Podcast from Caroline Benfield and Elizabeth Taylor on the Corporate Insolvency & Governance Bill 2020.

If a will does not include the true wishes of the person making the will, or if the will has not been executed correctly, it may be invalid and can, therefore, be contested. Our guide takes you through the grounds for contesting a will.

Proprietary estoppel is a legal remedy that permits people who, having been promised land, property or a combination of both (usually a farm) and relied on that promise to their detriment, to bring a claim if that promise is reneged on.

Historically courts have taken a robust approach to protecting gifts contained in wills for the benefit of a charity. A number of recent cases suggest a change of approach towards charities. A notable case, which reflects these changing attitudes is the case of Gill and Woodall [2010].

In 2023, a shareholder recovered the VAT paid on professional fees despite making an exempt sale of the shares in their company. HMRC rejected the shareholder’s claim, but the Tribunals have accepted the shareholder’s arguments. The case is Hotel La Tour Ltd [2023] UKUT 00178 (TCC). Shareholders should now be considering whether they can structure their share sales in order to recover VAT on professional fees, or whether share sales in the past four years qualified for input tax recovery.

Wright Hassall announced as the new exclusive legal sponsor of the Equestrian Employers Association (EEA).

We regularly receive requests for advice on how to regain possession of a tied cottage when a statutory tenancy comes to an end, particularly in cases where the history of succession is not easily accessible.

A leading Midlands law firm has announced the appointment of two newly-qualified solicitors following the completion of their training contracts. Gemma Macintyre and Melissa Scott have begun their roles as solicitors at Wright Hassall, in Leamington Spa.

Letters of intent are widely used in the construction sector where the employer wants to get on with the project and does not want to, or cannot, wait until the building contract has been negotiated and signed.

What does “best endeavours” mean? This was an issue in Jet2.com Ltd v Blackpool Airport Ltd; fasten your seatbelts…