New Minimum Wage Rates in 2017
The following changes to the National Living Wage (NLW) and the National Minimum Wage (NMW) came into effect on 1 April 2017: The NLW for those aged 25 and over increased from £7.20 per hour to £7.50 per hour; The…
Boundary Disputes – Don’t Let Them Escalate
Boundary disputes are well known for their ability to create acrimony and long-running legal proceedings, the cost of which is often disproportionate compared with the value of the land in question. In one case in which compromise sadly proved elusive,…
Claiming for Dilapidations
When a lease come to an end, the 'dilapidations clause' makes the tenant liable to restore the let premises to the same state they were in when the tenant first occupied them. It is established law that when a…
Property Investor Must Pay £120,400 Estate Agency Commission
It may come as a surprise to some property owners that estate agency fees are often payable regardless of whether a buyer is introduced by the agency concerned. A property investor found that out the hard way after the Court…
Actor in Cosmetic Treatment Tax Appeal Refused Anonymity
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are obliged to keep individuals’ tax affairs secret - but confidentiality generally does not survive an appeal. Exactly that happened in one case in which well-known actor Martin Clunes sought to set off the cost…
How to Value Company Shares – Court of Appeal Guidance
Valuing shares is notoriously difficult and is generally a matter of taking a reasonable view of what a hypothetical buyer might pay. That was the approach taken by the Court of Appeal in putting a price on a minority shareholding…
Employers Must Be Proactive To Ensure Workers Get Proper Breaks
In an important test case concerning a bus driver who claimed to have been forced to work eight-hour shifts without a break, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has warned employers that they are required to take a proactive approach to…
Lack of Clarity Over Farm Ownership Leads to Court Appearance
Clarity in business relations is always important, and making sure that what is thought to be agreed is made legally unequivocal is always good advice. In a recent case, the son of a couple had joined them in their farming…
Pension Protected for Bankrupt
Bankruptcy laws strike a delicate balance between satisfying creditors and enabling debtors to make a clean break so that they can get on with their lives. In one ruling that clarified the law, the Court of Appeal decided that the…
Rice Importers Who Turned Back on Dispute Resolution Process Jailed
The law is no toothless tiger and, as any good lawyer will tell you, turning your back on court orders is simply not an option. In one commercial contract case that proves the point, 18-month jail terms were imposed by…