Carer’s leave was introduced on 6 April 2024, and changes were made to redundancy protection for pregnant employees and new parents. Paternity leave entitlements were also amended. Read more…

The By Lawyers Criminal Offences app now includes new sentencing guidelines for Perverting the Course of Justice and updated sentencing guidelines for Witness Intimidation. The guidelines are effective from 1 October 2023. Read more...

Clients often ask for advice about the types of business structures available, and which might be best suited to their situation. The Business structures and the comparative table reference manual has been added to the Resource materials folder in a number of business and corporate guides. Read more...

The new Data Protection and Privacy publication discusses the rapidly evolving area of data protection law since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act came into force in 2018. Read more...

Following a user request, a new Deed of Variation of Rentcharge has been added to the Sale of Land guide. The new deed enables parties to relinquish any remedies for breaching an existing rentcharge deed. As lenders become more anxious about the possible effects of s 121 of the Law of Property Act 1925 and the potential for leases to be granted where rentcharges are outstanding, we believe that this deed will be a useful tool for conveyancers in mitigating these risks for their lender and lay clients.

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.

The Law Society, Council of Licensed Conveyancers, Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, Bold Legal Group and the Conveyancing Association, with the support of Government departments and the Land Registry have jointly drafted a Variation Agreement, for use where an exchange of contracts has already taken place on a conveyancing transaction, and a practitioner considers that it is necessary to vary its terms due to the impact of the coronavirus. The Variation Agreement and guidance regarding its use are available in both the sale and purchase guides, in the sections relating to Deterioration, Disputes and Notices. Keep up-to-date with our latest COVID-19 News & Updates.

The Financial Remedy commentary has been updated to include a straightforward appreciation of the different types of pension funds. The aim of this new section of commentary is to better assist practitioners in dealing with pensions in financial settlement matters including more detail on pension sharing orders, attachment orders and offsetting.

By Lawyers is monitoring the increasing emphasis on anti-money laundering in the profession. Read more...

UK By Lawyers author Robin Charrot of Evolve Family Law has just completed a comprehensive review of the Divorce publication. He notes that the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill was introduced June 2019 and has passed through a second reading in parliament. Whilst the actual introduction date is as yet unclear, he forewarns there will be a need for significant changes to the Family Procedure Rules to enable the legislation. By Lawyers is keenly watching the progress of these changes and will update the publication again as and when they come into effect.

As a result of an overhaul of our dispute guides, we have added several new precedents for non-court-related dispute resolution processes.

This article explores how the new By Lawyers AI prompts can enhance efficiency in criminal matters, providing structured guidance for sentencing and bail submissions directly within the workflow.

The High Court decision has major implications for thousands of paralegals, legal executives, and other non-authorised staff who handle litigation tasks every day.

The recent ruling condemns marriage value as unearned profit and dismisses ground rent as money for nothing.

Important updates to By Lawyers Care Proceedings guide, from practical new AI prompts, to expanded guidance on accommodations for neurodiversity at court locations, contact arrangements, and appeals.