Blog

At Edward Harte Solicitors, we believe that making a Will should be accessible, straightforward and meaningful. That is why we were pleased to take part in the Will Aid scheme again in 2025. Will Aid is an annual campaign that takes place every November. During the campaign, solicitors across the UK volunteer their time to prepare basic Wills at no cost. Instead of paying a fee, clients are invited to make an optional donation to charity. These... Read More

Reasonable Adjustments: Why Getting It Right Matters At Edward Harte Solicitors, we believe that everyone should be able to work comfortably, confidently and to the best of their ability. For us, this is not just about meeting legal requirements. It is about creating a workplace where people feel supported, understood and valued. Within our own team, we have seen first-hand how thoughtful, practical adjustments can make a real difference. One of our team members lives with a... Read More

The Renters’ Rights Act: What the New Law Means for Tenants and Landlords The Renters’ Rights Act marks one of the biggest changes to private renting in many years. Its aim is to create a fairer, clearer system for everyone involved by giving tenants more security, while still allowing landlords to manage their properties properly and recover them when there is a genuine reason to do so. The changes apply mainly to England and Wales and are... Read More

We are looking for a Conveyancing Executive/Solicitor to join our growing conveyancing department. Ideally you will be familiar with conveyancing practice already. You will be working on most kinds of freehold and leasehold conveyancing transactions, including purchases, sales, remortgages and lease extensions. We have a varied property practice dealing with both residential and commercial work. You would be required to work both independently and as part of the conveyancing team. A motivated and proactive attitude is essential... Read More

Next Retail may have to pay out more than £30 million to thousands of female workers after they won a 6-year legal battle over equal pay in a landmark decision by an employment tribunal. The Tribunal has ruled that Next should have paid its store staff, who are mostly women, the same hourly rates as its mostly male warehouse workers. More than 3,500 current and former shop workers will now be entitled to compensation going back to... Read More

According to higher education leaders, UK universities will be forced to step up course closures and job cuts unless the Government addresses a looming structural funding crisis in the sector. The warning follows a series of redundancies at more than 50 universities this year, citing financial pressures, including voluntary redundancy announcements by Portsmouth and Sheffield Hallam in recent weeks. UK universities, which expanded rapidly over the past ten years, are struggling with a funding crunch caused by... Read More

We are often called upon to provide advice and assistance in relation to Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) for our clients. There are two types of LPAs – one for property and finances and the other for health and welfare.  These documents last beyond mental incapacity and provide invaluable assistance in what can be a very difficult time for both the client and their family. Although the majority of LPAs are used when clients reach old age,... Read More

Does your Will work? Do you have a Will? If not, why not? If so – are you sure it works to your advantage? A recent report by STEP (Society for Trusts and Estate Practitioners) shed light on how many of its members have come across Wills which have been badly or wrongly drafted and have ended up costing clients thousands of pounds. The report published last week and entitled ‘Wills & Trusts: Buyer Beware’ highlighted the... Read More

Two of our lawyers have recently achieved new qualifications. Duha Al-Wakeel in our Private Client Department is now a STEP Full Member. Sarah Oram in our Conveyancing Department has passed her fellowship assessment and is now a FCILEx. Congratulations to both!

Today the Chancellor announced that he will cut stamp duty land tax (SDLT) to stimulate the housing market. The threshold will increase from £125,000 to £500,000. The cut will be temporary until 31 March 2021. Details are awaited as to exactly what and who will be eligible for this rate and we will update this post when further details are available.

The Government’s furlough scheme has provided much-needed financial support to business and the self-employed. It is estimated there are currently 8.4 million people being paid through the furlough scheme as well as a further estimated 2 million self-employed receiving assistance. When the Chancellor announced details of the Scheme on 20 March, it was initially backdated to 1 March 2020 for employees, subject to eligibility. Further guidance has also included that Office holders (including company directors), salaried members... Read More

People can now move home. The government has issued Government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, providing updated guidance for those involved in the process.

From today, property viewings and moves are allowed, subject to physical distancing being observed. At the time of writing the guidance is being updated. Newspapers report that Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, said removal companies, conveyancers and estate agents could restart their businesses with immediate effect. He said the government estimated that more than 450,000 buyers and renters had been unable to progress their plans to move since March. Mr Jenrick also said: “Our clear plan will... Read More

Edward Harte Solicitors recognise the outstanding work being undertaken by our Keyworkers during the Coronavirus crisis. We would like to show our appreciation to those who are doing so much for us by offering a 10% discount on Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney for instructions received by 1st June 2020 from anyone recognised as a Keyworker by the UK Government. Keyworkers include those employed in the following sectors: Health and social care; Education and childcare; Key public services; Local... Read More

Section 82 of the Corona Virus Act 2020 has placed restrictions on forfeiture for non-payment of rent in England and Wales of commercial premises from 26March to 30 June 2020.  The Government also has the ability to extend that period if they consider it appropriate to do so. This means that Landlords cannot take steps to forfeit a ‘relevant business tenancy’ on the grounds of non-payment of rent and other sums falling due under the Lease.  In... Read More

Duha discusses the importance of making a will and why you need one even if you think you don't.

  According to the recent conveyancing news, figures from UK Finance, have indicated that in 2018 we saw the highest number of first-time buyers entering the mortgage market since 2006, which was during the busy period prior to the financial crash and in December the figures were 1.6% higher than the figures for 2017. If you are a first time buyer and want to know more about the process of buying a home, we have some information... Read More

We are delighted to announce that one of our partners, Samantha Dawkins, has received a Lawyer Monthly Women in Law Award for property litigation. The award “seeks to celebrate and highlight the achievements of women in the legal profession across the globe.  The award recognises the contribution made by female legal professionals working in the legal sector and those women who have influenced the legal industry and beyond.” Congratulations to Sam.

The High Court in a recent case, Gorst v Knight, decided that the demise of ground floor maisonette did not include the subsoil beneath it. A house had been converted into two maisonettes; one on the ground floor and one on the first and second floors. The ground floor maisonette included a small cellar beneath. The owners of the maisonette obtained planning permission to make the cellar into habitable space and this would involve digging into the subsoil beneath. The freeholder... Read More

Edward Harte are seeking a family lawyer to join their successful family team. The workload will cover all types of private law family work including finance and children and will involve advocacy. The ideal candidate will be a Solicitor or Legal Executive with at least years 3 PQE. Please apply with CV to Anna Glenton, aglenton@edward-harte.co.uk

In light of the recent events before the Supreme court regarding medical treatment for a child and last year, there was a report about a mother’s fury after finding out her 3 month old son had been circumcised without her consent when opening his nappy. It came to light that the child has been circumcised whilst in the care of his paternal grandparents. The grandparents had different religious beliefs to the mother of the child.  The police,... Read More

MWB Business Exchange Centres Limited –v- Rock Advertising Limited [2016] EWCA Civ 553 MWB operate serviced office spaces and, pursuant to a Licence Agreement, Rock Advertising utilised such accommodation in the form of managed office space. Rock Advertising fell into arrears with the Licence fee and proceedings were issued to recover the arrears.  In the Central London County Court, His Honour Judge Maloney found that the parties had entered into an oral agreement whereby there was a... Read More

Thinking of making a move? We are always looking to recruit talented people. The firm has a thriving and varied practice and a strong presence in the Brighton and the local area. While we may not have a specific vacancy advertised at the moment, please do feel free to forward your CV or get in touch if you are interested in becoming part of the team. About us We are friendly firm and we are situated in the heart of Brighton and are convenient to transport,... Read More

For first time buyers in England there is at last some good news, and as it has been all over the media, you would have heard the headline that SDLT has been abolished for first time buyers. This is not exactly the case but there are now different rules for first time buyers buying the first home. So if you are a first time buyer you will get a discount (relief) that means you pay less or no tax if: you complete your... Read More

Building regulations rules (and planning) can be very confusing, and it is often hard to know when building regulations consent is required. Also some of the commonly held views are sometimes wrong, and this can be further complicated if you live in a conservation area or your building is listed. An example of this is the humble conservatory. Many houses and flats have them and they can be an inexpensive way of adding more space to a... Read More

Highly reputable solicitors firm in central Brighton currently have a legal secretarial vacancy to support a Litigation Solicitor within the firm dealing with a wide range of civil claims, personal injury and medical negligence. The role requires legal experience, preferably within the area specificied. Possessing good IT, organisational skills, eye for detail. Minimum of 60 wpm. The ideal candidate will have a flexible working approach and the ability to work to tight deadlines together with a willingness... Read More

RESIDENTIAL LEASES One of the issues frequently encountered by landlords is how to deal with unpaid service charges and ground rent. To tackle this we are now offering a no recovery no fee service to landlords to assist them in securing payment of ground rent and service charge arrears from lessees.  Our service is also provided at no cost to the landlord except for disbursements such as court fees and office copy entries.  Set out below is... Read More

On 26 July 2017 the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment in the case of R (on the application of UNISON) (Appellant) v Lord Chancellor (Respondent) [2017] UKSC 51 which overturned the requirement for claimants to pay (if ineligible for remission) up to £1200 to have their claim heard at an Employment Tribunal. The introduction of the fees in 2013 was argued successfully as preventing claimants having access to justice and in particular discriminated against low paid... Read More

MWB Business Exchange Centres Limited –v- Rock Advertising Limited [2016] EWCA Civ 553 MWB operate serviced office spaces and, pursuant to a Licence Agreement, Rock Advertising utilised such accommodation in the form of managed office space. Rock Advertising fell into arrears with the Licence fee and proceedings were issued to recover the arrears.  In the Central London County Court, His Honour Judge Maloney found that the parties had entered into an oral agreement whereby there was a... Read More

Now recruiting in the Family Department Our busy family team is recognised for the quality of its work, its expertise and client care.  We are seeking to recruit a solicitor with minimum 2+ years PQE on competitive terms with a proposed start date of November/December 2016. Applications by CV to Anna Glenton, Partner. No agencies please.

Exciting News! New additions and new promotions! We are very pleased to announce the promotion of Robert McDonald to partner at Edward Harte LLP alongside Tom Callaghan, Samantha Dawkins and Anna Glenton.

Offers in Civil Proceedings The use of Part 36 Offers in Civil Proceedings either during pre-action correspondence or after the claim has been issued is common practice.  If the successful party beats their Part 36 Offer; i.e. the Claimant makes an offer for £10,000.00 and at trial is awarded £15,000.00 the Defendant will be liable to pay the Claimant’s costs from 21 days after the offer was made up to and including trial on an indemnity basis.  If the Defendant... Read More

5 Reasons Why Terms and Conditions Are Important Provide a framework for transactions and help to create certainty as to what is agreed. In the event a customer has breached the contract having robust Terms and Conditions to rely on may provide a solid base on which to defend a claim. Provide consistency between all business transactions, minimising any ambiguity as to the terms on which you and your client(s) contract on. Save valuable management time and... Read More

5 Top Tips for serving Section 21 Notices Serve each Tenant with their own Notice Check the terms of the Tenancy for how the Notice should be served Personally serve the Notice Check the Deposit has been protected Check the Prescribed Information was served in time If the Deposit hasn’t been protected or the prescribed information not served in time or for further advice and assistance with preparing and serving Notices contact Samantha Dawkins by email.  

Landlord & Property Law Update There have been major changes in the law relating to Section 21 Notices and deposits within the last 12 months with further changes due to take affect in October of this year.  Here is a round up of the key points for Landlords, Property Owners and Agents to look out for: As a result of the Court of Appeal ruling in Spencer -v- Taylor once the fixed term of an Assured Shorthold... Read More

Exciting News! New Additions and New Promotions We are very pleased to announce the promotion of Samantha Dawkins and Anna Glenton to partners at Edward Harte LLP alongside Tom Callaghan.  We also welcome our new Head of Conveyancing Department Robert McDonald who brings with him a wealth of experience from his previous longstanding position at Ormerods Solicitors in Wimbledon.

Tips, Service Charges and Gratuities Ever wondered what happens to your tips?  Often when we feel we have received a good service in a bar, hotel, restaurant or taxi etc. we want to leave a tip……. but who receives the money in addition to their salary? Previously any tips paid by the employer to the employee formed part of the employee’s salary.  However, since the introduction of the National Minimum Wage regulations 2015 (as amended) this is... Read More

New Partner Edward Harte LLP are very pleased to announce that Tom Callaghan, our Head of Private Client Section, became a Salaried Partner as from 1st August 2014.  Tom has been with us now for 4 years and is a very valued member of the firm.  His appointment as a Partner is well deserved and a reflection of his value to the firm.

BBC Sussex “Sound Advice Head of Wills, Trusts and Probate, Tom Callaghan, appeared as a legal expert on the Allison Ferns radio show on BBC Sussex on 22nd May, answering listeners’ calls on Wills and Inheritance, talking about the importance of Wills and the recent changes to the intestacy laws (ie where a person dies without a Will) in the new Inheritance and Trustees’ Powers Act 2014. The Act goes some way to simplifying who will inherit... Read More

Solicitors for the Elderly Tom Callaghan, head of Edward Harte LLP’s Wills, Trusts and Probate department, is now a member of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE). SFE is an independent, national organisation of lawyers who provide specialist legal advice for older and vulnerable people, their families and carers.

Tailored Cost Solutions Following significant changes to the Legal Aid Scheme, many clients will be unable to access legal aid. Our Tailored Cost Solutions mean the lawyers here at Edward Harte can give you advice and support to suit your budget and needs if you only require legal services now and then. It may be that you are taking someone to the Small Claims Court and need us to look through your case; or you have some... Read More

Section 20 Consultation and Major Works Changes to Section 20 Consultation for Private Landlords, Resident Management Companies and their Agents A High Court decision in the case Phillips & Goddard v Francis earlier this year overturned previous views on how consultations on major works to residential buildings were applied. It has brought about considerable uncertainty for freeholders, managing agents and residents alike as the judge’s ruling is, at best, unclear about how it is to be managed... Read More

New Divorce Petition Issued Yet again we have been able to secure the number 1 spot in Brighton by issuing the first Divorce Petition of 2013!. Our excellent service to clients continues throughout the year however…….