TUPE (sellers & buyers) Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, if a business or part of a business is being transferred to a new owner, then you need to be aware of The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006, know as TUPE. These in effect provide protection for the employees of the […]
rhw are delighted to be able to share this news. On top of the two Awards rhw staff won at the Surrey Law Society (SLS) Awards last week, we have just had our top conveyancing quality award (The Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS)) renewed and we have just heard we are in the 2020 edition […]
We are delighted to report that rhw won two awards at the Surrey Law Society Legal Awards last night! At a glittering evening held at the Mandolay Hotel in Guildford, rhw’s Arjun Sreedaran won the “Rising Star” award and Sarah England won the “Support Team Member of the Year” award. We are delighted for both […]
I was talking to the CEO of our Website and SEO support provider a couple of days ago. We were having a chat about the core ideals that both of us have in terms of how we conduct business and how we look to project that through the businesses we represent. It was interesting how […]
Dispute resolution and ADR (sellers & buyers) ADR means Alternative Dispute Resolution. The idea here is that some form of “alternative” process is adopted that is likely to work effectively and be acceptable to more people but (fundamentally) seeks to avoid the conventional process of issuing claims, threats, demands etc. Litigation is the term used […]
Company Will – do you have one and do you need one? Your business partner of 20 years has just died. Apart from the immediate cash-flow crisis that you’re facing, there is a fundamental question over the future of the business as a whole. Who will have control of his share? Will the share be […]
Individual people have very different attitudes as to how they approach a divorce. Some clients want to know about every single aspect of the legal process, others just want their solicitor to get on with it, whilst a few are surprisingly relaxed about the whole thing. Adjusting to the way our clients want us to […]
It is a well-recognised fact among Family Law Teams that the period after the traditional summer holidays (usually July and August) sees a steep increase in inbound divorce enquiries. Yes, it can be a bit depressing to think that what should be a fun time has actually become the catalyst for a terminal split but […]
Formation of Contracts – Take 2 Making an offer (they can’t refuse)… Or how to avoid making an offer you can’t (but want to) refuse This is the second article in a series of 5. See the original Acquiring a Business - The Basic Steps Most of us know that to form a contract there […]
rhw have been shortlisted by the Law Society under the “Medium Law Firm of the Year 2019” category in their Excellence Awards. We are absolutely delighted to be recognised on a national level and look forward to the Awards evening in November. For further information see the Excellence Awards 2019 shortlist
rhw will be running 5 blog updates on the basics of acquiring a business. This is part one. There are 7 basic steps to any business acquisition. Skimp on any of them or get the order wrong and the dream deal may well go horribly wrong or not happen at all… Plan the deal Strike […]
As is often the case in divorce proceedings that make national news, two exceedingly wealthy individuals, Sir Andrew Cook and Baroness Angelika Hirsch-Stronstorff, have recently ‘resolved’ their financial proceedings after what can only assumed to be “one hell of a bun fight”. Sir Andrew, the chairman of William Cook, and Baroness Hirsch-Stronstorff, an interior designer, […]
Statistics have shown that grandparents play a vital role in the upbringing of their grandchildren. One in three families rely on grandparents for child care. Sadly, it has been found that 42% of grandparents lose contact with grandchildren following separation. This article will discuss the steps that grandparents can take to maintain contact with their […]
Separated parents taking a child on holiday Taking your children on holiday, whether abroad or within the jurisdiction can prove to be a complicated process after separation. After all, whilst parents are together as a couple, it is simply a case of arranging travel, accommodation and shopping for holiday essentials (although we will all agree […]
This is one of our occasional guest blogs we run. This particular one is part of a series… So, what effect does taking a good breath have on you? Perhaps more importantly, what effect does it have on your audience? For you as the speaker, this is what happens when you start with a good […]
This Wednesday! rhw will be there in force. Stand 41. It is FREE to visit and there are various seminars and networking events running throughout the day! If you are in business it makes 100% sense to attend. You could even go for a swim afterwards! https://surreybusinessexpo.com/ photo credit: rawpixel
Just over 4 years ago, on 5th April 2015 to be precise, the right to shared parental leave was introduced. This gives employed parents a legal right, following the birth of their child, to share up to 50 weeks of leave between them and to receive statutory pay for 37 of those weeks. Statutory pay […]
There is a basic principle in law that the owner of a property will also own the airspace above that property, to such a height as is necessary for the ordinary use and enjoyment of it. This was established in the aptly named legal case Bernstein of Leigh (Baron) v Skyviews & General Ltd. Naturally, […]
The Prime Minister recently took a break from keeping her head above the waters of Brexit to announce that the Government will make it a legal duty of Councils in England to provide secure home for victims of domestic abuse. The plans aim to standardise access to refuges and help for victims of domestic abuse, […]
The Danny Baker story currently in the press is an important and rather high profile reminder that what you say and do on social media can be misinterpreted or taken out of context. As an employee you should always stop and think before hitting the post button – whether it is on your personal social […]
‘Purplebricks’ have featured in the business news rather a lot at the present time. From being the darlings of the markets with their shares reaching the dizzy heights of 500p a share a couple of years ago, they have now come crashing down to earth and are trading, at the time of writing, at just […]
Every now and then here at rhw we like to run a guest blog from selected parties… for this blog update we have a contribution from Ges Ray of ‘Speaking in Public’ addressing something many people dread! You’ve been there; you know the feeling. You are in your meeting, at your event. You’re about to […]
rhw are holding a FREE Family Law Clinic at “SiGNAL” in Bordon on the afternoon of Wednesday 1st May 2019 between 1:00pm and 3:00pm. SiGNAL is the popular shared work-space venue in central Bordon. rhw’s clinic will be held in a quiet and very discreet room within the complex. Want to get your life back […]
This article will be of interest to landlords in the residential property sector. It provides a summary of the Tenant Fees Act 2019, which became law on 12 February this year. The Act is being implemented in two stages: on 1 June 2019 in part and then on 1 June 2020 in full. The Act […]
Break clauses are a common feature of commercial leases. They allow a tenant (and sometimes a landlord, or both) to break the lease before the end of the contractual term. The lease will specify a break date, how much notice must be given and the conditions to validly exercise the break. Purpose There are many […]
When Does the Law of Nuisance Protect the Privacy of a Home? Fearn and others v Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery The owners of four flats in an expensive high-rise apartment block in Southwark have lost a privacy case against the Tate Modern. They had brought a claim under the law of nuisance […]
Valentine’s Day, the invention of the insensitive no doubt. It reminds those who are single that they are – well – single. It reminds those who have been dumped that they have been – well – dumped. It reminds those who have been cheated on that their louse of an ex will be – well […]
Back in the day, I used to have a lecturer at University who hated February. He regarded it as a ‘waste of time’ and a bit of a carbon copy of January with slightly more light. He may have had a point, though I have always found it rather a cheerful month. This may, of […]
Whether it be buying or selling a house or renewing a commercial lease, choosing a property lawyer is one of the most important decisions you will make in relation to your property transaction. The end result of any transaction is likely to be as good as the quality of the work delivered by the professional […]
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and the World’s wealthiest man and his wife, MacKenzie Bezos, a novelist, announced on the 9th of January 2019 that they were getting divorced after a period of “loving exploration”. The announcement has raised some eyebrows amongst fellow family practitioners and I’m sure that certain Washington State attorneys are delirious […]
Brace yourselves everyone! The media is about to be full of stories about Monday 7th January being ‘National Divorce Day‘. For some reason this has grown as a story over the last few years and seems to get higher profile coverage every time it comes around. The truth of the matter is something rather more […]
In October this year we left landlords and tenants around the country holding their breath for the outcome of the Supreme Court decision in S Franses Limited v The Cavendish Hotel (London) Ltd [2018] UKSC 62. Well the waiting is now over as the Supreme Court has now handed down its judgement in one of the […]
From now until the 31st January 2019 rhw are offering the following special offer! For a limited time only, if you buy or sell a property with our Residential team and draw up your Will with our Private Client team at the same time, we will reduce our fees by 10% for both transactions! Please […]
Christmas is often projected in the media as being 100% fun and festive and for many it is. However, the truth for some people is often something a little less fun and is actually very stressful due to their domestic circumstances and/or finances. If you are having relationship issues already, the Christmas period can accentuate […]
Is December a bad month for getting things done? In recent years there has been a slow but definite trend, within the legal sector, from the month being regarded as a bit of a write off, to being something more interesting in terms of getting preparations in place for the great return to work in […]
Does the existence of a restrictive covenant in Deeds mean that I can’t develop my land? Well the short answer is ‘it depends!’ The starting point is always to properly consider the exact terms of the restrictive covenant, in addition it is also important to remember that the simple fact that a restrictive covenant exists […]
The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) What are MEES? They are regulations which relate to energy efficiency ratings of commercial properties. The current ratings range from A-G, A being the most energy efficient and G the least. The regulations state that from 1st April this year any commercial property that has an Energy Performance Certificate […]
For a case that generated so much interest, both with Family Lawyers and the general public, the end result of the infamous Owens case was a rather disappointing finale. Just to recap: Mrs Owens petitioned to dissolve her marriage on the basis of Mr Owens’ unreasonable behaviour. Mr Owens defend the allegations and, eventually, the […]
Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 Demolish or Reconstruct ground [s.30(1)(f)] to be considered by the Supreme Court – Part 1 S Franses Ltd v The Cavendish Hotel (London) Ltd (Judgement [2017] EWHC 1670 QB appealed) was heard by the Supreme Court on 17 October 2018. The decision will have significant consequences and landlords and tenants across […]
rhw are delighted to announce that our Family Law Team are now listed in the Legal 500! This demonstrates the level of commitment and dedication the team has shown over the past few years and the fact it has been recognised by those who spend their lives assessing this area of Law. If we can […]
In June, the Supreme Court ruled that denying heterosexual couples the right to have a Civil Partnership was inherently discriminatory. Hot on the heels of this judgement, The Prime Minister recently announced her government’s intentions to make it possible for heterosexual couples to enter into Civil Partnerships, rather than get married. Would this be an […]
Unless you have been in hibernation for the last 12 months you cannot have failed to notice the “#MeToo” campaign. Some dismiss this campaign as over sensitive, hysterical women. Surely, there is nothing wrong with a bit of flirtation and banter in the work place or at a corporate event? Surely such behaviour does not […]
I have been at rhw for seven years. Before starting my current role as Head of Business Development at rhw, I had worked at other Law Firms and also a variety of Commercial Property Firms in London. During those years I encountered all sorts of work environments, from the very relaxed to the almost military […]
Many employers talk about wellbeing and mental health issues. At rhw we are putting what we talk about into action! To mark World Mental Health Day we are posting this snap-shot of what’s going on inside rhw. Know a colleague who doesn’t sleep well? Someone in your team who doesn’t cope well under pressure or recently suffered […]
One of the areas we get asked about from time to time by clients and enquirers are upward only rent reviews. These were very popular among landlords, for obvious reasons, during the 80’s and 90’s. The recent challenging trading environment for many retailers on the High Street as well as those operating in other commercial […]
rhw like to keep their finger on the pulse of what is going on from the point of view of others in the wider business world. To this end we like to, once in a while, feature a guest blog from one of our contacts. Today we feature a case study provided by our guest blogger […]
When is the residential property market not in the news? Very rarely is the correct answer and if you are a Daily Mail reader, the answer is never! Recently the usual hares were set running with regard to house prices, when the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, speculated that a no-deal Brexit […]
Much has been said and written about the “death of the high street” in recent times. The decline in high street sales happened quite rapidly after the recession hit in 2008 and Britain’s high streets struggled to recover in line with the remainder of the economy in the years that followed. In the last twelve […]
rhw expand family team and are delighted to welcome two new solicitors to the Firm. Bethany Rickerby and Clive Hogan have now added their considerable talents and skill-sets to rhw’s well regarded Family Team. If you would like to know more about our Family Team, or need some legal advice on any area of Family Law […]
You can tell it is early September. The skies are clearing nicely, the humidity is about perfect and it’s wall-to-wall sunshine outside. All your child-free friends are streaming out of the country for their own holidays and you can watch what you want on TV without having to navigate a slightly grumpy teenager permanently slumped […]