Estate Planning and Tax expertise Clare Hopkins, previously a GL Associate, has been made a Partner in charge of the Estate Planning and Tax department. Michael Rapps will continue as a Partner in the department with his specialisation in trust and tax...
Three of our solicitors, Polly Bailey, Colin Foote and Emma James are involved with Envision - a national education charity that provides young people with opportunities to make a difference. Why Envision? Paul Hardman explains why GL signed up to...
Alan Sugar, Caribbean cocktails and Hermione Grainger’s time turner: find out what makes GL’s principal conveyancer and working mum Michelle Reed tick. First job? My first legal job was in a general law practice in London for 3 days a week...
Gregg Latchams is pleased to announce the launch of its associated financial planning firm GL Chartered Financial Planners. GL Chartered Financial Planners has been established to provide advice on the differing aspects of financial planning which you, our...
A quarter of wills in the UK are contested, leading to difficulties and disputes at an emotionally fraught time for families. Providing the will is valid, a person can leave their estate to whoever they choose. This freedom means that the contents of a will...
Petrol prices, road rage, packed and unreliable trains, buses that don’t turn up - we all understand the downsides of commuting. But a recent study from Lund University in Sweden offers another reason to swap your season ticket for a home office - your...
How’s your concentration span? It’s been estimated that distractions and interruptions steal up to two hours per day of productive time for the average worker, and it’s getting worse. Phone calls, email, Facebook, Twitter,...
Our Family department was praised in the prestigious legal directory Chambers & Partners. The 2012 edition says that the team “handles an impressive workload, representing professionals in Bristol and throughout the South West. It is...
Our green credentials were recognised with a prestigious industry award when we were named joint winner of the Environmental and Legal Sector Alliance Award, alongside Burges Salmon. Partner Paul Hardman picked up the award at Bristol Law Society Annual...
Gregg Latchams is delighted that we are once again sponsoring the IMS Sustainable Business Christmas drinks reception. IMS run a series of events called the “Sustainable Business Breakfast”. The highlight of the calendar is the Christmas drinks...
The Family department at Bristol-based solicitors, Gregg Latchams builds on its recent recognition in the prestigious legal directory Chambers & Partners . The 2012 edition notes that the team “handles an impressive workload, representing...
The Insolvency Service released their figures for the third quarter of 2011 on 4 November 2011. Whilst the numbers of both individual and company insolvencies are no where near the peaks of late 2009 and early 2010, the sheer volume of cases appears to...
If you don’t make a will, the inheritance of your estate is governed by a set of rules known as the rules of intestate succession, writes Mike Rapps, Estate Planning & Tax partner. The rules try to second-guess what the average person in the...
New Energy Performance Certificate regulations affecting commercial properties will now come into force in April next year, the government has announced. The changes had been due to take effect on 1 July this year but were delayed. In September, the...
Prime Minister David Cameron has confirmed his support for same-sex marriage by 2015 in a major speech. In his closing address to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on 5 October, Mr Cameron said: “I once stood before a Conservative...
A couple have each been banned from acting as directors for seven years following an Insolvency Service investigation. Christopher Howarth and Carol Howarth, both aged 49 and directors of C&C Wedding Company Limited, a bridal wear and suit hire business...
Gregg Latchams will be highlighting its expertise in environmental legal issues by taking part in a major exhibition. The firm will be showcasing its Green Law services at the Environmental Trade Show UK, which will take place at the UWE Exhibition &...
New research into cohabitation in Britain over the last 30 years suggests that the growth in couples living together could be helping to cut down on divorce. The study, carried out for the Office of National Statistics (ONS) by University of Southampton...
A new report from a leading think tank has called for a radical rethink on inheritance tax. The Mirrlees Review, published by the Institute of Fiscal Studies in September – described as “the deepest and most far reaching analysis of the UK tax...
Employers are set to benefit to changes to unfair dismissal rules to the tune of £6 million a year, according to the government. The changes, announced on 3 October by Business Secretary Vince Cable and Chancellor George Osborne, mean that from 6...
Gregg Latchams LLP will be exhibiting at the Environmental Trade Show being held at the UWE Exhibition & Conference Centre, Bristol on 13 October 2011. The trade show will bring together over 100 of the environmental sector’s best businesses,...
With the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand set to hit the sporting headlines for the next few weeks, time is ticking away for employers to consider some key issues before the tournament kicks off on 9 September. Big sporting events can trigger an increase in...
Business owners could benefit from greater protection for their property under government moves to make squatting a crime. The Ministry of Justice has launched a consultation seeking views on a range of proposals to strengthen the law on squatting to...
An employee at a London court has made history by becoming the first person to be charged under the new Bribery Act. Munir Yakub Patel, 21, from Dagenham, an administrative clerk at Redbridge Magistrates’ Court, Ilford, has already been charged with...
Gregg Latchams is celebrating after members of the team gained places in the latest UK edition of the prestigious legal directory Chambers and Partners for the first time. Richard Hill , head of the Commercial Property department and managing partner at...
More people than ever before are being successfully prosecuted for committing intellectual property crime in the UK according to a new report. The IP Crime Report for 2010-2011, published on 9 August by the IP Crime Group, part of the Intellectual...
New research has revealed that the tough economic climate is leading to more couples delaying divorce proceedings. The findings come from financial and business advisor Grant Thornton’s 2011 matrimonial survey, published on 31 August, which canvassed...
It is highly likely that, as early as April 2012, everyone’s ability to bring a professional negligence claim against a solicitor, accountant or other professional will be severely curtailed. At the moment, claims with a better than average chance of...
Care charities and other not-for-profit organisations may play a bigger role in future in protecting the interests of vulnerable people. On 4 August, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), which works on behalf of people who lack mental capacity, launched...
More than 1,000 parents received suspended prison sentences who refused to pay child maintenance in the 12 months to the end of June, according to new figures. The Child Support Agency (CSA) also collected or arranged a total of £1.15 billion in the...
Tax officials raised an extra £70 million by challenging the valuations of properties included in the estate of a deceased person during 2010, according to new figures. Research recently published by accountants UHY Hacker Young Group revealed that HM...
A Russian millionaire and his ex-wife have agreed Britain’s biggest ever divorce settlement. At the High Court in July, Boris Berezovsky and Galina Besharova agreed a settlement estimated at between £165 million and £220 million, although...
Date: Wednesday 19th October 2011 Location: Lloyds TSB, Rooms 1 & 2 Canons House, Canons Way, Bristol, BS1 5LL During this seminar, market experts will highlight how sustainability cuts across the current and likely future direction of the...
Employment law experts from Bristol-based solicitors firm Gregg Latchams will provide business owners with an insight into how recent changes in legislation will affect them at a forthcoming free seminar. Partner John Dalby, who heads the firm’s...
The Court of Appeal has recently considered the law surrounding guarantees on commercial lease assignments. When leases are assigned by a commercial tenant, both the tenant and any guarantor are released from future liability under the lease. The law...
A court case has highlighted the value of a will in enabling the person making it the right to distribute their assets exactly as they wish. The High Court case, reported in June, involved a challenge to the will of Helen Blofield by her granddaughter,...
A specialist legal group has highlighted the risks of a “DIY” approach to applying for probate and dealing with an estate. Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) – a national organisation of lawyers committed to providing the highest quality...
The new body in charge of resolving legal complaints in England and Wales says it is receiving an increasing number of approaches from people who think that they have used a lawyer, only to find that the service was unregulated. The Legal Ombudsman for...
Gregg Latchams partner Paul Hardman is playing a key role in an Institute of Directors’ (IoD) drive to encourage more businesses to explore trade opportunities in China. He appears in a new video, titled Release the dragon within, discussing Gregg...
Members of Eurovision Song Contest-winning band Bucks Fizz have taken a dispute over who owns the name of the group to the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston – who alongside former colleague Bobby G, real name...
A new survey has found that the vast majority of people would opt to use a traditional law firm to handle divorce work. The research, published in June by Manchester-based RTS Media, was carried out ahead of the introduction of alternative business...
Industrial action at Southampton City Council has highlighted the legal issues around making changes to employment contracts. The council is seeking to save £65 million over the next four years and has introduced changes to pay, terms and conditions...
New statistics show that the total number of civil partnerships in the UK is nearing 50,000. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in July revealed that the total number of civil partnerships formed in the UK since the Civil...
A recent High Court case has repercussions for club membership contracts after its ruling that fixed terms and early termination fees in gym contracts are unfair and unenforceable. Following action by the Office of Fair Trading, the High Court, ruled in the...
Nearly one in two children born today will suffer family breakdown by the time they are 16, according to a new analysis of official figures. The study, carried out jointly by the Bristol Community Family Trust and the Centre for Social Justice and published...
A review of all UK health and safety legislation will include exploring whether changes are needed to clarify the legal position of employers in cases where employees act irresponsibly. Employment Minister Chris Grayling announced in March that risk...
Bernard Matthews, the late Norfolk-based entrepreneur who made a multi-million pound fortune from turkey products, has underlined how a will provides the maker with a vital opportunity for dividing their estate in the way they wish. Probate documents...
