“The Bank of Mum and Dad” – it’s not like the others
Whatever your view about banking on Mum and Dad, make sure you avoid a legal or tax sting. Most parents try to prepare their children for the financial realities of...
St Albans Business Festival to end in style
The St Albans Business Festival is rounding off a week of events with a finale BBQ lunch at the Brickyard in St Albans on Friday 26 June sponsored by Debenhams...
Separation need not be a boxing match
Not all separating couples do so acrimoniously. For some, the pain of separation can be tempered by reaching a settlement in a sensitive, reflective and amicable way. Problems can arise when principles...
Repudiatory breach despite five year delay in discovery
In the recent case of Williams v Leeds United Football Club the High Court held that it was a repudiatory breach of contract for a senior employee to forward an...
My house my pension
It is anticipated that following the April pension changes, we could see a sizeable uplift in sales and purchases of residential property as wealthy retirees with a healthy pension pot...
Is the Will valid?
The recent publicity surrounding the death of blues musician BB King and the validity of his Will, highlights a growing trend for contested probate on both sides of the Atlantic....
Father’s Day needn’t be a distressing time for separated families
Father’s Day can be a particularly distressing time for separated families. Whilst all other families seem to be enjoying the day together it can be an emotional struggle for separated...
Do you have these important documents in place?
With busy work and family lives, many of us put off reviewing important policies and documents, which can help avoid complications in the future. Your Pension Nomination If you are...
Debenhams Ottaway strengthens its probate offering
With the rising number of families contesting a relative’s Will and major cases regularly making the headlines, contested probate is becoming an increasingly important area of law. To meet the...
Another success for Debenhams Ottaway’s planning team
Debenhams Ottaway’s planning team has been advising long term client, the St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance, on a project to build 5,000 homes and a distribution centre in Houghton...
A better way to manage long term ill health?
A new, state-funded occupational health assessment service is now operational. The so far under-publicised service, branded ‘Fit for Work’, aims to provide a simple and cost effective way for employees,...
Whistleblowing – What is in the public interest?
HR Directors and CEOs will be aware that it is no longer so easy for an employee to use whistleblowing legislation, which was originally intended to protect those who were...
When should bad behaviour influence the financial division on divorce?
The question of when wasteful spending and ‘bad behaviour’ of one party during a marriage should be reflected in how finances are divided in a divorce arose in a recent case in...
The small business, enterprise and employment act 2015: How changes can affect your business
The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, which came in to force earlier this year, made a number of company law changes, some of which are highlighted below. The...
Talks on taking the Dragons’ Apprentice national
Debenhams Ottaway hosted a meeting of leading local business professionals to brainstorm the next steps for taking the very successful St Albans Dragons’ Apprentice nationwide. The session was attended by...
Preventing rights being acquired over your land – A recent case brings good news for landowners
Most landowners will be familiar with stories in the press of squatters’ rights or adverse possession. Fewer will be aware that neighbouring landowners can acquire other rights to use or...
Nuptial agreements: Don’t be pressured into signing an unfair agreement
An ex-wife of a property tycoon has warned women in a similar position against signing post-nuptial agreements after she has been stung by her own. Mr and Mrs Hopkins married...
Make sure you can always pay the school fees
Getting your children into the right independent school is one of the key milestones in their life as well as your own. It is the beginning of a whole new...
Is the future secure for deeds of variation?
Deeds of variation are coming under scrutiny as a tax-avoidance measure, so is the clock ticking for this useful retrospective estate planning tool? The Chancellor in the last budget stated...
Director/Shareholders: How to protect your interest with a cross-option agreement
The untimely death or critical illness of an owner-manager of a private company is a traumatic time not only for their family but also for the remaining shareholders. It is...