Tuesday 29 October 2013

Employment Law Webinar

Tolhurst Fisher are delighted to bring to you the first in our new series of bite sized webinars, which are designed to bring you interesting and informative legal updates without the need for you to attend a seminar.

Our first webinar is by Marsha Robinson, who is a solicitor in our employment law department.  Marsha is discussing the recent changes to employment law that will impact you and your business and she also introduces you to our new Employer Protect Scheme.



The whole webinar is about 7 minutes, so maybe go and get yourself a cup of coffee first!

To view on YouTube use the link below:
http://youtu.be/SPjbmXX1YFI

Thursday 24 October 2013

Changes to the National Minimum Wage

As of the 1st October 2013 the changes to the National Minimum Wage will be as follows:

£6.31 for those 21 years and over;

£5.03 for those aged 18-20 years;

£3.72 for those above school leaving age but under 18;

£2.68 for apprentices.

For further information regarding employment matters please contact our employment team by email on employment@tolhurstfisher.com.

Improving Director Effectiveness – ICSA Meeting October 2013

With increasing demands on director’s time, electronic board portals have rapidly become a popular way to increase board effectiveness, according to Ian Beth of Computershare Governance Services.

Addressing the quarterly meeting of ICSA’s Essex branch at Tolhurst Fisher’s dedicated commercial centre in Chelmsford, Ian explained the many benefits such technology brings. 




Recent survey evidence has shown that an average board pack weighs in at almost 200 pages, with some topping 1,000 pages.  Since a director spends an average of just 3 hours digesting each pack, more efficient use of this time can pay huge dividends.

Whether this is through electronic signatures, simple cross referencing, increased security, or just easing the administrative burden through a better process, the advantages are clear to see.  Ultimately, such benefits can only increase board effectiveness.

Commenting on the issues raised, Edward Garston, Corporate Solicitor at Tolhurst Fisher LLP observed “For a busy board of directors, any benefits that can be achieved through technology must be welcomed”.

For more information on board procedures please contact our commercial department by emailing commercial@tolhurstfisher.com for further information.

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Naming your Company to become easier

As part of the government’s “Red Tape Challenge”, a consultation by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills has concluded that the list of restricted names should be reduced.

Often discovered only at the last moment in registering a new company or changing a company name, regulations dictate that certain words or expressions cannot be used as part of a company name if they are “sensitive”.

The proposal is for around a third of such sensitive words to be permitted for use.

Although you will still be restricted from using a national word, such as British or Welsh, or words indicating some form of authority, such as Accredited or Regulator, the suggestion is that words including “European” or “Watchdog” may be used.

Draft regulations are due shortly.

For further guidance on forming a new company, what to call it, and how to protect its name please contact our commercial department by emailing commercial@tolhurstfisher.com for further information.

Thursday 17 October 2013

Beer Festival 2013

On the 1st and 2nd of October we held our annual beer festival at The Orange Tree in Chelmsford. It was well attended from professionals across the county and we have had some great feedback.

We also held a raffle at the two day event in support of the South Woodham Ferrer Guides and raised £355. This money will be changed into B&Q vouchers and used to decorate their new HQ.

At the event guests are invited to vote for and comment on their favourite drink. The person behind the best comment then wins their own Tolhurst Fisher LLP Tankard. Both winners are as below, congratulations!



We would like to extend a big thank you to the Mighty Oak brewery in Maldon for donating a Minipin of Beer towards the raffle.

Friday 11 October 2013

Help to Buy Guide

Help to Buy encompasses two schemes. The first is an equity loan, where the Government will loan up to 20% of the value of a new build home to anyone with a minimum of 5% deposit.

The equity loan scheme is interest-free for the first five years, after which there will be a charge of 1.75% (which will rise in line with the Retail Price Index) plus 1%. The loan can be repaid in full without penalty any time within 25 years or on the sale of the property.

The second, which the Government launched on the 8th October 2013, is a mortgage guarantee which will encourage mortgage lenders to lend to people with small deposits. This will be available from January 2014 and can be used to purchase new build or existing properties.

The mortgage guarantee is made to the lender by the Government and means in the event of repossession the Government will cover some of the lender’s losses.

In order to qualify, applicants must pass their lender’s credit and affordability checks and also meet appropriate criteria to ensure that they can pay back the loan.

Help to Buy cannot be used for properties in which the applicant will not be living, such as buy-to-let, nor is it open to corporate buyers.

Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases an individual can make, making good legal advice and support essential. Our Step by Step Guide to the Conveyancing Process may help explain the transaction.

Contact us today for a quote or to find out more: conveyancing@tolhurstfisher.com