Employment tribunal capacity to be increased due to Covid-19
October 7th 2020The government is introducing a series of changes to increase the flexibility and capacity of the employment tribunal system during the Covid-19 pandemic. Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment & HR provides an update. The new measures will also allow tribunals to deal with increasing caseloads, following the abolition of employment tribunal fees in July 2017. It means there will be more remote hearings so tribunals can hear more…
Sons must pay inheritance tax on mother’s pension fund
October 5th 2020The Supreme Court has ruled that a woman’s sons will have to pay inheritance tax on her pension fund because she had not drawn upon it during her lifetime. By Nicholas Devlin Solicitor The court heard evidence that the deceased woman and her former husband had been directors of a company. Shortly before her death, she transferred funds from her company pension scheme into a personal pension plan, nominating her…
Leading legal firm trio receive prestigious accolade
October 2nd 2020A TRIO of expert lawyers from a leading law firm which operates across Cumbria and Northumberland have been highlighted for praise in UK professional rankings. Three members of Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors’ Agriculture and Estates team have received the accolade from the Legal 500 which analyses the capabilities of law firms across the world. Cartmell Shepherd’s director and head of agriculture Jonathan Carroll and director Mark Jackson have both been highlighted…
Temporary protections against business insolvency extended
October 1st 2020The government is extending the temporary measures it introduced to protect businesses from insolvency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark Aspin Director & Head of Dispute Resolution provides an update. The measures are contained in the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act and were due to expire on 30th September 2020. They will now continue until the end of the year and in some cases, into next year. They include: companies and…
50 Wainwrights in support of ’50 Faces for Hospice’
September 28th 2020Team Cartmells are always up for a challenge so, when Hospice at Home launched their ’50 Faces’ fundraiser, our West Cumbria girls signed up and donned their thinking hats. After a lot of thought, suggestions and zoom meetings, it was decided that they would complete 50 Wainwrights between 1st July 2020 and 1st January 2021. Whether this be hiking, running or, over the winter months, something a little more adventurous,…
Coronavirus update Sep 2020 – please read
September 28th 2020We very much remain open for business and committed to providing you with the best possible service. The health and wellbeing of our team, our clients and our visitors is our number one priority. Heeding the current Government advice we have in place the following measures: Client & visitor meetings – are by appointment only. Please contact us using the details below to arrange a meeting. Hand washing – we…
What Do the Latest Measures from Rishi mean for your Business? What is the outlook for SMEs?
September 28th 2020We are experiencing probably the toughest year most of us have known in our business lives. Thankfully, there has been support available to help us through the crisis. On 24th September Rishi announced further measures of support including: a new job support scheme; an extension to the self-employment income support scheme; an extension to the repayment period for bounce back loans; the extension of the 5% VAT rate for the…
Surge in house sales as stamp duty holiday comes into effect
September 28th 2020There has been a large increase in house sales following the introduction of the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) holiday. By Sam Bulman, Conveyancer After a 14.5% rise in July, residential property transactions in August rose a further 15.6% as more people decided to buy a new home. The increase came after Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a stamp duty holiday for residential properties worth up to £500,000, effective from 8th…
Fatal accidents on farms worse than other industries
September 28th 2020Thinking it over with Carol Fish Director & Head of Serious and Catastrophic Injury … WE have farmers to thank for the work they do with their livestock, crops and also in many parts of Cumbria and Northumberland for helping make our world-renowned landscapes look so magnificent. But what the visitor, or even resident, sees is often only the picture postcard view of what real life on the farm is…
SMEs and the Winter Economy Plan – the UK200Group Verdict
September 25th 2020As Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors are proud members of the UK200Group we are able to share with you the following comments from several members of the UK200Group on the Winter Economy Plan: SMEs and the Winter Economy Plan – the UK200Group Verdict The UK200Group is the UK’s leading professional services group of independent quality assured chartered accountancy and law firms. The aim of the UK200Group is to help members help their clients. They…
