Defeating an Inheritance Act 1975 claim by the deceased’s child
Our client was the main beneficiary of her late partner’s estate and subject to a claim made under the Inheritance (Provision for Family & Dependants) Act 1975. The claim was...
Debenhams Ottaway is the leading private wealth legal adviser in the area
Debenhams Ottaway continues to be the only firm ranked in band 1 for private wealth law in the recently published Chambers High Net Worth 2021 guide, firmly establishing the team...
Small claims track trial success recovering Property Management Company’s letting fees
We have recently been instructed by a leading national residential property management agency in relation to the recovery of letting fees owed to them by a landlord. Our client locates...
Practice Direction: New rules will not necessarily prevent witness statements from expressing an opinion on the facts
Practice Direction 57AC came into force in April 2021, introducing new rules to deal with “over-lawyered trial witness statements” in the business and property courts. The first case where the...
Helping with the acquisition of a holiday lodge business and residential dwelling
We helped our clients with the acquisition of: i) a holiday lodge business operated in Cambridgeshire by one of the two sellers ii) a residential dwelling owned and occupied by...
Helping sellers of shareholdings in a care home group in the West Midlands
We helped three of five sellers of significant shareholdings in five private limited companies, which together own and operate three care homes across the West Midlands. The purchase price comprised:...
Negotiating leases for a charity’s new leisure centres
InspireAll is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee that provides community sport, recreational and arts services. After a successful bid to run two multi-million-pound leisure centres in Hertsmere and Milton Keynes, they...
Helping a property developer with a complex lease and its assignment
We helped a property developer with a particularly complex lease and its assignment in central London. The developer owned a freehold property in Fleet Street, which unusually did not include...
Renewing the lease for an educational charity’s head office
We acted for an educational foundation on the lease renewal of its head office. The charity had occupied the property (two adjoining buildings) for around five years under an excluded...
Advising on a contested Will with major UK charity beneficiaries
A million pound plus valued estate included some major UK charities as beneficiaries. A family member who was unhappy with the legacy left to them threatened a legal challenge on...
Helping a famous band bring a £13m negligence claim against its tax advisors
The members of a famous band engaged well-known accountants to provide tax planning advice between 2013 and 2016. The advice received was to use an Employee Shareholder Scheme (ESS) to...
Defending a group of companies against claims for undervalued transactions and preference payments
We helped a group of companies defend claims against them for a) undervalued transactions, and b) preference payments totalling £2.4 million. These claims had been brought by a company in...
Disputes in the court of protection involving the Office of the Public Guardian
The Office of Public Guardian (OPG) encourages any person with concerns about a deputy or attorney to report concerns to the OPG investigations unit. These concerns may include, misuse of...
Paws for thought – are pet-nups the new pre-nup?
When a couple separate, often the focus turns to dealing with the finances, property, and the parenting of any children, but what happens to the pets? With the rise in...
Assisting a biological child with an Inheritance Act 1975 claim involving DNA testing
Our client was the secret lovechild of the deceased, a married man who had an affair in the 1970s with a married woman. We helped her in bringing an Inheritance...
Protecting an entire estate from an Inheritance Act 1975 claim
Our client was the main beneficiary of her late good friend’s estate worth £570,000. The deceased’s daughter from a failed relationship brought a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family...
‘No jab no job’: could there be a claim for indirect discrimination?
In the wake of proposed compulsory vaccination policies for care home workers and consultation on extending this to NHS staff, we explore the legal ramifications of ‘no jab, no job’...
Inheritance disputes – guidance through the legal minefield
Wills can be disputed for many reasons, the most common include instances where the Will was not signed or witnessed correctly made by someone not of sound mind made under...
The Divorce Social podcast: What have you always wanted to ask a divorce lawyer?
The Debenhams Ottaway family team is sponsoring the latest series of The Divorce Social podcast, an interview podcast all about divorce hosted by comedian and author Samantha Baines. Going through...
The new Domestic Abuse Protection Order: More power for courts to protect domestic violence victims
With lockdowns linked to a rise in domestic violence, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 is a very welcomed piece of new legislation. Among other positive changes, it has introduced domestic...