When you move to the UK, or spend part of your time in the UK, tax might not be at the forefront of your mind. Despite this, it probably should be. Thinking about tax now can save you from a costly tax bill later. Whether you have to and/or what you will need to pay […]
Monthly Archives: January 2024
Illegal Renting in the UK: Landlords Hit with Increased Fines
Landlords or agents engaging in illegal renting—renting a property to a person in the UK illegally—are liable for a fine. This measure was introduced as part of the UK’s hostile environment approach, making it difficult for those in the UK illegally to live and work there. Section 22 of the Immigration Act prohibits any […]
Legal assistant achieves training contract
We are delighted to share the news that our colleague, Fiona Huang, has begun her training contract as a Solicitor! Fiona has worked incredibly hard since joining Lisa’s Law just under a year ago and fully deserves the opportunity. We are excited for Fiona to complete her training contract and look forward to watching […]
Great news for Sponsor Licence holders – no more extension applications
A sponsor licence allows businesses and organisations to hire employees in the UK from abroad. A sponsor licence is presently valid for 4 years, and the business or organisation would have to make an application to extend thereafter. The Home Office has confirmed that the requirement to extend a sponsor licence will be removed. […]
Eviction notices – when can landlords use them to evict tenants?
In today’s article, we’re going to cover the legal knowledge you need to know when it comes to the rules around eviction notices in the UK. This includes how landlords can evict tenants when they have the right to do so, how tenants can protect themselves, and finally, the legal procedures that landlords must […]
Home Office Secret Policy Exposed by High Court
The High Court has held that the Home Office operated a secret policy denying victims of trafficking and modern slavery leave to remain. In October 2021, the Hugh Court held in the case of KTT v SSHD that the Home Office was required to grant leave to remain to all those who have […]
Successful Claim of Damages against Developer on Defect and Disrepair
Recently, we successfully assisted an individual leaseholder client in claiming damages, including loss of income, for her newly built flat in a prestigious area of London. Background Prior to the Covid pandemic, the client complained about occasional leaking in the bathroom of the flat. The problem became more serious after the client […]
Immigration Health Surcharge Now to Increase from 6th February 2024
The Immigration Health Surcharge’s anticipated increase, initially set for 16th January 2024 as first stated, will not be taking place on that date. It has been confirmed that the increase will occur no earlier than 31 January 2024 at the earliest, as we informed you in our recent article. We can now confirm that […]
Fair dismissal – when is an employer allowed to dismiss an employee?
How can an employer dismiss an employee fairly? First, let’s demystify what ‘fair dismissal’ actually means. Fair dismissal should otherwise be simply referred to as a ‘dismissal’, which happens when an employer chooses to end an employee’s contract. In common parlance, it usually refers to someone being either sacked or fired. So, how can […]
Home Office backtracks on immediate rise in financial requirements for family visas
The Government announced late last year that they would be increasing the financial requirement for applications made for family visas. Such a huge increase has understandably caused great concern for those intending to make an application in the future and those who are currently in the UK with a family visa. Presently, the […]
Child Adoption – how does the process work?
In the UK, if you want to adopt a child, you must go through formal procedures. This involves the court issuing a “Child Adoption Order”. The function of an adoption order is to formally sever the legal relationship between the child and their biological parents, and to establish an order to form a new relationship […]
Solicitor fired by immigration advice business due to direct race discrimination
An employment tribunal has ruled that a solicitor was fired by an immigration advice business due to her race. With immigration lawyers often representing some of the most marginalised people in society, it might seem surprising to see a case involving direct race discrimination against an immigration solicitor emerge. However, this is what happened to […]
Immigration health surcharge increase delayed – submit your application now
The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) allows an individual coming to the UK to have full access to the National Health Service (NHS). It is an upfront cost paid when submitting a visa application, which allows the individual to access the NHS without any restriction. The Government announced in October 2023 that the immigration […]
Renting with pets – do landlords have to say yes to tenants?
Pets are a huge part of people’s lives. In the UK, they are often considered part of the family and help to improve both the mental and physical health of their owners. However, renting with pets in the current climate can prove to be a challenge for tenants and landlords alike. The pandemic saw […]
Can the identities of Home Office caseworkers be redacted?
In general, a litigant in judicial review proceedings is not entitled to redact, on the ground of relevance, the identities of officials in such disclosure. This means that the Home Office should not redact the information about caseworkers in a judicial review. Routinely the names of civil servants outside the Senior Civil Service would […]