To:- All clients and contacts of the Firm Mercers remains fully operational and is continuing to provide a full service to both new and existing clients. Our lawyers are working remotely and in our offices as necessary, though remote working will continue to be the norm for much of the time, offering telephone or...
Experts are warning against self-directed videos following the announcement by the Government that legislation is to be introduced in September to allow wills to be signed remotely using a live video link. While the coronavirus pandemic continues to pose a challenge for those wishing to have their wills drafted and signed, the announcement does...
Locking up the legalities when planning ahead in the virus crisis NHS workers fighting Covid-19 on the front line, together with the elderly and vulnerable, lie behind a huge spike in demand for will writing over recent weeks, according to the professional body for solicitors. The Law Society says many firms have reported a...
From 6 April 2020, the legal requirement on employers to provide a written statement of terms and conditions has been extended to all workers. This includes those on casual and zero hours contracts. The right to a written statement no longer requires any minimum length of service and applies from the worker’s first day...
New chancellor, Rishi Sunak, promises to support individuals and business as country tackles coronavirus threat. Business rate cuts, cash grants for small enterprises and support for both employees and employers on sick pay were among the emergency announcements designed to tackle the impact of the coronavirus in Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s first Budget, presented to...
Parents who help their children get on the property ladder are being urged to adopt a more professional approach when it comes to handing over the cash. Faced with high rental costs and soaring property prices, more parents are dipping into savings or releasing capital from their own property to support the next generation....
Restaurateurs and other hospitality sector businesses should not bank on Brexit delaying the Government’s plans for legislation designed to deal with tipping protocols. In December last year, the Government said it would introduce legislation as soon as possible to stop employers making deductions from tips and gratuities, including any so-called ‘administration’ charges which are...
Exam results have been released and new students know where they will be heading for university. Following the relief of results day, the next big headache for parents is often the search for accommodation, whether for first-timers or returning students. Faced with high rental costs, shortages and sometimes poor-quality student digs in many cities,...
It seems that people in the UK are a charitable bunch. In fact, last year, just under £3 billion was donated to charity in wills, which is expected to rise to £3.4 billion by 2022. This figure means that 3.5% of all of the money left in estates is now comprised of charitable giving....
Sweeping reform of inheritance tax has been recommended to cut the complexity of the so-called ‘death tax’, but experts are warning that individuals will need to review existing planning if the changes go ahead. Headline recommendations to government from the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) include changing the rules surrounding gifts of cash, property...