Conference Agenda

Family Law Key Developments

Presented by Safda Mahmood.

Divorce, Nullity and Separation Law and Practice – Nuts and Bolts!

• Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act – The essentials
• Practical Aspects
• Nullity and Separation

Private Children Law Developments

• Section 8 Applications and Enforcement – Developments
• Procedure and Case Law Update - What has changed?
• Parental Responsibility
• Fact finding hearings – When and how?

Domestic Abuse Law and Developments

• Developments in Procedure
• Non -molestation and Occupation Orders – Developments
• Enforcement and Participation
• Personal Protection Order Developments and Pilots

Financial Remedy and Cohabitation Law Cases – Key Principles and Developments

• Use of Trusts and Estoppel
• Use of Nuptial Agreements
• Non- Disclosure
• Conduct Issues in Financial Remedy Cases
• Costs and Procedure
• Procedural Changes
• Running cases under TOLATA 1996

Wills & Probate Key Developments

Presented by Parisa Jones.

Post Budget Update

A post budget update on the changes to CGT, the impact of the freeze on IHT thresholds, unspent pension pots being subject to IHT and the restrictions on the availability of business property relief and agricultural property relief.

Will Clients: How to Protect Them and Their Wishes

This session will cover the following aims:

• To understand the importance of taking instructions and the management of your Will file to protect your clients and their wishes.
• To understand best practice in relation to capacity assessments, when to arrange an assessment and your communication with the assessor.

Estate Planning Opportunities

This session will cover understanding estate planning opportunities available to clients, factors to take into consideration and practical tips.

Tax Considerations in Estate Administration

This session will cover understanding taxation implications and considerations in estate administration.

Residential Property Update

Presented by David Keighley.

This full day seminar will provide a review of current issues impacting on Residential Property transactions.

The precise content of the session will depend on developments prior to the event but will look at recent case law and statutes and examine the implications for property law practitioners.

Issues covered may include:

• The importance of defining the “Retainer”
• The Updated formulae for Exchange of Contracts
• Law Society Consultations
• Reporting to Clients
• Reporting to Lenders
• Adverse Possession
• Leasehold Reform
• Seller beware: Rosser v Pacifico & Buyer Beware: Co Mayo Estates Limited v Hidden Gem Limited
• Miscellaneous Practice Points & Cases

Commercial Property Developments

Presented by Simone Ritchie

Commercial Tenant Rent Arrears - Identifying Strategies to Maximise

Enforcement of the tenant’s primary lease liability, the payment of rent, has been a major headache for landlords. Landlords now need to re-establish discipline as regards rental payments, and a good understanding of the available remedies is key.

Do the CRAR loopholes deprive it of effectiveness? What are the pitfalls of forfeiture? Is it simply too expensive and slow to use debt proceedings in court? How effective are guarantees and rent deposits? ·

This live and interactive session will cover the following:

• Forfeiture

• Guarantors and former tenants

• Commercial rent arrears recovery

• County Court action to recover rent arrears

• Use of statutory demands

Caselaw round-up

This session will pick up on recent caselaw on commercial property, and consider the practical implications.

Squatter and trespass claims

This session is designed to provide participants with a focused understanding of trespass claims, particularly in relation to possession proceedings under CPR Part 56. We will explore the legal framework governing trespass to land, the remedies available to landowners, and the procedural steps involved in initiating claims for possession against trespassers. Attendees will also learn about recent developments and the practical application of these rules.

Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 – Law Commission Review

Does the new consultation in November 2024 herald the start of the end of The 1954 Act?

Will anything radical result, or will it be tinkering with detail? There are plenty of problem areas to be considered, and in this session we will consider them, and what changes might usefully be made.

With a review of the 1954 Act under way, what are the problem areas in the light of caselaw, and what changes might there be? We will consider the contracting-out process, problems in fixing the rent, and routes to cost-effective renewal documentation.

• The contracting-out process
• Issues in the assessment of rent
• The dispute resolution process
• Cost-effective documentation in a market dominated by short-term lets