Stamp duty changes – Winners and losers
From 4 December 2014 Stamp Duty Land Tax, payable on the purchase of a residential property, will be charged at different rates depending on the portion of the purchase price...
Putting St Albans ‘City of Expertise’ on the map for professional services
Debenhams Ottaway, along with other lawyers, accountants and chartered surveyors is working with St Albans City and District Council to raise the profile of St Albans as a ‘City of...
Property litigation update
Prominent letting agent agrees to waive tenancy renewal fees In a recent case, Foxtons had entered into a letting agreement with a private landlord entitling them to a commission payment...
Obesity in the workplace: Don’t believe all you read in the press
Efforts to lose weight come into sharp focus in January after the excesses of Christmas. How many of us have decided to shed a few pounds this month? For some,...
How to help your children if the worst should happen
A lack of information, busy lives and a reluctance to think about death means parents of young children struggle to make plans for their children in the event of the...
Helping to safeguard vulnerable adults this season
Christmas and New Year is a time for many to be with family and friends but what about those people we meet in our professional lives who are lonely, or...
Debenhams Ottaway Successful in Enforcement Notice Appeal
Debenhams Ottaway recently won an appeal against an Enforcement Notice at Runways Fam, Bovingdon Airfield. For many years Bovingdon Airfield has been used for motor activities such as advanced driver...
Debenhams Ottaway signs 10 year contract with Peppermint
Debenhams Ottaway is the latest Advanced Legal (formerly Videss) client to join the growing number of leading law firms investing in the multi award winning Peppermint Legal Service Platform. As...
Changes to holiday pay calculations and how your business is affected
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) made headlines recently when it ruled that certain overtime needed to be taken into account by employers when calculating holiday pay. The decision sent the...
An exciting year for Debenhams Ottaway
Debenhams Ottaway has just announced a major investment in a state of the art IT system. The multi award winning Peppermint Legal Service Platform will replace Debenhams Ottaway’s existing systems...
Debenhams Ottaway supports Eastern Approaches 2014
For the second year running, Debenhams Ottaway is sponsoring the University of Hertfordshire Galleries Eastern Approaches exhibition at the Museum of St Albans. This annual open submission exhibition has marked itself out...
Holiday pay case decided today by EAT
A number of linked cases referred to the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) on the issue of whether holiday pay should include overtime payments, have been decided today. The EAT has...
Estate planning opportunities from pension pot tax change
The chancellor’s announcement to scrap a 55% tax charge on unspent pension pots has been hailed as a new way to save inheritance tax. The change is specific to drawdown pensions...
Debenhams Ottaway hosts a variety of literary events
St Albans hosted its first Literary Festival last weekend with over 40 initiatives taking place across the City. Debenhams Ottaway, one of the festival sponsors, hosted three events in their office and...
Debenhams Ottaway excel in Chambers UK 2015
Private client and planning remain in band 1, family move to band 2 and litigation recognised for the first time Chambers and Partners UK has just published its latest rankings...
Bespoke lasting powers of attorney for business interests
Business owners should consider making tailored lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) for their commercial interests alongside powers for their general affairs. Typically LPAs are created by people looking ahead to...
Are you seeing your children this Christmas?
With less than two months to go before Christmas, many separated parents start to think about the arrangements for contact with their children. Christmas is a very special time for many...
A power of attorney cannot be used for inheritance tax planning without the court’s permission
A recent judgement in the Court of Protection has highlighted that attorneys have limited authority to make gifts under a power of attorney. The case is also a strong reminder...
Why aren’t we building more houses?
According to the Economist last month, house prices increased by 10% in Britain – and by 19% in London. Much of this is down to government policy – the base...
Updated intestacy rules are no excuse for failing to make a Will!
The intestacy rules have recently been updated, although clients are still advised to have a Will in place to ensure their estate passes to chosen beneficiaries. If a person dies...