News archive: May 2021

• Extending your commercial property
  Posted on May 20, 2021
  If your business is expanding, you may have outgrown your current premises. Before you start looking for a new site, it is worth investigating whether you could extend your existing property. Depending on the site and the nature of your building, you may be able to extend up by adding new floors, down by digging a basement or out, by expanding the footprint of the current building. As well as complying with planning and building regulations, you must consider any specific legal constraints that might affect your ability to extend.
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• New rules for whiplash and other minor road accident injury claims
  Posted on May 17, 2021
  If you have been injured in a road traffic accident that was not your fault, then you may be entitled to compensation. To secure this, it is usual to employ the services of an experienced personal injury lawyer who will lodge a properly assessed and professionally valued claim on your behalf. Legal costs will usually be recoverable in the event that your claim succeeds.
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• How to keep out of the mire when buying a home with a septic tank
  Posted on May 14, 2021
  Sewers and human waste may not be the first things you think about when looking for a new home, but many rural and semi-rural properties do not have mains drainage and so rely on a septic tank. This can have important legal, practical, and costly implications, particularly since environmental regulations could mean that an old system is now unlawful.
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• Can I halt court proceedings against my business, if no attempt made to resolve matters outside court first?
  Posted on May 6, 2021
  Where a dispute arises in business, it is always preferable if it can be resolved without the need to go to court. That is why an increasing number of commercial contracts include an alternative dispute resolution process that must be followed before court proceedings can be instigated and which the parties to the contract are expected to obey.
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• Selling a business? Make sure you clear out any skeletons first
  Posted on May 5, 2021
  Preparation is the key to success with most things in life and is particularly important when you are trying to attract a buyer for your business. This is because any potential purchaser will almost certainly want to carry out pre-purchase checks to ensure that your organisation is legally and financially sound, and it is not saddled with unacceptable debt or unexpected liabilities.
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• Common probate mistakes and how to avoid them
  Posted on May 5, 2021
  If you are someone’s executor, then it can be tempting to try to administer the estate yourself with a view to saving money. If the estate is simple and you are comfortable with the legal and tax regulations, then this may be fairly straightforward.
  
  However, executors are personally liable to the beneficiaries and to HMRC in regard to inheritance tax, so it is important to be aware of the pitfalls.
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