Sydney Mitchell Solicitors is encouraging families to review their estate planning after new figures revealed that hundreds of millions of pounds in Inheritance Tax has been paid because lifetime gifts failed to achieve the intended tax savings. Recent HMRC figures reveal that, between 2021 and 2026, nearly 2,500 lifetime gifts with a combined value of […]
Birmingham and Solihull law firm Sydney Mitchell has successfully retained its Lexcel accreditation, reaffirming its commitment to the highest standards of legal practice, client care and business management. Lexcel is The Law Society’s recognised legal quality mark and is widely regarded as the gold standard for excellence in legal practice. Awarded only to firms that […]
Families dealing with the loss of a loved one are set to face a significant increase in the cost of obtaining probate, or grant of Letters of Administration, where someone has died without leaving a Will. The Ministry of Justice confirmed that the court fee for applying for a Grant of Representation will increase from […]
Running a business involves making difficult decisions every day. Most directors will never face disqualification proceedings, but when a business experiences financial pressure, understanding your legal responsibilities becomes increasingly important. The Government has announced proposals to strengthen the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 as part of wider reforms intended to improve confidence in the insolvency […]
The reported case of Mark Nelson, a Jamaican national who has lived in the UK for more than 23 years and now faces deportation despite having five British children, has once again brought into sharp focus the difficult balance between immigration control and the right to family life. According to reports, Mr Nelson arrived in […]
The Government has announced a significant crackdown on directors who misuse insolvency procedures, launching a dedicated Abusive Phoenixism Taskforce to investigate companies suspected of deliberately avoiding debts and tax liabilities through repeat insolvencies. Backed by £25 million of funding over the next five years, the new 50-person team within the Insolvency Service will investigate suspicious […]
Commercial property law expert Ben Lyons has joined Midlands law firm Sydney Mitchell as a partner. Having practised across the West Midlands since 2011, he joins Sydney Mitchell from Knights LLP (formerly Thursfields Solicitors) where he was a Senior Associate in the Commercial Real Estate team based at the Solihull office. As Commercial Property partner […]
Cohabiting couples may soon gain automatic inheritance rights under proposals being considered by the Ministry of Justice, representing one of the most significant reforms to family and succession law in recent years. Under the plans, individuals in long-term cohabiting relationships would be entitled to inherit under the rules of intestacy in the same way as […]
The Corporate and Commercial team of Midlands law firm Sydney Mitchell has advised Hiatt Hardware Group on its strategic acquisition of Lakes Bathrooms and Lakes Showering Spaces, including cross border elements within the group structure. The firm’s team acting for Hiatt was led by Roy Colaba, partner and head of the Birmingham-based Corporate and Commercial […]
By André Minnaar Immigration uncertainty in the UK is reaching a critical point — and for many individuals and families, the consequences of waiting too long to act could be significant. Recent headlines have highlighted two major developments: a growing backlog in immigration and asylum appeals, and record numbers of people applying for British citizenship […]