Client Update

Client Update
March 2009

In this issue:

•	Announcing the launch of our new Debt Recovery Service
•	Parenting After Parting
•	Credit Crunch - Tips for Clients
•	Pre-Pack Administration Rules Approved
•	Hope on the Mortgage Market Horizon
•	Coping With Recession - VAT Tips
•	Planning for the Unexpected
•	How to Avoid a Divorce and a Tax Bill
•	Equal Pay - Are You At Risk?

Welcome to our latest newsletter.

Our News

Announcing the launch of our new Debt Recovery Service
We have been busy this month developing a new dedicated debt recovery package. It is clear that in these tough times, cash is even more of the king than we all know it to be. Whilst it is important to control your debtors many businesses are loathe to spend more money in attempting to recover bad debts. We are therefore very excited to announce the launch of our new service which offers an economic and efficient collection service, whilst retaining the professional and approachable service that you expect from your solicitors. For more information on our debt recover service please click here.

Announcing the launch of “Parenting After Parting” Workshops
Each year an estimated 240,000 children in the UK experience the separation of their parents. Overall, more than one in three children will see their parents split up before they reach their 16th birthday.

Beth Woodward, a family law solicitor in our Milton Keynes office, is pleased to announce an initiative being piloted in the Milton Keynes area. Workshops aimed at improving how children experience separation and divorce are being run locally. Places are currently available on Saturday 7th March, Saturday 14th March and Thursday 26th March. For more information click here.

You may remember that in our January Newsletter we announced our inaugural estate planning and investment seminar. The seminar took place on 29th January and we have had some very positive feedback from clients who attended. For those who were unable to attend, Fiona Halsey gave a very useful overview of estate planning and Inheritance Tax issues and those attending went away from the seminar with plenty of food for thought!

If you would like advice about how you can plan your estate (property and finances) more efficiently, please contact Fiona or another member of our private client team.

What’s coming up in March?
More details will be provided in the next newsletter, but watch out for interesting new Articles hitting our site in March including Tips for Managing your Mortgage, information regarding Mutual Wills, Boosting your State Pension and much more.

Remember, full details of our latest articles, information and details of forthcoming seminars and events can be found on our website.

Announcing the launch of our new Debt Recovery Service

We have been busy this month developing a new dedicated low cost debt recovery package. It is clear that in these tough times, cash is even more of the king than we all know it to be. Whilst it is important to control your debtors many businesses are loathe...

Parenting After Parting

Each year an estimated 240,000 children in the UK experience the separation of their parents. Overall, more than one in three children will see their parents split up before they reach their 16th birthday. What do children feel when...

Credit Crunch - Tips for Clients

Although this is not strictly ‘legal material’ we thought clients might welcome some tips on managing their household finances during these straitened times. Cutting Fuel Costs Despite the recent falls in...

Pre-Pack Administration Rules Approved

The proposed set of rules for ‘pre-pack’ administrations (where a company goes into administration with the prospective purchaser already in place and the sale of the business is pre-arranged) has been given the thumbs-up by insolvency...

Hope on the Mortgage Market Horizon

Amidst the gloomy economic headlines, there are glimmers of light on the mortgage market horizon. Halifax have recently released their latest House Price Index which remarkably showed that house prices rose 1.9% in January – the first increase since...

Coping With Recession - VAT Tips

The VAT man is not generally regarded with much affection by businesses but, with times getting tougher, there are several ways in which cash-flow can be eased by optimising your VAT arrangements. The most important thing to note about...

Planning for the Unexpected

For many of us taking a break from dealing with our day to day finances might seem attractive at the moment! But just imagine what could happen if you did…… By not taking care of the simplest things life could get...

How to Avoid a Divorce and a Tax Bill

Did you know that transferring property to or from your partner attracts capital gains tax? For tax purposes a transfer between cohabitants is the same as a sale on the open market and attracts CGT in the same way – at 18% on...

Equal Pay - Are You At Risk?

The number of Employment Tribunal applications received in the year to 31 March 2008 was 42 per cent higher than anticipated. A substantial reason for the increase was that the number of equal pay claims brought by low-paid female workers, because they were...