MSHB

We are delighted to welcome Tracy Dempsey who has joined the Private Client Department as a paralegal. Tracy is a Law Society of Scotland accredited paralegal specialising in Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney and Executries.

As landlords and tenants alike will be aware, there has been a temporary ban on rent increases for those subject to a private residential tenancy since September 2022. This was part of the Scottish Government’s emergency response to the ongoing Cost of Living Crisis (The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Act). 

The termination of leases in Scotland has been the subject of some discussion and, at times, can cause confusion, specifically the common law doctrine of Tacit Relocation. Tacit Relocation means that a lease will be automatically extended beyond its natural expiry or end date when the appropriate termination notice or notice to quit has not been served by either party.

This month we are delighted to welcome Arlene Dunbar to our Licensing Team as a Paralegal. Arlene joins from Aberdeen City Council where she worked within their Licensing Team for almost 20 years. She brings with her an excellent knowledge of all things licensing and is a well-known face in the licensing community. 

Team MSHB returned to the iconic Glasgow Kiltwalk on Sunday 30 April. The team started at Clydebank and made their way 14.4 miles (30,000 steps!) to Balloch, all in support of the Glendrick Roost Animal Welfare Centre.

With marriage rates in the UK falling steadily in recent years, there has in turn been a significant increase in the number of couples ‘cohabiting’. A couple are deemed to be ‘cohabiting’ for the purpose of the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 if they are living together as if they were husband and wife or if two persons of the same sex are living together as if they were civil partners.

Whilst many employees may be looking forward to planning three long weekends in May this year, many employers may be left questioning whether their workforce is in fact entitled to all three upcoming bank holidays.

Perhaps the highest profile case in the global litigation sphere of late was that of actor and owner of lifestyle brand Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow. Following a skiing accident in Utah in 2016, retired optometrist Terry Sanderson raised an action against the Academy Award winner seeking damages of $300,000, having previously failed in an action against her for $3.1m.

Miller Samuel Hill Brown is pleased to announce it has appointed Partner and Head of Private Client, Edward Laverty, as Chief Executive of the firm. Edward Laverty joined Miller Samuel Hill Brown as a Property Assistant and has been a partner in the firm for over 30 years.

Purchasing your dream home sounds exciting, right? Well, it certainly is. However, the process of purchasing a property can be equally as stressful and the current competitive market has exacerbated the potential for stress. Not to mention that buying a home is one of the biggest financial commitments you will ever make.

It may come as a surprise to many that it is possible to sell alcohol in Scotland without a licence – but only in very specific circumstances. For example, once you pass security at certain airports and are considered to be ‘airside’, the licence requirement falls and alcohol sales can take place at any time.

With the inflation rate at the highest level in forty years, and employers struggling to keep wages in line, the UK is currently facing the largest number of strikes since 1989. There is no positive legal right to strike within the UK, however, the law does provide a defence (statutory immunity) for those who take part in any lawful industrial action. As the discontent continues amongst workers in 2023, and further strikes are scheduled, employees and employers should be aware of the procedures which must be followed for a strike to be consider lawful.