Contracts are the building blocks of most businesses. There will be contracts with customers and suppliers (terms and conditions), employees (employment contracts), landlords (lease) and contractors (T&Cs again). Contracts define and regulate the most important relationships of the business. Given this, I always find it surprising to come across businesses with no written contracts at all, or which rely on contract documents that don’t say […]

As a general rule, in your will you can leave your assets to whoever you like. If you want to leave it all to Battersea Dogs Home, you can. But while your will may set out your final wishes, in some cases these wishes might not be as effective as you hope.First, your will must be valid. There are various rules that must be followed: it must be in writing, and executed in the right way. You have to sign it in the presence of two independent witnesses. But make sure the witnesses do not ben […]

​The Protection From Harassment Act stops conduct which causes alarm or distress. Harassment is a criminal offence and someone who commits can also attract a civil liability. The Act is usually used against problem neighbours and stalkers, but some actions by a limited company can also amount to harassment. The Act defines ‘harassment’ as “a course of conduct… which amounts to harassment of another”.In one recent case a utility company was found liable […]

Easements are rights affecting land, such as a right to run pipes across it. A typical easement will give you a private right of way across your neighbour’s land to get to a public road. Another example is the right to use a septic tank located on your neighbour’s land. You may well have an easement without knowing it: when houses are built the builder will often arrange rights to run pipes, drains and cables across each neighbouring land to supply gas, water, electricity, etc […]

‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be,’ goes the old adage from Shakespeare, but many of us are asked at some point to lend money to a friend or relative. This will often involve giving someone £10 or £20 so they can do some shopping, with the loan being repaid as soon as they can get to the ATM. But sometimes you might be asked to lend substantial sums to pay off debts or a mortgage, or even buy a house. What should you consider before doing so?An important initial […]

The death of a family member or close friend is a distressing time. The last thing you want when you’re grieving and coming to terms with the situation is to be bothered with admin and paperwork. However, there are a few practicalities that need to be dealt with. Here’s a quick guide.First, you need to register the death within 5 days. You’ll need a medical certificate for this, so ask the GP or hospital doctor for it. Call the local registry office to make an appointmen […]

While bankruptcy does not have the stigma it used to have, if you’re made bankrupt it is still a very significant event in your life. Although it can come as a relief, with pressure from creditors taken away and debts cancelled, it has serious knock-on effects. Your home can be sold and business closed down, and it makes it difficult to get credit in future. These consequences can mean that some people who have been made bankrupt look into having their bankruptcy order cancelled.Tec […]

​A limited company’s Articles of Association are its main constitution. They set out how the company is run, governed and owned. If you are involved in the running of a company, whether as a director, company secretary or manager, you need to be familiar with what the articles say. The articles will specify, for instance, how the company is managed, how company meetings are to be held and how decisions are made by directors and shareholders. They will also say what the re […]

Houses and flats are expensive, and it’s difficult to get on the property ladder. So it’s quite common for friends to buy a property jointly, rather than spend money on rent. But what happens if one friend wants out and the other doesn’t? Can one of them force a sale?I often see arrangements like this, and also the problems they can cause. What usually happens is that the two friends start off sharing the property, and then one wants to relocate, or is getting married an […]