The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 is in force from 30 June 2022. The Act restricts ground rents on new residential long leases to an annual nominal rent of a peppercorn. Any landlord who contravenes the Act can be fined up to £30,000. The property guides have been updated to reflect these changes.

The new Contract Disputes guide has been published. Read more...

Following the government announcements that breathing spaces are being extended for business tenants and companies, the Dealing with legal issues during COVID-19 publication has been updated.

Many quality schemes, including LEAP’s own ‘Best Practice Scheme’, require firms to obtain feedback from clients. We recognise that this is often dealt with by way of a survey platform and there is space in the Firm Details table for a feedback weblink to be listed. This link now drops into the By Lawyers letters to clients finalising matters, if the firm has the link set up.

We are very pleased to announce the release of the Short Residential Tenancies guide to complement our many comprehensive Conveyancing and Property guides. This guide covers all aspects of practice and procedure when preparing, managing and ending a short residential tenancy. The commentary is practical and easy to understand and is supported by numerous helpful precedents. Key content includes: Commentary on the types of short-term residential tenancies; Guidance on creating short-term residential tenancies; Tenancy agreements to suit various situations; An inventory and inspection report to assist with managing a tenancy; and Notices to end a tenancy. The Short Residential Tenancies guide is an invaluable resource for all practitioners who wish to prepare, manage and end a short residential tenancy. We invite you to explore the new guide. Comments and feedback are always welcomed.

Following a request from a user, a new clause, Immediate post death interest in property, has been added to the Wills matter plan, in the Library of clauses contained in the C. The Will folder. The new clause allows for the grant of an immediate post death interest in a property to a partner, whether they are unmarried, married, in a civil partnership. An option for the interest to revert to children on either the death of the partner or their marriage or cohabitation has also been included. Comments and feedback are always welcomed, particularly if other clauses would be useful.

From 1 April 2021, a new Help to Buy scheme comes into force. For further details see the Help to Buy section in our Purchase of Land commentary. From 1 April 2021, The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 will apply to all private rented sector landlords of residential premises in England, including licences to occupy and houses in multiple occupation, with costly sanctions for non-compliance. For further details see the Buy to Let section in our Purchase of Land commentary.

The Companies commentary has been updated to enhance our offering in respect of put and call options, directors’ duties and wrongful trading, and issues relating to insolvency of a company. We have also added guidance for those acting for a supplier including a retention of title precedent. We invite you to explore this updated publication and welcome Comments & Suggestions as always.

We are very pleased to announce the release of a companion Motoring Offences guide to sit alongside our comprehensive step-by-step Criminal guide. This guide covers all aspects of practice and procedure when acting for the defendant in proceedings involving motoring offences in the Magistrates’ and Crown courts. The guide assists practitioners with all aspects of representing clients in traffic matters, from providing advice in relation to fixed penalty notices to going to court. The commentary is practical and easy to understand and is supported by numerous helpful precedents. Key content includes: Law and procedure relating to alcohol and drug offences as well as offences involving licences, insurance, careless driving, dangerous driving, accidents and death. A summary of the fine and any disqualification period or imprisonment term is included for all common offences. A comprehensive Retainer Instructions precedent is included on the matter plan to ensure all necessary information is collected. Comprehensive discussion of the penalties including fines, penalty points, disqualification, community orders, imprisonment and ancillary penalties and orders. Practical guidance in preparing for court, with detailed commentary on analysing the charge and conducting plea negotiations. Information sheets for clients covering the court processes and what to do on the day of the hearing. A library of letters to clients and third parties including: Letter to police seeking speed gun operator’s certificate and experience; Letter to police seeking speed camera evidence and certificate of calibration; Letter to police seeking video, photo or CCTV footage; Letter to client requesting mobile phone records; Letter to mobile phone usage expert; Letter to client for driving licence check code; Letter instructing accident collision expert. The Motoring Offences guide is an invaluable resource for all practitioners who conduct motoring offence matters, including those with limited experience in this area or those supervising junior lawyers.

With every new costs management practice direction comes a new spreadsheet and the 122nd Practice Direction update was no different. According to the revised Practice Direction 3E, Precedent T should be used from the 1st October to advise the court and other parties about variations in the costs budget during claims. Oppressive behaviour is also mentioned in the new practice direction and parties who believe that they are being pressured into spending money unnecessarily can apply to the court for relief. The By Lawyers Debt Recovery publications have been updated accordingly and Precedent T is available in the matter plan. The opportunity was taken to enhance the commentaries with recent case law discussions regarding: Security for costs applications relating to the economic consequences of COVID19. Reasonable adjustments which allowed a vulnerable witness to provide evidence. Choice of expert to provide evidence. The costs consequences of withdrawing a Part 36 Offer. The admissibility of ‘without prejudice’ material in limited circumstances. We invite you to explore the updated Debt Recovery – Acting for Claimant and Debt Recovery – Acting for Defendant publications. Comments and feedback are always welcomed.

By Lawyers are delighted to announce that the Enforcement guide has been published. A whole new commentary with practical advice is available together with precedents and a matter plan. We invite you to explore this new publication and to consider the wealth of assistance the guide offers for lawyers acting in the enforcement of a judgment. Comments and feedback are always welcomed.

The Welsh Government has temporarily increased the nil rate band of land transaction tax for residential property transactions in Wales, increasing the nil rate from £180,000 to £250,000 for main residential purchases. The temporary rates apply for main residential purchases between 27 July 2020 and 31 March 2021, but do not apply to purchases of second homes or buy-to-let properties.

As a response to a user request, the matter plan has been amended to include a letter sending a blank form FP8 Notice of Change of Solicitor to a client at the start of the matter, to assist practitioners in ensuring that a signed copy of this is on file should the need arise later in the matter. The user who requested it kindly let us know that it is ‘wonderful to have such amazing speedy support from By Lawyers’. The matter plan also now provides a link to the new interactive PDF version of the form E Financial Statement. The interactive PDF will populate fields, calculate figures and guide practitioners through the form. More information about this form is available from the LEAP Content Blog.

As commentators are suggesting that wills signed during the coronavirus pandemic may be more open to challenges, a new Will Execution Attendance Note precedent has been added to the Wills matter plan to assist with Larke v Nugus requests. The attendance note when coupled with the retainer instructions prompts practitioners to consider and briefly note the situation surrounding the taking of instructions and the execution of the will. These documents, readily completed at the time, will assist practitioners should a request for information ever arise in the future. The opportunity has also been taken to add a precedent To Do List – Wills to the guide in order to assist practitioners with file management.

The Domestic Violence Orders Guide has been reviewed and updated to ensure that the commentaries and precedents are in line with current law and practice. The extensive review was performed with a focus on practical tips that will help lawyers confidently run a matter to completion. Commentary covering types of domestic abuse including coercion, financial and online abuse has been expanded. Additional example content for witness statements have been included in the example content precedents and a new To Do List – Domestic Violence Orders has been created to assist practitioners. We invite you to explore this updated publication and to consider the wealth of assistance the guide offers for lawyers acting for applicants or respondents in domestic violence matters.