General licences, which have been administered by Natural England and governed by the Wildlife and Countryside Act, are used by landowners to control a variety of bird species including crows, jackdaws, feral pigeons and wood pigeons.

HMRC has, this morning, published further information as to the forthcoming off-payroll rules, known as IR35, and the changes to the operation of these from 6 April 2020.

A trust is an arrangement where one party (a settlor) gives the benefit of assets to another party (a beneficiary) while control and decisions relating to those assets lie with another party (the trustee).

Requests from commercial tenants for rental holidays in the light of a drop in business caused by the coronavirus pandemic have become commonplace. Analysis indicates that overall rent collection for the March quarter fell by over 25% in the UK.

Our news roundup touches on a variety of topics including stricter penalties for illegal tree felling, gene editing, taxation of ecosystem services plus a reminder of the increase to the National Minimum and Living Wages which came into force on 6 April.

Martin Oliver, Partner in our Contentious Probate team breaks down the costs of contesting a will and explains the process he follows with clients.

Professional negligence claims against solicitors often involve missed Court deadlines.

It is not easy to be legally excused from performing contractual obligations, but in some circumstances it may be possible.

Recent years have seen a surge in the holiday lettings sector with the popularity of digital platforms like Air BnB. It has brought benefits in increased income for individuals and local economies but has raised challenges for others with anti-social behaviour and availability and affordability of homes for residents. Whether this type of accommodation is a benefit relied on for tourism or a challenge faced by residents differs widely across the country.

For potential investors and acquirers, carrying out commercial due diligence prior to an acquisition is an important exercise to be considered as part of the wider due diligence process. Conducting commercial due diligence will help potential buyers to understand a target company’s commercial matters.