Susan Glenholme interview with Law Society PS Magazine
Following Debenhams Ottaway’s win at the Law Society Excellence Awards 2015, partner Susan Glenholme talks to the Law Society PS Magazine about the benefits winning the award has brought to...
Why living together can be a leap of faith
Whilst living together before marriage is a reality of modern life, the existence of a common law wife or husband remains a myth. The younger generations often view living together...
Proprietary estoppel: My word is my bond (or is it?)
In the recent case of Liden v Burton, the Court of Appeal upheld the trial judge’s decision to award a former partner (Liden) a 10% interest in her partner’s property after...
How will Brexit effect your workplace?
Speculation on the possible effects of a ‘leave’ vote in the EU Referendum is now in full swing. Many commentators are of the view that it would have minimal impact...
Do you trust your Will to save inheritance tax?
Discretionary trusts, popular in Wills between spouses a decade ago and designed to save inheritance tax (IHT), could end up causing bigger tax bills when new rules come into force...
Arbitration v litigation
The lord chief justice recently called for arbitration and the courts to work better together and for the relationship between the two to be rebalanced. This reignited the question that...
Where you divorce may affect your share of the marital pot
The divorce capital of the world; a reputation that some say London has attracted because divorcing wives will tend to be awarded a bigger share of the money here than...
Where there’s a way there’s a (Statutory) Will
As a general rule if a person lacks mental capacity, then they cannot sign a Will. An individual making a Will has to understand what it is they are doing...
Temporary worker contracts
It is that busy time of year again where there is often an influx of temporary workers over the summer months. Now is the ideal time to check that your...
Debenhams Ottaway sponsor young cyclist Lorna Bowler
Lorna Bowler, the young cyclist we are sponsoring through the SportsAid programme has had a great start to this year’s main races. Lorna raced in the recent Youth Tour of...
Chamber cheers for St Albans and St George at annual fundraising lunch
Over 300 businesses enjoyed a fantastic afternoon with the St Albans Chamber of Commerce on Friday 22 April for their annual St George’s Day Lunch. Debenhams Ottaway sponsored the champagne...
First conviction for failing to prevent an act of bribery
The Sweett Group plc became the first company to be convicted under section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010. Sweett pleaded guilty to failing to prevent an act of bribery...
A very public care arrangement dispute
Madonna and Guy Ritchie have again been embroiled in a legal dispute. This time they are fighting about the care arrangements for their 15 year old son, Rocco who failed...
A simple guide to trusts
Many people who want to give their assets to their loved ones choose a trust to allow them to retain some control over their assets as part of their inheritance tax...
The French diplomat’s daughter, his disputed Will, the false CCTV evidence and the family inheritanc
After the widely reported inheritance claim brought by an adult child in the Ilott v Mitson case, the recent case of Brennan v Prior is another example of an adult child disputing their inheritance. ...
Suspension of childcare vouchers not discriminatory
A recent judgment will come as a welcome relief for employers after the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) confirmed that it is not discriminatory to suspend the provision of childcare vouchers...
Ilott v Mitson inheritance dispute going all the way to the Supreme Court
On 1 March 2016 the Supreme Court granted three charities permission to appeal an inheritance dispute. The Court of Appeal decision in 2015 attracted a significant media response and no...
Helping our children without paying more inheritance tax
With many people living longer and the younger generation unlikely to be as well off as their parents, helping our children and grandchildren financially is increasingly common. Concerns about inheritance...
Details in the Will kept secret
Unusually, the Will of recently deceased American author Harper Lee, the writer of To Kill A Mockingbird, is to be kept private after an Alabama Judge ordered the record sealed. ...
No fault divorce update
The second reading of the ‘No Fault’ Divorce Private Members Bill is due in Parliament on 11 March 2016. At the moment, to apply for a divorce in England and...