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In addition to the various government schemes to protect existing businesses, employees and the self-employed during the coronavirus pandemic, the government has created a new loan scheme to support new ventures: the Future Fund. The Future Fund allows start-ups reliant on equity investment to obtain funding that they may not be able to achieve via a convertible loan from the government.

Who...

You will not be alone if you are struggling to pay maintenance at the moment. Unemployment in the UK has rocketed with many more furloughed. Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which has been extended until the end of October 2020, the government will pay 80% of wages up to a ceiling of £2,500 gross per month.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is a lifeline for many, but if...

Families and couples will be all too aware that we are now entering an unprecedented 12^th week in lockdown. As the mandatory self-quarantine measures introduced in March have forced couples to spend more time together, some have relished in this opportunity. Sadly, for others it has exacerbated existing marital problems. Incidents of domestic abuse have also intensified.

Given the apparent...

We have written previously about reforms to the existing 50-year-old divorce laws in England and Wales and how a new bill, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill had reached its second reading stage in the Commons and had cross-party support. The Bill is now set for its second reading today (8 June 2020) in the Commons. It is understood that ministers are eager to see that the...

In a further effort to assist businesses and individuals to ‘weather the storm’ of coronavirus, the government has extended the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) to allow applicants to obtain a second grant in respect of a further three months of profits.

What is the Scheme?

The Scheme, generally seen as the self-employed equivalent to the Coronavirus Job Retention...

Pension sharing orders have been in existence now for well nigh 20 years since their introduction on 1 December 2000. The aim was, as the name suggests, that pensions could be split or shared going forwards, to create fairness between spouses and civil partners on divorce or dissolution. This was done by allowing the family court to direct a transfer equal in value to a proportion of the...

On 29 May 2020, the government announced changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which underpins the current practice of furloughing employees, and runs until 31 October 2020.

The Scheme will close to new entrants on 30 June 2020. Employers will only be able to furlough workers who they have furloughed under the scheme for a full three-week period at some time prior to 30 June 2020...

Coronavirus has changed every aspect of our lives recently, but we are finding many people are using the time during the lockdown as an opportunity to review their affairs, for example, considering their Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs). This article highlights some of the adaptations we have made to the process of advising clients at this time, and to give our clients peace of mind...

The changes required to accommodate employees returning to the workplace will in some cases mean changing their employment contracts, for example, shift patterns, working hours or place of work.

Simply pressing ahead with making these changes risks liability. An aggrieved employee can object, work under protest and claim breach of contract to recover any resulting loss, whilst action taken by...

On 20 May 2020, the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill (the “Bill”) was introduced to Parliament. The aim of this Bill is to protect viable businesses from collapse during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Corporate Governance

The Bill intends to lift regulatory requirements of company meetings and filing requirements between 26 March 2020 and 30 September 2020. There will be more...