Sleep in shifts update
The most recent update can be found here. We continue to monitor the case of Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson- Blake, otherwise known as “the Mencap case” following our series...
Debenhams Ottaway raise over £4,500 for You Okay, Doc?
Award-winning law firm, Debenhams Ottaway, based in St Albans and Radlett raises over £4,500 for, You Okay, Doc?, a charity supporting doctors’ mental health. As we all got to grips...
Antecedent transactions and breach of duty – factors to consider
In these unprecedented last few months, the insolvency industry has faced some dramatic changes in a very short space of time. Following various conversations with insolvency practitioners and insolvency lawyers,...
Stamp duty changes that could benefit you
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is a significant amount of tax that must be paid if you buy property or land over a certain price in England. In July 2020,...
Redundancy – can employers use furlough money towards notice pay?
With the lockdown restrictions easing, and the economy beginning to return to some form of normality, many companies are planning for the recovery of affected business. Unfortunately, for some this...
COVID-19: The importance of checking the break clause in a commercial lease
The Government has issued guidance for commercial landlords and tenants to cooperate and work flexibly to ensure that businesses are supported and protected from the effects of the pandemic. At...
Trecarrell House Ltd v Rouncefield [2020] effect on S.21 Notice & gas safety certificates
There has been a breakthrough for residential landlords of assured shorthold tenancies following the judgment of Trecarrell House Limited v Rouncefield, which was handed down on 18 June 2020. The...
Debenhams Ottaway ranks top for private wealth advice
Known for its outstanding legal advice, Debenhams Ottaway’s award-winning Wills, trusts and probate team rank in the top band again in the Chambers and Partners High Net Worth (HNW) legal...
Helping a company make essential redundancies due to Covid-19
We helped a company which had been badly hit by the pandemic and which saw its income drop by 95% overnight, due to lack of demand prompted by lockdown. The...
Helping a luxury travel business survive covid-19
We helped a privately owned luxury travel company which saw its income decimated because of the global pandemic. Throughout 2020, we advised and assisted the client on its options under...
COVID-19: Matters to be considered when relying on Section 21 notices
The Government has recently announced that landlords of residential properties will have to wait until at least September for claims to recover possession of their properties to be heard. Where...
Disclosure of confidential communications
Careful consideration needs to be given to any “without prejudice” communications because there are exceptions to the general rule that this type of communication will not be disclosed to a...
Debt Recovery – Do you need to recover an overpayment made to a former employee?
An overpayment of wages to a former employee can happen for various reasons, including a glitch in the payroll process, miscalculation of a bonus or an overpayment of holiday pay....
Directors – personal guarantees
Whilst directors are not usually expected to be liable for company debts, some lenders and suppliers ask for personal guarantees. Going into these arrangements with your eyes open will allow...
COVID-19: Director’s personal guarantees
As companies struggle to pay debts, lenders and suppliers are increasingly looking to directors to pay those debts where the director has given a personal guarantee. What is a director’s...
COVID-19: The final furlough – 10 June 2020 deadline
On 29 May 2020, the Chancellor announced that no new entrants to the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will be accepted after 30 June 2020. As all furloughed employees...
Successful defence of charitable legacy
We successfully helped our clients, the executors and a leading independent school charity, settle a dispute over property left to the school by a deceased former pupil. The school was...
COVID-19: Will lockdown lead to more divorce?
The question of whether the lockdown will lead to more divorce is one I’ve talked about with the team at Debenhams Ottaway as well as family and friends. I hope not,...
COVID-19: Key information for charities
Research firm Legacy Foresight is predicting that charities’ income from legacies could fall by as much as 27 per cent this year, as a result of the coronavirus crisis. We...
COVID-19: Has working from home been a success? A guide to offloading unwanted office space
With huge numbers of people forced to work from home due to social distancing measures, COVID-19 has changed the way we work. Businesses with IT systems that have been able...