First-tier tribunal, property chamber –v- county courts – which to choose?
Unusually for a hardened litigator, this is not a case that I am seeking to litigate nor win. I thought however that it would be interesting for you to read...
Ground rents in leasehold houses review
Following the flurry of news regarding ground rents on leasehold houses, the Department for Communities and Local Government is looking at possible measures to deal with rising ground rents in...
Debenhams Ottaway lead online courts hackathon team to the final round in 24 hour hackathon
Debenhams Ottaway, Hertfordshire’s leading law firm joined forces with technology law firm Bristows, legal technology provider Peppermint and social media firm Talk B to take part in the Online Courts Hackathon as team...
Top tips to ensure the sale of your property proceeds smoothly
The time has come for you to sell your property, and you have appointed an estate agent to find and secure that all important buyer for you. Here are our...
Employment tribunal fees ruled unlawful
Today, in a landmark victory for Unison, the Supreme Court has ruled that Employment Tribunal (ET) fees are unlawful, because they impose unjustified limitations on the ability of workers to...
Are your employees obliged to disclose their intention to compete?
If you are a business owner, you will know that dealing with the departure of employees can be a time consuming distraction from the day to day running of your...
How long is a short marriage?
A recent case heard in the Court of Appeal provides a salutary reminder of the need to plan for the future – even when married. The case involved Mr and...
Enjoying children’s holidays… avoiding disputes
The long anticipated school summer holiday break is almost upon us. Whilst most children are looking forward to a well-earned break, school holidays can throw up unexpected challenges and conflicts...
Debenhams Ottaway celebrate latest senior associate promotions
Debenhams Ottaway, the leading law firm in St Albans and Radlett is pleased to announce the promotion of Neil Mercer and Andrew Yates to senior associate. Neil, a member of the property team joined...
County court judgments against businesses on the rise
According to the Registry Trust the number of High Court Judgments (“HCJ”) against businesses is at the lowest level on record compared to County Court Judgments (“CCJ”) that are rising...
Can I claim interest on my overdue invoice?
Chasing overdue invoices can be time consuming and an unwelcome distraction from the daily running of your business. Claiming interest on an overdue invoice can not only compensate you for...
Are workers entitled to the national minimum wage when they are on standby or sleeping at work?
A decision of particular importance to the care sector the Employment Appeal Tribunal, EAT recently reviewed the position on how those who perform standby shifts or who are required to...
5 top tips for securing your dream home in Hertfordshire
For those looking to buy a property in areas such as St Albans and Harpenden, it may seem that demand always outstrips supply. We hope that these tips will help...
We’re all going on a summer holiday, but are the children coming?
School summer holidays are fast approaching and for many families this will mean the joy of warmer climes or a trip to a cultural hotspot away from our shores. For...
The new pre-action protocol for debt claims: getting business creditors up to speed
The Ministry of Justice released the final version of the new pre-action protocol (“PAP”) on the 21 March 2017. The protocol applies where a business is claiming payment of an...
Is the inheritance tax threshold really £1 million?
Last month saw the introduction of an inheritance tax (IHT) threshold top-up designed to help spouses leaving the family home to children on death with reduced tax charges. The eye-catching...
Discretionary trusts; an alternative to prenups?
Have you thought about using a discretionary trust created in your lifetime as a way of protecting your family’s assets in the future? An increasing number of people have used discretionary...
Conservative and Labour compete for the votes of working families, but at what cost to employers?
With Labour and Conservative manifestos now published, we take a look at some of the key proposals and consider their implications for employers. Labour proposes wide ranging reforms to the...
An inheritance tax update – the family home allowance
From April this year, the family home will benefit from an additional inheritance tax allowance of £100,000. This may give rise to a potential nil-rate threshold of £1 million for...
A great start to the year for Lorna, the young cyclist we are sponsoring through SportsAid
Lorna is excited to have started the season of road racing. She has been very busy these last two weeks, she has raced three times and has come 5th, 3rd and 3rd,...