“Relationship-Generated Disadvantage “Landmark or Dead End?

Lawyers are heralding as a landmark decision, the judgement in RC v JC given earlier this month. A woman who sacrificed her career as a Solicitor to look after her children was given an additional sum of money on Divorce. The wife, a Cambridge graduate and trainee Solicitor stepped back from her budding legal career for the good of her family, whilst the husband, also a Solicitor, continued to pursue his career. The couple were married for ten years and had two children. Their bitter court dispute was over the finances of the divorce.  Mr Justice Moor stated the wife of the marriage viewed herself as a “parent who would take primary responsibility for the children. The husband’s career took precedence, it is unusual to find significant relationship-generated disadvantage that may lead to a claim for…

The end of Assured Shorthold Tenancies and the Rented Homes Bill

The Rented Homes Bill had its first reading on 22 January 2020. The first thing the Bill does is to abolish assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) in England. ASTs were created by the Housing Act 1988 to strengthen the rights of landlords and increase the supply of private rented accommodation. An AST is a type of assured tenancy; its advantage from the point of view of a landlord is that, in addition to the grounds for seeking possession that are available to all assured tenancies, possession may also be obtained using the procedure set out in Section 21. The advantage of an AST for a tenant is the possibility of referring excessive rents to a rent assessment committee. The demise of the AST is intended to ‘reset the balance of rights and responsibilities between landlords and…

Changes to employment law from April 2020

April brings with it the usual annual increases to the national minimum wage and statutory pay for family-friendly leave and sickness absence. But the effects of Good Work: the Taylor review of modern working practices, published in 2017, are still being felt and changes are being introduced to protect vulnerable workers in increasingly flexible business models. As Gillian Reid, employment law expert with Ware & Kay in York & Wetherby explains, changes to IR35 tax rules are also expected along with the introduction of the right to parental bereavement leave. A raft of measures designed to protect vulnerable workers also come into force. Gillian rounds off with a word on Brexit. Employers should prepare for changes on the following dates:  From 1 April 2020 Increase in the national living wage for workers aged 25 and…

Wills and how to protect your wealth

What is a trust? A trust is a legal arrangement where individuals are chosen (known as Trustees) to look after assets for the chosen beneficiaries.  Trusts can take effect during a person’s lifetime or alternatively, they can be incorporated into Wills which take effect on death.  This article focuses on Will Trusts.   Circumstances where a Will Trust would be beneficial Most of us are unaware of the various ways in which setting up a Trust in a Will can help safeguard assets and protect beneficiaries including existing family members and also future generations.  Some key uses of Will Trusts are set out below: Vulnerable beneficiaries. This could be relevant if the beneficiaries of your estate are physically or mentally disabled, are insolvent or have issues with substance abuse, for example. Setting up a Will Trust…