Varying maintenance payments due to Covid-19 hardship

The coronavirus pandemic has turned most of our world upside down, causing economic hardship for many people and job losses are expected to continue as the furlough scheme comes to an end. ‘If you have lost all or part of your income, your ability to pay or rely upon maintenance payments will be a cause for concern as you seek to manage cash flow,’ says our family law team expert. ‘Uncertainty over child maintenance adds another level of stress for parents who are struggling to cope with home-schooling.’ Maintenance payments typically fall into two categories, spousal maintenance and child maintenance, which we look in turn and outline your options if you are worried about paying or receiving maintenance. Spousal maintenance Spousal maintenance may be paid because of a voluntary agreement during divorce proceedings or by way…

Greater permitted development rights for agricultural property

Since the Town and Country Planning General Permitted Development Order came into force on 6 April 2018, rural communities have had greater development potential when converting agricultural buildings into residential units. In these deeply troubled times, the greater flexibility afforded by these relaxed permitted development rights is good news for the rural community, allowing agricultural businesses to unlock additional value and utility from their land. Farmers should be warned, however, that numerous conditions and prior local planning authority approvals are still required under the new rules, so it is a good idea to consult a professional expert to advise on available options before renovations begin. This blog explains how the enhanced permitted development rights give agricultural businesses more flexibility to adapt existing buildings to create new housing and increase the size of their agricultural buildings without…

Coronavirus, putting your house on the market

Estimates suggest 375,000 property transactions have stalled because of the coronavirus crisis. Recent easing of restrictions means these sales can now progress. What if you were thinking of moving, but had not yet put your house on the market? Some agents are predicting a buoyant market as we come out of lockdown, on the basis that you could benefit from any pent-up demand. It is unlikely that the property market will return to normal straight away so there may be some challenges ahead. What the latest relaxation of restrictions means During lockdown, emergency regulations prevented people from leaving their homes except for a limited number of reasons. However, recent changes have extended these exceptions so people can move home. You may now visit an estate agent and would-be buyers can visit your property. Professionals can visit…

Keeping coronavirus redundancies fair and the alternatives

The Government’s coronavirus job retention scheme (CJRS) has helped many employers keep their staff. But, the winding down of the CJRS and the grim economic forecast mean that employers may need a more flexible workforce and for many sectors, redundancies seem inevitable. Here, we outline alternatives to redundancy and sets out five key elements of a fair redundancy. You should check the Government website for the latest guidance in conjunction with this article, as the guidelines on the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme are changing frequently.  Speak to your solicitor for specific advice for your business. Coronavirus job retention scheme extension The CJRS runs in its current form until the end of June. From July, ‘flexible furlough’ will allow employees to work part-time and be furloughed part-time. From August until the close of…