Another great year for Debenhams Ottaway in Legal 500
Whilst maintaining our leading first tier ranking within the private wealth area of personal tax, trusts and probate, Debenhams Ottaway also saw three areas move up the rankings and a first...
Expensive lifestyle, expensive divorce
Media interest has recently reignited in the long, drawn-out divorce proceedings between Ekaterina Fields and her millionaire husband, Richard Fields. In the eyes of most, the lifestyle of Mr and...
Dragons Apprentice Challenge 2017 Launch
Junior Dragons Apprentice Challenge launches for the first time in St Albans This November will also see the launch of the Junior Dragons’ Apprentice Challenge, which will be a 6...
Business succession planning and your Will
With the many pressures facing family and owner managed businesses, planning for the death of a business owner is often neglected. Succession planning should, however, form a key part of...
What options are available to enforce a judgment?
There are various enforcement methods available post judgment to help ensure you actually receive the money owed to you or your business. The most appropriate will often depend on your...
Sponsored St Albans Legal Walk raises over £3,300 for free local legal help
On Monday 12 September, a team from Debenhams Ottaway joined other lawyers, advisers and legal professionals for a sponsored walk around St Albans to raise over £3,300 to support free...
School fees and child maintenance
With the new school year now well under way, separated parents may have concerns about how to stretch a limited income across two households. For families with children attending independent,...
Debenhams Ottaway recruits senior corporate/commercial partner
David Silver, a highly accomplished lawyer with over 30 years experience in corporate finance and commercial work, is joining Debenhams Ottaway to head up their corporate team, recently recognised in...
Finding out what it’s really like to be in an employment tribunal
Debenhams Ottaway hosted a mock employment tribunal this week on the hot topic of inappropriate use of social media in the workplace. A fictitious case was presented by No5 Chambers...
Isle of Man first to allow heterosexual couples to enter into civil partnership
It has been an eventful summer for Britain, from the referendum result and subsequent upheaval in politics to coming second in the global medal table at the Rio Olympics. As...
Debenhams Ottaway welcomes new trainees
Three new trainees joined Debenhams Ottaway this week. Selected from over 100 applications and following a rigorous interview process, the new trainees (Robyn Adams, Laura Coad and Adam Matthews) will...
Brexit impact on employment law – Parliamentary briefing published
The House of Commons has produced a briefing paper entitled “Brexit: Impact Across Policy Areas” which states that David Davis MP is not attracted by the idea of rewarding those...
You win sum, you lose sum: Estate administration changes
A change to inheritance tax that will save beneficiaries thousands of pounds could be offset by a proposed hike in probate court fees. From 6 April 2017 the much heralded...
Beneficiary failed to vacate property left in trust by mother
The trustees of a trust set up by the 1997 Will of Jean Montgomery have succeeded in the latest round of litigation against one of the beneficiaries regarding possession of...
Top 10 reasons why Lasting Powers of Attorney are important for people of all ages
Lasting powers of attorney (LPA) are important to everyone, no matter what age you are. A Lasting Power of Attorney provides reassurance that arrangements are in place so you can...
Post-Brexit: the possible impact on family law
With the dust settling following the UK’s Brexit decision, we are still wondering what precisely this will mean for everyone, what the economic implications may be and, for the lawyers...
A guide to data protection and direct marketing
Businesses often rely on direct marketing to attract new business so it is important to understand key data protection issues before carrying out any direct marketing activities. There can be...
St Albans Cathedral awarded £3.9m Heritage Lottery grant
Debenhams Ottaway is one of the corporate sponsors of ‘Alban, Britain’s First Saint’, an exciting development project for St Albans Cathedral that has just received lottery funding. The Heritage Lottery...
Entrepreneurs’ relief
Entrepreneurs’ relief is a relief from capital gains tax that is available to individuals, and in certain cases trustees. Entrepreneurs’ relief applies a capital gains tax rate of 10% to...
Ways of protecting vulnerable adults
Some adults are less able to protect themselves than others, so good legal advice for them or their carers is essential. A vulnerable adult may have difficulty expressing their wishes...