work laptop for none work purposes, namely watching pornography during work time. Breach of the company IT policy. In particular, accessing and downloading pornographic material onto the work laptop. The company alleges that the above allegations constitute gross misconduct.’’ So, what would be the correct approach by an employer in this scenario? Amongst the many weird and wonderful cases this is a scenario that I have found myself advising on. The employer…

So, you want to grow your business?

Family businesses have traditionally relied on what previous generations have always done in order to make a well-earned living. However, as the behaviour of the everyday consumer changes so have these once traditional enterprises. Many have already realised the benefit of technology, with the internet and mobile telecommunications at the heart of business growth.   However, have you ever thought about that next step? Scaling up? Taking on new employees so you can readily meet the new demands of your customers? What are the key employment law considerations when such growth happens?  In this article we touch on some of the more pertinent points to consider: Contracts of Employment Family who work for you could still be employees and in that regard there is a legal requirement to provide a written particulars of employment with very…