Since 17th August 2015, the Law relating to handing on your European property on death has radically changed. In one sense it has become a lot simpler, in that assets in member states will pass according to where the person owing that property is “habitually resident”, rather than different countries having different rules, but in reality the position has become a great deal more complex and it is vital to have good professional advice. Read more →
We are proud to announce that we have recently passed our annual reassessment of this Quality Mark of the Law Society and have achieved the new Lexcel 6 standard.
Lexcel is the Law Society’s legal practice quality mark for excellence in legal practice management and client care. It provides a framework to help practices develop consistent operational efficiencies and client services, manage risk effectively, reduce costs and promote profitability. It is the most appropriate standard for the legal profession as it was written by solicitors for solicitors.
The Lexcel standard sits alongside our other accreditations from the Law Society – we are members of Conveyancing Quality Scheme which demonstrates excellence in residential property matters; and also of the Wills and Inheritance Quality scheme which confirms best practice in Wills and Estate Administration advice. We are the only Legal Practice in Carmarthenshire to have achieved all three standards.
In the Chancellor’s Budget last July, the rules relating to taxing dividends were changed in a way which may help small investors but will have a significant impact on owners of private companies who are largely remunerated by taking dividends. Read more →
Bad debts can ruin businesses. By losing the cash that your business has earned, this can lead to cashflow problems for you and the resultant problems that this will bring.
What would happen to your business if you could not pay your staff, as one of your debtors has gone into administration owing you a lot of money? Could your business survive? Read more →
The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 requires that from 23rd November 2015 every Landlord in Wales must register themselves and any residential rental property that they own.
In order to register a Landlord must visit www.rentsmart.gov.wales to set up an account and work through the online process. A Landlord must complete the registration themselves; an agent or anyone else cannot do this on their behalf. All registered Landlords will then be issued with a unique registration number which should be clearly displayed on all new Tenancy Agreements and documentation. Read more →
For separated families with children, it can be difficult for parents to reach agreement in respect of contact arrangements over the festive period. Read more →
When Chancellor George Osborne delivered his Autumn Statement on the 25 November 2015, he delivered a hammer blow to Buy to Let Investors with changes in Stamp Duty for Buy to Let properties and Second Homes. Such changes will be effective from April 2016 and therefore if you are considering investing in a Buy to Let property, now is the time to do it before the changes are introduced. Read more →
The Court of Appeal decision in the Ilott v Mitson case released on 27th July 2015 received a lot of media attention.
The case was about a claim brought against the estate of the late Melita Jackson who died in 2004, by her estranged daughter Heather, under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. Heather had not seen her mother Mrs Jackson since she left home at the age of 17 some 27 years before Mrs Jackson died.It is certainly not uncommon for a parent who has had no contact with their child for many years to exclude that child from benefit from the Will. Read more →
It is just over a week to go until the Royal Welsh Winter Fair at Builth Wells. This year’s show takes place on Monday 30th November and Tuesday 1st December 2015. This is the first year we have had a tradestand at the show and we will be located in the South Glamorgan Hall next to the CLA.
We are looking forward to welcoming friends old and new to our stand so please pop and say hello and have a cup of tea and mince pie with us!
Planning for the future means not only sorting out a Will (for the situation after you die) and Lasting Powers of Attorney (in case you lose your mind) , but also, especially for farmers trading on their own or in a partnership where the other partner has no real involvement in the farm, drawing up a disaster recovery plan which will provide vital information to allow the farm to continue to operate and the livestock to be looked after if anything should happen to the farmer.
This needs to cover topics such as who are the key people to be involved on the practical side once the disaster has taken place, with information on their role and how to contact them if they are not on the farm at the time, and also the support network, in terms of contractors, the maintenance of machinery, the milk distributor, the vet etc.
Going on from there, it should also consider what is to happen to the farm in the light of the farmer being unable, through some terrible accident or death or the like, to continue being involved. What is to happen to the livestock? What about the staff? Is the farm to be maintained or sold and what about the implements and machinery?
Ideally this plan should cover various incidents separately, such as a serious injury, a fire and a sudden death.
Here at UTK we have experience of drawing up disaster recovery plans and we can help not only with setting them up in conjunction with you but also putting in place arrangements to ensure that they are reviewed from time to time.
Please contact Adam Bruce or Myria Griffiths on (01267) 237441 for further information.
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Registered Office: Ungoed Thomas & King Ltd Solicitors, The Quay, Carmarthen, SA31 3LN
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