Temporary rent concessions for commercial leases – Side letter or deed of variation? A side letter which records the agreed temporary alteration to the existing lease, and which is not intended to have a lasting impact upon the lease terms. Read more...

This article details the major changes affecting major investors coming into force from April 2020. New EPC regulations Changes to the tax reliefs available for income tax and capital gains tax Tenants’ deposits Electrical safety standards A new surcharge on stamp duty land tax for foreign buyers of residential property Written by Louise Thomas, a London-based solicitor with over 25 years experience in all aspects of property conveyancing, this article will assist practitioners in advising landlord clients.

The By Lawyers Mortgages Guide has been reviewed and updated to ensure that the commentaries and precedents are in line with current law and conveyancing practice. Read more...

To assist practitioners when making an emergency application for a limited grant to preserve assets in estates, By Lawyers have drafted a precedent Example Content - Statement of Truth - Ad Colligenda Bona - Limited Grant. Read more...

A new precedent Deed of Substituted Security has been added to the By Lawyers Mortgages Guide. This precedent can be adapted to suit most circumstances where a lender hasn’t supplied their own. This precedent can be found in folder G. If required - Discharge, assignment and variation.

In line with advice from the Conveyancing Association, By Lawyers have amended our precedent post-completion notices to include a section relating to Land Registry certificates. These edits will allow practitioners to obtain the necessary consents more efficiently and cost-effectively. The notices can be found in the Purchase of Land Guide. In order to access the latest version of these precedents, don’t forget to click or tap update and replace the existing precedent when the document is opened.

The Property information form TA6 has been updated. The changes are in relation to Japanese knotweed, flood risk, radon and septic tanks.

In response to subscriber feedback By Lawyers has enhanced content relating to staff training and continuing competence requirements. Additional guidance on the topic has been added to the Practice Management commentary and a new precedent ‘Training and development schedule’ provided. This precedent will help subscribers plan, review and record continuing competence activities as required by The Law Society and SRA.

The By Lawyers Financial Remedy publication has been reviewed and updated by our authors as part of our continuing review process. The review included several new precedents and greater commentary detail.

In order to further enhance communications between practitioners and their clients we have added to the initial letter an informative summary of the conveyancing process. This easy to follow chart is a step by step explanation of the process from the point of view of both the seller and the buyer. The matter plan provides letters for each step of the process, informing the client, the agent and other interested parties that the transaction has advanced to that stage.

Our author has recently reviewed the probate publication providing several new precedents and amending the commentary. Additional automation was also added to some of the precedents to increase flexibility and efficient usage.

The SRA changes coming in on the 25th November has seen the By Lawyers Practice Management manual updated. New information and precedents have been included as well as existing policies updated. Please note the many client care and terms of business precedents have also been updated.

In response to a subscriber request, By Lawyers have published a New Build Contract for Sale. We would welcome any feedback subscribers might have.

The By Lawyers Domestic Violence publication has been reviewed and updated by our authors as part of our continuing review process. This review saw the commentary in particular enriched with a deeper more practical approach to running such a matter.

A precedent Reservation Agreement has been added to the sale and purchase of land guides. The agreement is designed to bind the parties to an agreed pre-exchange time frame in which the seller will not deal with third parties, and the buyer will either exchange the offered contract or withdraw on discovery of serious adverse affectations through the usual investigations, searches and enquiries. By this means the parties are able, immediately following agreement and issue of the contract, to be confident that the transaction will proceed in the absence of unforeseen and unexpected circumstances.