News archive: January 2022

• Is it time to pay off your Help to Buy Equity Loan?
  Posted on January 20, 2022
  The Government’s Help to Buy Scheme enabled a large number of first time buyers to be able to purchase their first home. The 20% equity loan is secured as a second loan against the property which is interest free for 5 years. After 5 years the Help to Buy Equity loan will move to a higher rate of interest. If this period is coming to an end, it may be time to look at paying off your Help to Buy loan to make sure that you are financially getting the most from your property.
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• Buying offices as an investment
  Posted on January 17, 2022
  The best investment property will be one where the fundamentals are right. It should be in a suitable location, in sound structural condition, and ideally give you scope to upgrade and reconfigure the internal layout to appeal to a range of tenants.
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• Return to the workplace: be aware of an employee’s disabilities
  Posted on January 14, 2022
  Now is a time of transition as employees return to the workplace either on a hybrid basis or for all their working time. Employers need to keep in mind the impact of this shift on any employees’ disabilities.
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• Could you be forced to use early neutral evaluation in a business dispute?
  Posted on January 12, 2022
  It is widely acknowledged that it can be faster, cheaper and more beneficial to commercial parties if a business dispute can be resolved outside of court, or at least outside of a formal trial. There are many ways that this can be achieved, including through a variety of tried and tested alternative dispute resolution processes (referred to as ‘ADR’ for short).
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• Buying an asset-based business - what to look out for?
  Posted on January 7, 2022
  If you are contemplating buying another business, then you will have been suitably impressed with the sale particulars. But these do not tell the whole story and when you decide to acquire the assets of a business you will want to satisfy yourself that you can continue trading and can realise any potential growth plans.
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• Protecting your business if you lose mental capacity
  Posted on January 6, 2022
  With people seeking greater flexibility and a better work-life balance, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) now account for 99 per cent of all private businesses in the UK.
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• How to remove the executor of an estate
  Posted on January 6, 2022
  If you are concerned about the behaviour or actions of someone who has been appointed as an executor to someone’s will, then it may be possible for you to apply to the court to have them removed from their post and replaced by someone else. This might be a necessary step where an executor is refusing to honour the terms of the will, where there is evidence that they have been stealing from the deceased person’s estate, if they are mentally incapacitated, where they have fallen out with the beneficiaries, or if they are putting their own interests first.
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• Wood burners and open fires, what to consider when buying a new home
  Posted on January 4, 2022
  A wood burner or open fire is an attractive feature in a property, especially as the nights draw in and temperatures drop. If are buying a property with one, or you plan to install a log burner in your new home, there are important things to consider.
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• What to expect at a financial dispute resolution (FDR) hearing
  Posted on January 1, 2022
  If you are applying for a financial order as part of your divorce then the court will list your case in for a financial dispute resolution hearing, often called an FDR hearing. This is a private court hearing and is aimed at trying to assist parties in settling any dispute over finances.
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