News & Blogs

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News and Views Issue 31

News and Views Issue 30

News and Views Issue 29

News and Views Issue 28

News and Views Issue...

With fraud being the most commonly experienced crime in the country, this year, consider making protecting yourself and your family from cybercrime and fraud one of your top resolutions.

In 2018 alone, there were 3.3 million fraud incidents, with 1.8 million of those (over half ) cyber-related. According to Citizens Advice, almost three quarters of us have been targeted by scammers in the past...

TWM has recently celebrated 50 years in Cranleigh, having opened as Durham and Co in September 1968. Graham Oliver has been with the firm throughout that time. He spent 40 years in charge of the office specialising in conveyancing and then, following his retirement from full time work, a further 10 years continuing his practice as a Notary Public. Here he shares some memories of the early days...

At its best, “leasehold” property is a simple concept – it refers to a long lease of land (residential or commercial) which ends at some future point, when the property will return to the landlord. However, the complexities of leasehold ownership and the surrounding law are rarely straightforward. There has been much in the national press over the course of many months...

We are often asked to advise employers and employees about long term illness in the workplace.

Long term illness frequently qualifies for protection as a disability under the Equality Act 2010. This supplements any protection against unfair dismissal that an employee may have.

There is no minimum period of employment to qualify for protection under the Equality Act. Apart from protecting...

In October 2018, the Prime Minister announced that civil partnerships will be made available to heterosexual couples, following a Supreme Court judgment earlier this year that there was unlawful discrimination in the current regime.

What is a civil partnership?

Civil partnerships have been available to same sex couples since December 2005. At a time when same sex couples were unable to marry,...

The UK Government has launched a consultation into perceived unfair practices in the English leasehold market, seeking views on the possibility of restricting ground rents in newly established leases to a nominal sum of £10 per annum.

Ground rent – named to reflect the landlord’s ownership of the ground beneath the tenants’ property – is an annual sum paid under...

What is it?

Japanese knotweed is an invasive, non-native plant that can cause physical damage to buildings and land, which in turn affects the value of the property, and can be expensive and difficult to eradicate or treat.

The Government has issued guidance on invasive plants such as Japanese knotweed, and it states that not only have you got to prevent invasive non-native plants spreading on...

Attorneys acting under an Enduring or Lasting Power of Attorney, or deputies appointed by the Court of Protection, should be aware of their limited power to make gifts from the funds they manage on behalf of a mentally incapacitated person, as set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Typically gifts to family on birthdays or at Christmas, which are not unreasonable taking into account the size...

In a static property market it often becomes harder to bring a chain together when selling your home. If you can afford to, you may be tempted to break the chain and purchase your new home prior to selling your current one. You may then consider renting out the property and selling it when the market improves.

The decision to buy a new home before you have sold your current one has always had...