Following a recent request, and in consultation with our family law author, we have developed a Questions on the financial statement precedent for the Financial remedy guide. Read more...

The By Lawyers Trusts guide has been reviewed and updated to ensure that the commentaries and precedents are in line with current law and practice. Read more...

The Motoring offences commentary has been updated to include guidance on various types of unusual motor vehicles, including e-scooters. Comments and feedback are always welcomed.

The Commercial Lease guide has been enhanced with points to note from the recent case of Sara & Hossein Asset Holdings Ltd v Blacks Outdoor Retail Ltd [2020] EWHC 1263 (Ch) regarding service charge certificates.

The Wills commentary has been enhanced to include detailed discussion of the processes involved in the witnessing of a will using video-link. Precedents for client instructions, a practitioner’s checklist and an attendance note have been created, as well as example wording for a will attestation clause. We invite you to explore this updated publication. Comments and feedback are always welcomed

The Purchase of Land commentary has been enhanced to include, in addition to searches of local registers carried out by local authorities, the process for applications for searches of a local authority register which have been migrated to HM Land Registry and are made using the registry’s Search for local land charges service. We invite you to explore this updated publication. Comments and feedback are always welcomed.

The By Lawyers Practice Management publication has been reviewed and updated to ensure that the commentaries and precedents are in line with current law and practice. Read more...

The Estates commentary has been enhanced to include discussion of recent case law pertaining to the forfeiture rule and a helpful section on locating a will.

From 20 April 2020 existing statements of truth for estates will be replaced by the new grant of representation application forms. Old-style Statements of Truth received after that date will be rejected by the Probate Registries and practitioners asked to submit the appropriate new form instead. The implementation of the new forms is part of HM Courts & Tribunals Service’s drive to streamline its systems thereby enabling bulk scanning. This in turn is expected to reduce errors and speed up their processes. The new forms which may be found on the matter plan are: PA1A – Probate application – without a will PA1P – Probate application – with a will PA8A – Application to stop, or extend a stop on a grant of representation (Caveat)

The Property information form TA6 has been updated. The changes are in relation to Japanese knotweed, flood risk, radon and septic tanks.

The By Lawyers Financial Remedy publication has been reviewed and updated by our authors as part of our continuing review process. The review included several new precedents and greater commentary detail.

Our author has recently reviewed the probate publication providing several new precedents and amending the commentary. Additional automation was also added to some of the precedents to increase flexibility and efficient usage.

A precedent Reservation Agreement has been added to the sale and purchase of land guides. The agreement is designed to bind the parties to an agreed pre-exchange time frame in which the seller will not deal with third parties, and the buyer will either exchange the offered contract or withdraw on discovery of serious adverse affectations through the usual investigations, searches and enquiries. By this means the parties are able, immediately following agreement and issue of the contract, to be confident that the transaction will proceed in the absence of unforeseen and unexpected circumstances.

By Lawyers has a new publication: Companies. With a comprehensive commentary and precedents, the companies publication deals with not only the incorporation of a new company, but also the ongoing running of a company and the hiccups that can occur along the way. The commentary discusses many issues such as: Appointing company officers; Articles of association; Shareholders agreements; Meetings, resolutions and records; Transfer of shares; and Tax. The matter plan provides the many essential everyday precedents as well as the more complex including: Two shareholders agreements, one concise and one extensive; Share certificate; Two agreements for sale of shares: one concise and one extensive; Deed of trust for purchase of shares by a trustee; Library of option precedents; and All of the necessary consents, minutes and resolutions. The new Company publication is available through the Legal Guides tab on the Forms & Precedents button in the LEAP matter.

The biggest overhaul of renters’ rights in decades, redefining the line between tenant security and landlord flexibility.