Latest News within Coronavirus

The phrase ‘putting your affairs in order’ is quite commonly used, but what exactly does this process entail? We’ve written this blog to help explain in detail what may be involved in the process and we also highlight some of the key things you will need to consider along the way.

Looking back to the start of 2020 the UK housing market looked strong, with Nationwide reporting a 14-month high in property values. A 1.9% increase on the same time the year before, and an average price of £215,897.

As most landlord’s should be aware, if you had failed to provide a Gas Safety Certificate to the tenant prior to the outset of the tenancy, then this failure meant a section 21 notice procedure could not be followed to bring an assured shorthold tenancy to an end.

As a business owner, we know you try to plan for every possible situation but unfortunately, nobody could have predicted what 2020 had in store.

We are certainly living through strange times. But for some of us it is stranger than for others. As the saying goes – we are all in the same storm, but we are not all in the same boat.

The Coronavirus has affected everyone in many different ways, but one thing is for sure, it has provided a reminder to many of us about the importance of having our personal affairs in order. For most people this process starts by writing a Will.

In this article we help to bust one of the most common family law myths, and provide advice on how to proceed if you wish to move out of the marital home.

We are getting a lot of questions from clients around this topic at the moment, so we thought that an article outlining the intestacy rules would help to guide you.

Head of Employment Law, Katie Ash answers this frequently asked question "Unless you are volunteering for your employer under Public Health England guidance, then the guidance to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) confirms that no work must be undertaken by employees during a period of furlough.

Over recent weeks there has been a huge amount of emphasis on dealing with the lockdown.
Businesses and business owners have worked tirelessly to get their heads around the terms of furlough under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, ensuring staff who need to work can do so remotely, and that the office, factory or other workspace remains safe for those who do need to physically attend the workplace.

On the 25th March 2020 the Coronavirus Act (“the Act”) received royal assent and became law, temporarily changing the landscape of private leasing overnight.

In this article, our residential property expert, Kate Skelton, answers some of the more commonly asked questions about what is and what is not possible during these times; including what to do if you have already exchanged contracts but are unable to move due to the pandemic, and who to speak to if your financial situation changes in the coming months.

The last few weeks have forced us all to change the way that we live our lives. From working, to schooling, to socialising and even shopping – we have had to adapt. There is no doubt that technology has played a big part in allowing us to adapt and indeed stay somewhat connected to the loved ones that we cannot meet in person.

Furlough leave is a government scheme that will allow businesses to continue paying a contribution to the salariesof employees who are not required to work “by reason of circumstances as a result of coronavirus or coronavirus disease”. The furlough scheme is known as the CJRS.

A Terrible consequence of the social distancing measures introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic has been a rise in the number of cases of domestic violence and abuse. The National Domestic Abuse helpline has seen a 25% increase in calls and a 150% increase in visits to their website since the current situation began (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52157620). With the lockdown continuing for the foreseeable future, we sadly expect the number of domestic abuse cases to continue to grow during this time.