The Charity Commission recently concluded the National Trust did not breach charity law as a result of its regulatory compliance case involving the charity, and found there were no grounds for regulatory action.

New figures show that poor maternity care is costing more then £1 million a day in compensation, having trebled in the last decade.

The Easter weekend will be a welcome break for some and, with the delights of Spring, comes the feeling of freshness and new beginnings. One such beginning is the new tax year, which commences on 6th April 2021.

The government have announced that, following recommendations by the Office of Tax Simplification, they are looking at ways of reducing inheritance tax reporting requirements. The government has now agreed to simplify the position so that, from 1 January 2022, over 90% of non-taxpaying estates each year will no longer have to complete inheritance tax forms for deaths when a grant of representation is required.

If you intend to leave savings, property or other assets to family or friends after you die, you need to consider the impact of inheritance tax (IHT). With the rate of IHT set at 40% for most estates above the thresholds, it is important to plan ahead, so that you can minimise IHT and ensure as much of your estate as possible reaches your loved ones.

Having staff working remotely has presented significant challenges for many businesses, but one of the most difficult to address is the increased cybersecurity risk. As many companies did not have sufficient opportunity to prepare for the transition to homeworking, they may not have identified potential cybersecurity issues. Moreover, it is now much harder to monitor staff and ensure they are following safe practices.

The case has raised eyebrows amongst lawyers used to ‘taking inspiration’ from other lawyers’ work.  After all, the efficient practice of law is made possible by using precedent documents adapted over and over to suit successive clients’ instructions. 

With the government’s announcement of a ‘roadmap out of lockdown’ and as we progress towards a full relaxation of coronavirus restrictions, more and more businesses are planning for a gradual return to normality. This blog sets out some considerations employers may want to think about over the coming months.

One year after the first lockdown and the UK is facing another year of uncertainty around the issue of taking holidays abroad. You may be getting lots of questions from employees about carrying over holidays during Covid, we try and answer some of the main questions here.

After 30 years of campaigning by family law group Resolution and other bodies, Parliament passed the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 in June 2020. There is no set date for when this legislation will come into force and No Fault Divorces become a reality in England and Wales, however the Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland has indicated that the changes will likely not take effect until autumn 2021 as ‘time needs to be allowed for careful implementation’.   

A recent High Court case has highlighted the challenges faced when a person dies intestate, or when a Will does not cover a number of scenarios, such as what should happen in the event of the unexpected death of a beneficiary.

The Supreme Court has now issued its much anticipated Judgment in the case of Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson-Blake, which was delayed by the death of one of the Justices. The case concerned how the national minimum wage (NMW) should be calculated for workers who work sleep-in shifts.