Stamp Duty Land Tax Changes
By Amy Cornelius Stamp Duty Land Tax: Important changes to timescales for filing returns From 1 March 2019 the period of time to file a Stamp Duty Land Tax (“SDLT”) return, and pay any SDLT due, will reduce from 30…
How should annual leave entitlement be calculated for a “casual” worker with irregular hours?
How should annual leave entitlement be calculated for a “casual” worker with irregular hours? The fact that the Working Time Regulations (WTR) 1998 entitles all workers to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday complicates matters when dealing with workers who work irregular…
The benefits of entering into conciliation via ACAS
There are a number of ways in which the parties can attempt to resolve an employment dispute and reach a settlement, either before or after it becomes the subject of an Employment Tribunal claim: They may negotiate directly and enter…
TUPE Transfers Do Not Set Obsolete Terms and Conditions in Stone
Staff who are shifted between one employer and another have a right to work under the same terms and conditions as before – but what happens if such provisions become obsolete? A tribunal tackled that issue in a guideline case…
Owens v Owens: Another Example of the Need for ‘No Fault’ Divorce?
By Kelly Willmott The much publicised case of Owens & Owens came to a head this week when the Supreme Court unanimously rejected Mrs Owens appeal, meaning that she must now remain married until 2020. Mrs Owens filed for divorce…
Wife Seeking Divorce Fails to Prove English Domicile
London has gained a reputation as 'the divorce capital of the world' because settlements reached are, by international standards, very generous towards women. It is no surprise, therefore, that the courts in this country are a very popular choice of…
Trespass and Assets of Community Value – Court of Appeal Guidance
Land or buildings that have long been used for recreational purposes by local people can be registered as assets of community value under the Localism Act 2011 – but what happens if that use consists of acts of trespass? The…
Tenants Must Bear Cost of Safety Improvements
Following the Grenfell disaster in 2017, cladding has come under close scrutiny with surveys being carried out as a priority in buildings across the UK. The failure to comply with Building Regulations (Part L1A 2010), which provides a framework for…
Possible Separation from Mother Intolerable, Rules Court
Relationships that start on the Internet are already leading to some interesting situations. A recent family case involved a British woman who had met a Pakistani man online and married him in the USA, where the couple had two children…
Planning Application Restricted to Preserve View
On our densely populated island, there is a pressing need for available land to be put to sensible use and, where restrictive covenants lurking in title deeds prevent that happening, they can be modified. In a case on point, a…