News

1st July 2022

We are delighted to welcome yet more Partners to our firm through internal promotion, so congratulations go to Emily Bull and Nisha Tayal in our Family Department and Melissa Hackett in our Residential Department. We pride ourselves on ...

21st June 2022

Deciding who should inherit from you in your will, how much they will get and in what shares, are big decisions to make. This can be made more difficult if you have particular concerns about a beneficiary and whether the inheritance ...

5th April 2022

Creating a will with a life interest trust over your property allows you to ensure that your home passes to those you choose, whilst also allowing you to provide for another loved one during their lifetime. ‘Life interest trust wills ...

Employment Law
25th January 2022

With people seeking greater flexibility and a better work-life balance, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) now account for 99 per cent of all private businesses in the UK. ‘Launching and building your new startup is an exciting ...

12th January 2022

Congratulations go to Lucy Shires in our Residential Property department who has qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive. Lucy has been working and studying over the past seven years to achieve this qualification and we have witnessed ...

5th January 2022

We are delighted to congratulate Sarah Rowden on her promotion to Partner. Sarah joined the firm in 2019 and has specialised in Residential Property for over 14 years “Sarah will be a great addition to the leadership of our team,” ...

3rd November 2021

We are delighted to welcome Georgia Chandler to the Wills, Probate and Trusts department. James Sawers, Partner and Head of the Wills, Probate and Trust department, stated “I am delighted that Georgia has joined our team. She joins us ...

Trees
9th September 2021

Making a will is an important part of lifetime legal planning, but do you need to put all your wishes in your will? Where should you set out your wishes for gifts or your funeral arrangements? Is it appropriate to explain your ...

8th September 2021

Through this series of articles, ‘Protecting your business’, our Employment partner, Linda Wilson, takes a look at different topics providing tips and advice to help businesses. This article focuses on what managers in your business ...

Hills
3rd June 2021

We are currently recruiting secretarial staff, and also looking for solicitors or legal executives for our Commercial Property team and Wills, Probate and Trusts department. We are a friendly firm with a focus on client service based ...

29th March 2021

Preparing and collecting all the information for your first meeting with your conveyancing solicitor, whether that meeting is face-to-face or virtual, will get your transaction off to a good start. Here Sarah Rowden, a residential ...

18th March 2021

MacDonald Oates is delighted to announce the recent completion of a seven figure company sale acting for the management team on its buyout of The Green Oak Carpentry Co. Ltd. which is a local, highly-regarded designer and provider of ...

15th March 2021

There have been a number of changes in regard to marriage law since 2004, with the most recent being the introduction of opposite-sex civil partnerships in 2019.  These changes have provided clarity over legal rights and financial ...

24th February 2021

The Supreme Court has handed down its decision in Uber v Aslam, upholding the decisions from the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and Court of Appeal.  This case was summarised helpfully by Lord Legatt of the ...

12th January 2021

Can I challenge a will that fails to make reasonable provision for me? It is becoming increasingly common for a dispute over a will or a deceased’s estate to arise, particularly where someone who expected to inherit has been excluded ...

6th January 2021

“Silver lining: a sign of hope in an unfortunate or gloomy situation; a bright prospect” As we enter the third lockdown in the UK, it is not surprising that many businesses and employers are struggling to cope and some sectors, such as ...

Employment Law
11th November 2020

HMRC has published updated guidance on the extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The CJRS was originally due to close on 31 October but has been extended to 31 March 2021. For the period 1 November 2020 to 31 January 2021, ...

MacDonald Oates LLP Solicitors
6th October 2020

We are delighted to congratulate Matthew Archer and Ben Holden on their promotion to Partners. Matt joined the firm in 2013 and specialises in commercial property and Ben who joined in 2018, specialises in wills, trusts and probate. ...

Stags
3rd September 2020

With life expectancy in the UK predicted to rise into the late 80s for men and women by 2030, an increasing number of people are choosing to safeguard their interests by making lasting powers of attorney. These enable a relative or ...

12th August 2020

Due to the devastating impact that COVID-19 has had on our economy, many predicted that businesses would be facing difficult decisions with regards to how they would be able to manage to retain staff whilst revenue dropped. The ...

Stags
18th May 2020

The Government published ‘COVID-19 and renting: guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities’ on 28 March 2020. This guidance gives details of measures to help renters during the current coronavirus crisis. It clarifies the ...

24th March 2020

We remain fully open for business to assist our clients during the current global outbreak of the Coronavirus, COVID-19. In line with current government advice, our offices in Petersfield and Midhurst remain open and operational ...