The term Independent Legal Advice (‘ILA’) is unbiased and unprejudiced advice given by a solicitor who is not in any way connected to the parties involved in a legal matter or transaction. ILA is required in order to protect the party deemed as not benefiting from the...
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Six Things Your Solicitor Can Teach You About Business
Although there is a common misconception that lawyers are only needed for drafting complex legal documents and mediating disputes, the reality is that the insight and guidance of solicitors can be more important for your business than you think. The right legal advice...
Do I Need A Privacy Policy On My Website?
To comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the EU e-Privacy Directive 2011 (also known as the Cookie Law), you must include a privacy policy on your website if it is based in the EU or targeting EU users, and you must obtain ‘informed consent’ from your website’s...
Non-Compete Clauses – Can You Rely On Your Contract?
A non-compete clause is intended to protect the business interests of employers or franchisors by preventing the other contracting party from taking and using their trade secrets, customer information, business relationships, or any other information that may be...
What To Remember When Buying A Dental Practice
Due diligence is of paramount importance when buying any business, but when purchasing a dental practice, there are various additional factors that come into play. Examining each of the elements discussed below will help you determine the true value of a practice,...
Everything You Need To Know About Independent Legal Advice
The term Independent Legal Advice (‘ILA’) is unbiased and unprejudiced advice given by a solicitor who is not in any way connected to the parties involved in a legal matter or transaction. ILA is required in order to protect the party deemed as not benefiting from the...
Independent Legal Advice – Common Questions About Your Obligations: Asked and Answered
The term Independent Legal Advice (‘ILA’) is unbiased and unprejudiced advice given by a solicitor who is not in any way connected to the parties involved in a legal matter or transaction. ILA is required in order to protect the party deemed as not benefiting from the...
Employee-Friendly Settlement Agreement FAQ
1. What is a Settlement Agreement? A Settlement Agreement is a legally binding agreement between you and your employer. The purpose is to resolve a dispute between you and your employer; however, a Settlement Agreement is usually entered into on termination of your...
What Legal Documents Do I Need When Starting A Business?
There are lots of crucial nitty-gritty elements to starting your business, including key legal documents which could help you avoid pitfalls in the long run, from customer disputes to employee claims and the illegal disclosure of your company’s confidential...
What Are The Consequences Of Not Obtaining Independent Legal Advice
The term Independent Legal Advice is unbiased and unprejudiced advice given by a solicitor who is not in any way connected to the parties involved in a legal matter or transaction. Independent Legal Advice is required in order to protect the party deemed as not...
CQC Applications
I am a first-time buyer, what CQC applications will I need to have in place to facilitate my dental practice purchase? The CQC application is onerous and will require a substantial amount of preparation prior to submission. The first application is the primary one and...
What is Insolvency and Restructuring: UK Law
Insolvency and restructuring are covered by comprehensive but complex legislation in the UK. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about how this area of law works in practice within the UK. What is the legal definition of insolvency? There are a number...
What To Write On Your Website’s Terms And Conditions Page
Today, a well designed and well written website is the expected standard in the business world. However, there’s more to consider than cutting-edge design and engaging copy when launching your business website; there are essential legal elements that must be included...
Buying A Dental Practice – What You Need To Know?
Who is selling? It is often assumed that a selling dentist is someone who wants to retire and stop practising clinical duties on handing over the keys; rarely, do we see this in today’s market. A dentist looking to sell tends to be someone who has decided...
Looking To Buy Or Sell A Dental Practice?
Just like life, the market conditions for the sale of a dental practice go in a cycle – once popular NHS practices no longer are in favour over private specialist practices. Where does that leave most sellers, and how does the process of selling affect this? When I...
What Are The Professional Indemnity Requirements In The Pharmacy Industry?
Professional indemnity is designed to protect you from any lawsuits or acquisitions that have been filed by clients as well as other parties that allege to harm or loss as a consequence of an improper service, product or counsel that you have provided them with....
Everything You Need To Know About Holiday Pay For Part Year Workers
In light of the recent court case of Harpur Trust v Brazel, which was heard in the Supreme Court, you may have some questions surrounding the outcome of the judgement and what this means in terms of paid holiday days for employees who have irregular working hours or...
24 Hour Retirement – the “cash-out” button for your NHS Pension
What is a 24-Hour Retirement? The process is to retire from your current GDS/PDS contract over a weekend (for 24 hours Saturday to Sunday) before returning to work as normal on the Monday. Following your return to work you will receive a lump sum from your NHS pension...
Why You Should Use A Solicitor When Submitting Trademark Applications
Many organisations are unaware of the importance of their company's intangible assets, although they are frequently crucial to developing a relationship with customers. A trademark logo or brand-specific designs or colour combinations can help your business stick out...
A References Guide For Employment Law
Often, employers are asked to give references for employees. We know that employers are aware of the potential risks however they remain unsure of what should and shouldn’t be mentioned in those references. Here, we give you a clear employers references guide that...
Hashmi v Lorimer-Wing – What does this mean for Sole Director Companies?
Hashmi v. Lorimer-Wing [2022] EWHC 191 is a recent case that exposed anomalies within the Model Articles and raised concerns about the legality of decisions made by private corporations who operate with sole directors. What Are...
Selling A Pharmacy – The Four Points To Consider
If you’re selling a pharmacy, there are lots of things that you need to keep in mind, especially if you’ve never been in this position before. With this in mind, here are four key points that you should consider to help streamline the process and ensure that...
How Much Do You Know About Basic Working Rights?
Whatever sector or industry you’re working in, you should know your basic working rights. It’s essential, however, to note these rights will depend on what employment status you have – whether you’re self-employed, an employee, or a worker. If you’re a worker, you’ll...
Top Tips For Purchasing An Optical Practice Without Any Added Stress
Buying your optical practice is exciting, but it can also be very stressful. Even when businesses look similar on paper, the buying experiences may differ wildly. There are several factors to keep in mind, and here, we look at some top tips to help you minimise the...
What Considerations Should Be Kept In Mind When Buying Commercial Properties?
Although some business owners want to lease their commercial premises, others prefer to buy in order to enjoy greater flexibility and freedom. Buy a commercial property represents a good choice for many SMEs that want to expand, but it’s important to understand the...
Specific Provisions To Note With Regard To Dental Transactions When Negotiating Contracts
When negotiating contracts when selling or buying a property, there will be some specific provisions with regard to dental transactions that only arise in this sector. That is one of the most important reasons why you must use an experienced solicitor. Here, we take a...
Which Conflicts Must Be Avoided When Choosing Brand Names And Trademarks?
Although starting a new business is exciting, it can also be daunting. One of the most complicated aspects to bear in mind is using a brand name and a trademark. Although it may seem easy, there is always the potential for conflicts, some knowing how to avoid them is...
What Should I Consider If I Want To Sell My Business?
It’s always a good idea to plan your business sale well before you may wish to start the process. However, for everything to run smoothly, you’ll need to know what you need to keep in mind, so here is a list of considerations. Why Do You Want To Sell? You need to...
Is Intellectual Property Safe When Stored On A PC?
Your intellectual property is something you’ve created with your own mind, whether your brand name, your invention, your product’s design, or something you’ve written, made, or produced. For many individuals and companies, these are extremely valuable assets. With...
Completion Accounts – What Are They And Why Do We Use Them?
Anyone purchasing a business typically bases their offer on the company’s most up-to-date financial statements. Yet, these accounts show only the business’s historical financial position to its latest accounts date, with a period of time before the completion which...
Your Guide To Commercial Property Sales
There are some similarities between selling a commercial property and a residential one, but you’ll need to consider a few more additional matters, and there are more variables to take into account. Furthermore, the procedure is somewhat different and will usually...
Cryptocurrency – What Is It?
Crypto, or cryptocurrency, is a currency which exists virtually or digitally, and which uses cryptography in order to secure the transactions. There is no regulating or central issuing authority for cryptocurrencies. Instead, they use a decentralised system for...
As An Employee, Which Types Of Flexible Changes To My Working Patterns Can I Request?
If you’re an employee, you may be keen to adopt a more flexible working pattern. While there is a common misconception that only carers or parents have the right to ask for changes of this kind, that isn’t actually true. Any employee has the right to request a...
How To Determine Infringement Of Trademarks
If a trademark is officially registered, the mark’s owner has rights conferred on them under the 1994 Trademarks Act. That means they can prevent any unauthorised third-party usage of their trademark with respect to the specified services or goods. Furthermore, a...
A Guide To Arranging A Nursery Sale
Today’s childcare market has a valuation of over £5 billion, and as average nursery fees are increasing by around 6% per year, and occupancy rates are also rising to around 75%, it’s clear this sector is experiencing positive growth. With this in mind, it may be the...
Why Are Settlement Agreements Used By Employers?
Sometimes, employers use settlement agreements when an employee’s employment is being terminated. But why are they used? Here, we take a closer look at what they are and why an employer may choose to use one. What Are Settlement Agreements? Sometimes called Compromise...
Which Key Factors Should I Consider When Buying A Nursery?
If you’re interested in child development and want to run a business of your own, purchasing a nursery is a great option for you. However, there are some significant compliance requirements to keep in mind when making a purchase of this nature, not to mention some...
How Do I Know What Goods/Services I Should Include In My Trademark Application?
Arguably one of the hardest parts of filing a trademark application is knowing what terms you need to include to protect your business. It is important that you cover the goods/services that are applicable to your business in your trademark application as that...
Was My Redundancy An Unfair Dismissal?
Many businesses needing to reduce their workforce offer redundancy to their surplus employees, but occasionally, employers call certain situations redundancy even though there isn’t a genuine business reason for dismissing the employees in question. ...
Unfair Dismissal – What Are My Rights Under The Law?
If you believe you were dismissed unfairly from your job, you may have a case for unfair dismissal. However, understanding what this means is important if you wish to challenge your employer. If your employer had a just reason that was sufficient to justify your...
NHS Dentistry Backlog Causing Concerns
Dental leaders in Scotland have said that the patient backlog to receive NHS dental treatment is huge. The official data has revealed that people living in better-off areas have a greater chance of getting an appointment with a dentist during the past two years when...
Elon Musk And The Twitter Takeover – Was It All Just An “Elaborate Joke?”
Having just announced his withdrawal from his deal worth £36 billion to take over Twitter, Elon Musk’s reason for pulling out of the purchase was an alleged “adverse event”. Essentially, he claimed the platform had misrepresented matters and had failed to supply...
What Should I Consider Before I Buy A Pharmacy?
Purchasing a pharmacy is something that requires some careful thought and consideration. There are a number of legalities that are associated with purchasing this type of business and having a good understanding of them will make it much easier to ensure your purchase...
How Can Social Media Influencers Manage Risk?
Social media influencer is a job that more people aspire to, with the industry now having a value of about $16.4 billion. However, with following numbers on the increase, these online celebrities begin to face more risks. A significant security challenge influencers...
Top Tips For Dealing With Contract Disputes
When contract disputes arising, it can be difficult to deal with them. Not only can it be time-consuming and costly, but it can also be extremely frustrating. Making a decision that is based on your business’s best interests is the most important thing when it comes...
Is Change On The Horizon For Dentists In The Shape Of NHS Reform?
For years now, NHS Dentistry has been ripe for reform, with the government promising time and again to give the system a complete overhaul. Finally, it appears that some changes could be on the horizon. Within the past week, Maria Caulfield MP made a House...
Share or Asset Sale? A Top Consideration When Selling Your Optical Practice
When you’re selling your optical practice, there’s a lot to keep in mind, but one of the top considerations has to be whether you want a share or asset sale. Deciding the kind of transaction to use depends on your circumstances and knowing the differences between both...
Top Tips For Launching A Business
If you’re considering starting your own business, there’s a lot to bear in mind. Here are a few top tips to make the process easier. Ensure You’re Making The Right Decision The very first consideration is whether or not starting a business is really the right choice...
What Is The Process For Registering With The CQC?
Every provider of primary care dental services must have CQC registration as of 1st April 2011. The CQC or Care Quality Commission requires an application to be made supplying the applicant’s details, the type of regulated activity they are applying for (i.e.,...
Dentists Leave The NHS In Droves Leaving Numbers At The Decade’s Lowest Level
With the news that a thousand NHS dentists have left the health service in only one year, the number of dentists now operating in the UK is at its lowest level for ten years. In 2019-2020, England had almost 25,000 NHS dentists, however during the...