Is Rent Paid in Advance the Same as a Deposit?
In the context of assured shorthold tenancies this question is important because if a payment made by a tenant is a deposit then it must be protected in accordance with the Deposit Protection Rules. If alternatively…
A Lifeline for Landlords of Blocks of Flats
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has recently made life much easier for landlords of blocks of flats let on long leases who fail to comply with service charge consultation requirements. A landlord has to…
Family Solicitors prepare for changes brought about by the impending changes in the law and availability of legal aid
The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act comes into force on 1 April 2013 bringing about significant changes to the availability of legal aid and meaning that very few people will be eligible for…
Late Payment Of Commercial Debts Regulations 2013
The Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/395) (Regulations) came into force on 16 March 2013 and implements the changes required by the Late Payment Directive (2011/7/EU). By the introduction…
Wake Smith LLP Secures Top Accolade From National Law Society
Sheffield's leading law firm Wake Smith LLP has secured the national Law Society's law management quality mark, Lexcel. Lexcel is developed specifically for the legal profession. It is an optional, recognised accreditation…
Change is a Coming: The Radical Shake-up of Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Funding from April 2013
"No Win No Fee" and "receive 100% of your compensation" are statements that we hear hand-in-hand, thanks to years of advertising campaigns by Claims Management companies. However from 1 April 2013 change is a coming! Under…
Vertebrae Strikes Deal For Baton Wicks
Sheffield-based Vertebrate Publishing, the publishing imprint of Vertebrate Graphics, has snapped up the business of Baton Wicks Publications, including books published under the Diadem brand. This deal, the…
Positive action under the Equality Act 2010
We have been receiving a few enquiries from employers recently regarding how positive action works. The Equality Act 2010 makes it illegal to discriminate against people with "protected characteristics." These include…
Employees' Shareplan Criticised
The Government's proposals for employee shareholder contracts which appear in the Growth and Infrastructure Bill and are currently before the House of Lords, envisage that employees will be given shares in small…
Workplace pension auto-enrolment staging dates
The link below shows the various staging dates for employers to have valid workplace pensions in place so that they can automatically enrol eligible
