11th July 2023

Whether the beneficiary of an estate is entitled to inherit a small personal item, a share or even the majority of the assets of the person who died, it can be a stressful time for them while they wait for probate to come through. ...

6th July 2023

One story which received a great deal of media coverage earlier this year was the publication of the results of a six-month trial involving around 2,900 workers who had moved to a four-day working week. The organisers of the UK trial ...

3rd July 2023

If you are an attorney for health and welfare decisions (as opposed to financial decisions), it is important to make sure that you are clear about exactly what decision making powers have been granted to you. This will ensure you can ...

15th June 2023

‘Using a settlement agreement to bring an employment relationship to an end, and effectively wipe the slate clean, can be very useful. But, to start the conversation, employers need to be able to speak off the record,’ says Linda ...

11th May 2023

In a policy paper called ‘Smarter Regulation to Grow the Economy’, the Government has set out a number of employment law measures as part of a package of reforms intended to grow the economy and cut costs for businesses. The plan to ...

10th May 2023

‘If you have a child with a disability, you may be concerned about what will happen to them when you are no longer around,’ says Clare Ridout, an Associate Solicitor in the wills, probate and trusts team with MacDonald Oates in ...

3rd May 2023

Clare Ridout of MacDonald Oates, who is based in Petersfield, has been recognised with national accreditation for their expertise in legal support for older and vulnerable clients, their families and carers. Clare said: “I am delighted ...

3rd May 2023

According to the Office for National Statistics, before the Covid pandemic only one in eight working adults reported working from home at least once during the previous seven days. This figure peaked at 49 per cent between April and ...

24th April 2023

The role of a deputy is similar to that of an attorney. If you are acting as an attorney, this will be because the person you are acting for specifically chose you to act and they made a document called a ‘power of attorney’ at a time ...

5th April 2023

We are delighted to welcome new starters who have arrived this year and reflect our growth and success over the past few years. Each member of staff is key to our commitment to high levels of client service and a bespoke, tailored ...

30th March 2023

MOCHET, our charity committee, are delighted to announce that we are bringing back our Charity Quiz, this time in support of our charity of the year Midhurst Palliative Care. This is an ideal team building event for colleagues, or ...

21st March 2023

‘A common concern for our clients and their families is the prospect of having to sell the family home in order to meet care costs,’ explains Michelle Hill, a Chartered Legal Executive in the Wills, Probate and Trusts team with ...

8th March 2023

If you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting with a long term partner, and thinking of making or updating your will, you may have heard the expression ‘mirror wills’ and wonder if this would be suitable for you. ‘Mirror ...

2nd March 2023

‘Other than the usual April updates to statutory rates, it looks deceptively quiet on the regulatory front for employers. But the end of the year could see the biggest shake-up in employment law for years as a consequence of Brexit,’ ...

9th February 2023

‘Performance management can be challenging and time-consuming,’ according to Linda Wilson a Partner in our employment team. ‘The first challenge is to determine if this is a capability issue that needs to be addressed under a ...

17th January 2023

We advise both employers and employees on employment law. As part of that role, we advise on and draft Settlement Agreements. As the name suggest, these Agreements “settle” any potential disputes or claims between the parties and ...

16th January 2023

While financial assets can be divided relatively easily when settling an estate, this is not usually possible with heirlooms such as a painting, a piece of furniture or individual pieces of jewellery. Even if items are not valuable, ...

11th January 2023

The cost-of-living crisis is hitting the UK’s private rental sector hard, with soaring inflation, interest rates and energy prices all exponentially adding to the cost of both renting and renting out property. Some landlords may be ...

9th January 2023

Have you ever spotted someone wearing a lanyard with a sunflower as a means of indicating that they have a non-visible disability (also known as a hidden or invisible disability)? But not everyone wishes to advertise their disability, ...

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4th January 2023

We are delighted to announce that our Charity of Year for 2023 is new charity, Midhurst Palliative Care. Each year our staff nominate local charities to become the charity for the year which we raise funds for. This year Midhurst ...

12th December 2022

If you have been asked to act as an attorney for someone you may wonder when it will come into effect, especially if the power of attorney was made some time ago when your friend or relative was in good health. ‘There was an important ...