The articles here relate to every day family life.
Today brings a close to 2021’s Family Mediation Week . Mediation is one of the Alternative Dispute Resolution options, rather than going to court. COVID-19 has impacted on us all, in one way or another, including how we conduct...
Today, is the start of the Family Mediation Week campaign by the Family Mediation Council to raise awareness about mediation. Family mediation is a voluntary and confidential process designed to resolve personal disputes using a neutral...
As the current deadline on the government’s Stamp Duty Holiday draws closer, Dutton Gregory look to radical and innovative new ways to help their clients’ complete on their property purchase in time for the deadline – promising that if...
The latest leasehold reform announcement doesn’t quite provide the clarity the industry were hoping for… The Government has announced a new set of reforms that it hopes will make it “easier and cheaper” for leaseholders to buy their...
For most of us, 2020 has been one of the most unusual times in our lives. Yes, there are negatives but there are also lots of positives. One of my favourite positives from 2020 was the Thursday NHS clap at 8pm. I absolutely adored the solidarity from...
It goes without saying that separation and divorce can be one of the most challenging events that a person can face, both emotionally and financially. This FAQ will seek to offer some clarity in terms of the process for divorce, including an estimate of...
The property market is facing unprecedented change . Many businesses are looking to reduce or repurpose their commercial office space, and the residential market is growing at an exponential rate, with added measures such as the Stamp Duty Holiday...
The Stamp Duty holiday ( explained here ) is due to end in March 2021 - just 5 months from now. Estate agents and conveyancers around the country are working overtime to meet the surge in demand, with the biggest rise here in the South East. There...
As a Trainee Solicitor in our Family team, Taylor Devenport shares his insights into what to expect in court hearings and what they’re really like to attend. My first memory of a courtroom is at The London Dungeon. I was 7 years...
You may have been advised when you purchased your property that a restrictive covenant is contained within your title. You may also have wrongly assumed that it cannot be removed and you just have to live with it. Fortunately, this may not necessarily be the...
The needs of families and their composition continues to change, as does the technology to support them. As a result, the law supporting these families also needs to change. There has been a continued and steady increase in the number of applications being...
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all our lives and the government has introduced emergency legislation to try and limit that impact for many of us. However, in the private rental sector, there have been a number of issues which have left landlords feeling...
The Coronavirus pandemic has had a dramatic impact on all of our lives, not least on the difficulty of signing a legal document where a witness is required to be present. This raises special difficulties with Wills where the law, which goes back to 1837,...
Last week preparations were being made by landlords, agents and their legal representatives to finalise reactivation notices to file at court and serve on tenants from the 24th August, to re-start possession claims. Little government guidance was...
Have you ever wondered what equity release really means and whether it's the right option for you? We've answered some of the most common questions around equity release... What is equity release? More people are finding themselves in need of...
The division of pensions during divorce proceedings can be a complicated and emotive topics for many. In order to offer clarifications and recommendations on the matter, the Pension Advisory Group (PAG) filed their ‘A Guide to the Treatment of...
On 21 st July 2020 the Government announced new planning classes in an attempt to change the way that planning is handled. Will it be successful or is this just political “smoke and mirrors”? Probably a bit of...
This week, the Law Commission published its report on buying freeholds and extending leases. The report has been awaited since 2017, when the Law Commission announced it was given the task of promoting transparency and fairness in the residential...
Today (Wednesday 8 th July), the Chancellor has announced a temporary Stamp Duty Land Tax (“SDLT”) holiday on residential properties as part of a number of measures that aim to kick start the economy following the impact of COVID-19. The...
No Furlough for the fellow on furlough The traditional meaning of furlough is a ‘leave of absence’, especially that granted to a member of the services, missionaries or prisoners. These days though, we are all familiar with the term as...
This week, the government has announced that all planning permissions due to lapse between 23 March 2020 and 31 December 2020 that have not been implemented are automatically extended until 1 April 2021 . For many builders, this will be a welcome decision...
Although an extreme example based on the court’s findings, a recent Judgement delivered by Mr Justice Moor in the case of Neil & Neil [2019] EWHC 3330 (fam) serves as an example as to how the courts will set aside a financial order, even in part...
We are all in need of a good news story at the moment. So it was welcome news when, earlier this week, it was revealed that the mural created by street artist Banksy on a door of the Bataclan concert hall in Paris where, tragically, 90 people...
Many people dealing with or contemplating a divorce or separation may be confused and concerned by recent events, and the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on any ongoing (or anticipated) family law proceedings. When the crisis first struck, we had...
Many people dealing with or contemplating a divorce or separation may be confused and concerned by recent events, and the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on any ongoing (or anticipated) family law proceedings. When the crisis first struck, we had...
The COVID-19 pandemic is going to have long lasting implications on the economy and, as such, one of the questions that my clients are repeatedly asking me is whether they should change their course of action during the pandemic. Should they separate but...
The COVID-19 lockdown has had an effect on us all. However, for those in separated families, going through a breakdown of a relationship or even hoping to start married life, the challenges faced have been particularly difficult. We’ve looked at some...
It all seems rather surreal at the moment with the current COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Personally, I am trying to work from home while juggling trying to homeschool and entertain a preschooler at the same time! The majority of people...
Having dug out a copy of your lease from your ever growing pile of paperwork at home, you can often find yourself faced with the problem of how to decode it! The good news is that we’ve put together this general guide to a standard residential...
Local law firm Dutton Gregory celebrates the appointment of two new Equity Partners, Head of Litigation, Andrew Witt , and Head of Residential Property, Paul Sams. With both Partners joining the firm in recent years, staff, clients and friends...
As much as we have been operating ‘business as usual’ during lockdown, the need for social distancing has, naturally, impacted the process for signing and returning original legal documents to solicitors. Without signed original legal documents,...
Whilst the battle with COVID-19 rages on outside and activity within the housing market is quiet, now is a good time for leaseholders to use this opportunity to get their current lease in a good and marketable condition ready for when the market springs back...
The housing market is vital to the economy and I think we can all agree that the sooner it can safely be back on its feet, the better. I’ve had many conversations with colleagues, clients and contacts the past few weeks and I remain confident that the...
Dutton Gregory's Head of Conveyancing Paul Sams hosts " 5 Lockdown Questions With "! In light of recent events, Paul speaks to industry experts across the South to find out how they are handling the lockdown, both...
Dutton Gregory's Head of Conveyancing Paul Sams hosts " 5 Lockdown Questions With "! In light of recent events, Paul speaks to industry experts across the South to find out how they are handling the lockdown, both personally and...
Common Law in England and Wales has always been flexible in recognising a variety of different signatures, including that of merely a mark, initials or a printed name. The law even accommodates signing on behalf of someone where a person is physically...
The government introduced measures on 26 March 2020 to prevent tenants in the private rental sector (PRS) from being evicted during the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, the measures are not extensive enough. Is this the case for our student population? With...
The coronavirus pandemic has had a drastic impact on the lives of everyone, with enforced changes effecting peoples' work and social life across the country. In particular, the necessity to remain at home is taking a toll on...
It’s safe to say that the lockdown restrictions have been challenging for us all. We’re all wondering what day it is, adjust to a new way of living and working, and many of us have experienced the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our work....
Transfers of certain types of property, to anyone other than a spouse, will generally mean you have to pay capital gains tax as if you had sold the property at its market value. Adding to that pain, any taxable capital gain arising for disposals...
On Monday 23 rd March 2020 the Prime Minister gave a historic announcement, putting the UK into lockdown. This was largely expected, but few had time to prepare, including many families with child arrangements. The government have since...
Legal advice for Equity Release has been given the green light by the Equity Release Council (ERC) to happen remotely due to Covid-19 . Head of Conveyancing Paul Sams , author of a book on the topic, comments on the latest update. In the...
Furloughing is the latest focal point in employment law but what is it and what does it mean for both employers and employees? Partner and Head of Employment Mark Broad answers some of the most common questions around this topic. UPDATE...
Although mediation is normally conducted in person, due to the current covid-19 lockdown, this cannot happen. However, we are still able to offer our clients mediation services via several different video conferencing options. Initial Mediation...
With more and more people being furloughed due to the Covid-19 outbreak, charities are reporting a rapid increase in volunteers as people look to keep themselves busy. Back in January 2020, the Fundraising Regulator published its ‘Good Practice...
On Tuesday 24 th March, the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2020 came into force, bringing into effect the Government’s announcement that restaurants and drinking establishments may temporarily...
It’s been another challenging week for agents, landlords and just about everyone in the lettings industry . Late on Wednesday, the government’s emergency legislation passed into law, when the royal assent was given to the Coronavirus Act...
The Government have stated their intention to protect tenants during the coronavirus outbreak by stopping any new possession claims from being issued at court. At the time of writing (Monday 23 rd March), the final wording of this legislation has not been...
We are now over a week into the official coronavirus pandemic and the pressure on managing agents is increasing exponentially from all quarters. Last updated: 20/03/2020 Despite the pronouncements by Boris in recent days, there is still no clear...
In light of recent events, there has never been a more crucial time for communities to join together and offer help and support to those affected. As such, we are thrilled to announce our partnership with award-winning digital enterprise aDoddle ...
The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, delivered the first Budget in more than 18 months earlier this week. Today we examine some of the key aspects of the UK’s first Budget as a non-EC/EU state for nearly 50 years, as well as look at some of the quirkier...
Although mediation is normally conducted in person, due to the current lockdown situation caused by Covid-19, this cannot happen. However, we are able to offer our clients mediation services via several diferent video conferenncing options, enabling the...
Last week was Justice Week, a week-long series of events run by the Bar Council, the Law Society and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. Although the aim of Justice Week is to highlight and promote the work of legal organisations and professionals...
Last year, we published an article focussing on five curious English laws. Here are five more unusual and often cited unusual ‘laws’ which might or might not really exist. 1. It is illegal to stand within 100 yards of the reigning monarch...
Roses are red Violets are blue Five Valentine’s Day facts For people to view 1. “Under loves heavy burden…” February 24 th was officially declared the holiday of St. Valentine’s Day by Henry VII in 1537 through a Royal...
The second series of BBC’s The Split is out today, and as a family lawyer you think I’d want to avoid a programme on divorce! Yet I was intrigued to see how dramatically my profession would be portrayed... For those of you who did not...
It’s Children’s Mental Health Week at the moment (3 rd – 9 th Feb), and Family Solicitor Pauline Ellis looks at the mental impact of divorce on children, and how to best support them. Divorces can be difficult, especially when there are...
This weekend marks 60 years since Queen Elizabeth II issued an Order-in-Council stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor and that her descendants would take the name “Mountbatten-Windsor”. Inspired by HRH, here...
We are thrilled to announce the recent move of Residential Conveyancing expert Helen Phillips to our Poole office, adding to our strong reputation in the property market. Helen is a Senior Associate & Chartered Legal Executive, with a wealth...
So today is the day that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland exits the European Union. What does this mean? How will this affect you? What exactly are WTO rules? These are all questions that we are looking to answer...
2020 heralds a new decade, and unfortunately continues to bring a rise in clinical negligence cases . With the NHS paying out £2.4 billion worth of claims in 2018, it's important to understand what clinical negligence is, and the...
This week is Mediation Week ! Family solicitor Pauline Ellis shares her experiences of mediation, and how it can help. Today's blog reviews our content over Mediation Week, and what we’ve learned. What is Mediation? ...
Next week will see the 200 th anniversary of what is commonly believed to be the ‘discovery’ of Antarctica by Russian explorers Fabian Gottlieb von Bellinghausen and Mikhail Lazarev. To celebrate this, and also remind ourselves that there...
This week is Mediation Week ! Family solicitor Pauline Ellis shares her experiences of mediation, and how it can help. Today's blog looks at: The Impact of Mediation Pauline shares her experience of mediation as a Family...
Dolphin Indoor Bowls Club , one of the largest bowls clubs in the UK, have partnered with Dutton Gregory Solicitors as their new Club Sponsor for the next 3 years. The club hosts over 1000 members, and is a fantastic meeting point for those of all...
This week is Mediation Week ! Family solicitor Pauline Ellis shares her experiences of mediation, and how it can help. Today's blog asks: How Does Mediation Work? Firstly, how do you access mediation? There are two easy ways...
This week is Mediation Week ! Family solicitor Pauline Ellis shares her experiences of mediation, and how it can help. Today's blog asks: Do You Know The Benefits Of Mediation? Whilst Mediation can't offer you a golden...
This week is Mediation Week ! Family solicitor Pauline Ellis shares her experiences of mediation, and how it can help. Today's blog asks: What is Mediation? Mediation is a non-confrontational and cost effective way to...
Today marks the 100 th anniversary of the implementation of the Prohibition laws in the United States of America. With this in mind, we present five intoxicating facts relating to various laws surrounding alcohol for you to keg back and enjoy. 1....
We usher in 2020 with a look at five laws that will (all things being equal) be implemented this year. According to data collected by Strava, a social network for athletes, this year’s ‘Quitter’s Day’ and the day on which people are...
As we look forward to next week’s Christmas celebrations, here are five festive facts about Christmas. Apologies in advance for some of the wordplay, but it is the most pun-derful time of the year. We wouldn’t want to leave anyone pine-ing...
Dutton Gregory Partner and property expert Paul Sams shares his thoughts on what 2020 will bring for the housing market and the difficulties that may lie ahead for industry professionals. “Personally I am cautiously optimistic for 2020. We have...
An unidentified member of the Dorset community has won the EuroMillions this month … and has yet to claim their prize! Whether you’d buy an £88m mansion next door to Jay-Z and Beyoncé , go yacht shopping or give it all away to...
Becoming a mother can be an amazing, exciting and fulfilling experience. Unfortunately, sometimes the birth process can go wrong, and as a result your baby can be injured. We see a large number of cases where, during the birth, for whatever reason, a...
There is now less than one week until polling day and, as an antidote to the election fatigue most of us are feeling, it is worth looking at some of the more interesting laws relating to elections and the Parliament generally. So, here are five facts about...
Emma Menzies , head of our award-winning Personal Injury team , has been awarded the title of " Defendant Lawyer of the Year " at the National Personal Injury Awards . Emma was praised as a “ model professional ", and the...
Southampton Sailing Week 2020 will have the same Property and Legal Cup Sponsors as the 2019 event as Dutton Gregory are set to return. The leading solicitors, who operate out of six offices across the country including Southampton, Winchester and...
Since being founded in 2008, Airbnb has gone from the complete unknown to having hosted roughly 400 million guests worldwide. Surprisingly a year after its launch, the company was struggling to break-even but now has 31 offices and is estimated to have more...
Unfortunately, we’ve noticed Clinical Negligence claims involving falls in hospitals are still common, especially among the elderly. Falls can happen for a number of reasons and not all of them will be because of negligence. ...
Over 100 Propertymark agents and supporters, including Dutton Gregory Senior Partner Robert Bolwell, took part in a charity sleep out to raise £57,938 to support homeless young people in the UK. On the 21 st November, a team of over 100 individuals,...
With parts of England still underwater and more wet weather to come, many people, organisation and even animals are doing their bit to help. Indeed, it has been announced that three families of beavers are to be introduced on land managed by the...
Local fast-growing law firm Dutton Gregory Solicitors is delighted to announce Associate Solicitor, Helen Clarkson, as the new Chair of Young Resolution Hampshire. Resolution is a nationwide community of family justice professionals who commit to working...
Dutton Gregory Solicitors , a growing regional practice offering legal expertise across Dorset and Hampshire, has become a finalist for four separate categories at this years’ Personal Injury Awards 2019. The Personal Injury Awards are...
Next week marks the 25 th anniversary of the first National Lottery draw. For £1 per ticket, players could guess which six out of 49 balls would be drawn with each ticket having a one-in-14-million chance of being a winner. To mark the...
An inquest is sometimes held when a person has died and their death was either sudden and the cause is unknown, unnatural and or violent. Depending on the circumstances of the death, a member of the family of the deceased can request the matter be referred...
This Saturday (9 th November 2019) marks the 30 th anniversary of one of the most important events in recent history, the fall of the Berlin Wall. To mark the occasion, here are five fascinating facts about facades, fortifications, borders,...
It will soon be that time of year again when bonfires burn and fireworks flash. In order to ignite your interest, here are five fiery facts about illegal illuminations, prosecuted plotters and more! 1. All’s flare in love and war It is...
MOVING HOME? BE PREPARED Moving house is often classified as one of life’s most stressful events, with a recent poll ( Yopa, 2019 ) voting a move to be more nerve-wracking than getting a divorce, with 60% of people admitting they were put off...
This month our Clinical Negligence team settled a case for their client, a 12 year old boy, for £12.86 million . Suffering from dystonic four-limb cerebral palsy and developmental delay, our client requires constant care and the use of a wheelchair...
Clinical Negligence Claims - Snooze and You Will Lose! Think you or a loved one have a potential Negligence claim? Get in touch with our expert Clinical Negligence team now to discuss: 01202 315005 or contact@duttongregory.co.uk In clinical...
Whether you’re interested in lore or law, there are plenty of eerie enactments and creepy cases that deal with the supernatural. As the spooky season is now upon us, here are five fascinating facts about phantoms, felons and all things...
This week it was revealed, following an investigation, that only 1% of the bulbs sold at Amsterdam’s famous floating flower market, ever blossom. That spells trouble for those sellers touting their tulips to tourists but it’s also an...
Dutton Gregory is celebrating after several of its departments and many of its leading individuals throughout Hampshire and Dorset were recognised in the Legal 500 Directory 2019. The Legal 500 series analyses the capabilities of law firms worldwide...
Tomorrow marks the 40 th anniversary of the publication of the Hitchhiker’ Guide to the Galaxy. *Spoiler alert*. For those who haven’t read the book (or watched film, or watched the TV series or listened to the radio play…),...
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you may have noticed that the Supreme Court has been in the news recently. What you may not know is that it also celebrated its 10 th birthday this week. Moreover, another British...
Every year hundreds of thousands of accidents occur at work. These might involve heavy lifting or inadequate training on how to lift, using defective equipment or machinery or it could be another employee’s error. We’re taking an insider look at...
Have you bought a derelict property since March 2016? Did you pay a SDLT surcharge on the purchase of that property? If so, you could be due a refund. On 1 st April 2016, the government introduced the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) surcharge for...
It is quite common for land or property to be subject to covenants which restrict certain use or activity on the land. As can be seen from the first part of this article , a covenant must satisfy certain conditions in order to be enforceable. ...
It is quite common for land or property to be subject to covenants which restrict certain use or activity on the land. What is a covenant? Covenants are typically created where a land owner sells off a part of their land while wanting to restrict...
Regional heavyweight law firm Dutton Gregory are delighted to announce they won two awards at the Hampshire Law Society Legal Awards 2019. The firm was awarded runner up for ‘Large Law Firm of the Year’ after a successful 12 months which saw the...
The team works extremely hard for its clients, is friendly and easy to work with, and operates in a very professional manner.Legal 500 2019
I have always found the property team at Dutton Gregory to be very efficient and conscientious; they are a pleasure to work with.Legal 500 2019
The team at Dutton Gregory stands out for its ability to assist clients with 'understanding any technical issues which arise and helping to resolve the legal problems all the way to a conclusion'.Legal 500 2018
Dutton Gregory LLP provides ‘a very good service’ and ‘enjoys a warm and friendly relationship with clients’.Legal 500 2018
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