Coronavirus news and service updates

Managing your personal affairs

• Video-call Will witnessing to be made legal during COVID-19 crisis - new lockdown Will witnessing rules

• Lasting Powers of Attorney - how to look after someone's health & welfare when you cannot be with them

• Support for local NHS staff and their spouses: 50% off the price of a simple Will. Read more about our offer for 50% off the price of a simple single or joint Will if you or your spouse works for the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic

• Are you worried about an elderly vulnerable person during the COVID-19 lockdown, legal and practical steps you can take if you are worried about elder abuse

• How to manage your personal affairs during the coronavirus pandemic, read more about how we can help with updating or making a Will and making an LPA during the coronavirus pandemic

Family Issues

• What happens to child sharing arrangements in the coronavirus pandemic? Read more on the advice given under these circumstances by the Judiciary on how to maintain your child sharing arrangements when parents are self-isolating
• Stark increase in reported cases of domestic abuse during coronavirus pandemic  Read more about what action can be taken to help stop domestic abuse and who can help 
• The surge in domestic violence during the coronavirus lockdown has pushed the issue to the fore with the Domestic Abuse Bill, read more about the Bill and a unified approach to tackling domestic abuse
• Support available for people suffering from domestic abuse
• Living in lockdown places huge strain on us but what about those who are suffering domestic abuse? Help and guidance if you are feeling trapped and threatened in your own home during this time
• What impact is the coronavirus having on divorce and financial remedy proceedings, read more about the Family Justice System

Corporate Issues

• Should I agree to a business debt being paid in instalments - prompt payment of debts is crucial to business cashflow
• Covid-19 policy for e-commerce and amendments to delivery and refund policies - potential amendments to your standard e-commerce terms and conditions
• Are your contracts fit for purpose in this new world of business? Why you need to review your contracts to ensure they remain fit for purpose after the COVID-19 crisis
• COVID-19 and illness compensation claims against your business - why good record keeping is essential
• Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill - New legislation aimed at helping companies survive the coronavirus pandemic
• Coronavirus FAQs: 9 key areas for businesses to consider and the steps they can take to buy time when cash flow dries up during the coronavirus pandemic 
• Coronavirus FAQs: key questions relating to contract disputes arising from the coronavirus, how to manage commercial contract disputes during the pandemic 
• Debt recovery strategy during coronavirus: options available to businesses to collect money owing to them

Employment Issues

• New law to ensure furloughed employees receive full redundancy payments - Furloughed employees will receive statutory redundancy pay based on their normal wages not reduced furlough rate
• Winding down of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme - Restructuring and redundancies
• Returning to work with easing of lockdown - guidance on how to return to work safely
• Read more about the Job Retention Scheme and how it can help employees and employers through the coronavirus pandemic: 
• The Job Retention Scheme: businesses caught abusing the government furlough scheme beware - government plans to tackle businesses caught abusing the furlough scheme and how they may face more than claims for recovery of monies paid 

Property Issues

• Extending eating areas into outdoor space – issues for landlords and tenants and important points to be covered in your lease or licence
• Key property announcements aimed at supporting the property market - the government's recovery from coronavirus plan
• Moving home during the coronavirus pandemic - what changes in the process can you expect?
• The Government guidelines for Residential Conveyancing and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic 
• Emerging from lockdown requires changes to commercial property, who is responsible for improvements?
• Risk management by company directors during the COVID-19 crisis, making decisions today that stand up to scrutiny tomorrow 
• Can you furlough a pub? The government considers the "furloughed space grant scheme"
• Landowners cannot obstruct public rights of way during lockdown but how are they supposed to protect themselves and others from the coronavirus? Read more about the government advice

The Court System

• 'Nightingale Court' in Peterborough Cathedral - Temporary court to cover health and safety or commercial criminal trials
• Remote family courts during the coronavirus lockdown: A journey through technology duing the COVID-19 pandemic
• Mental Health Awareness Week 18-24 May: it's important to be kind to ourselves and each other during coronavirus
• Emergency measures for mental health patients during Covid-19, information for patients detained under the Mental Health Act during the coronavirus pandemic 
• Read more about the current situation with the criminal court system and the impact of the coronavirus and the instruction to stay at home: Update on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the criminal court system (25/03/2020)
• HM Courts and Tribunal Services (HMCTS) and the Judiciary have consolidated the work of the courts, update concerning the consolidation of courts and court attendance (07/04/2020)