The Welsh Government has temporarily increased the nil rate band of land transaction tax for residential property transactions in Wales, increasing the nil rate from £180,000 to £250,000 for main residential purchases. The temporary rates apply for main residential purchases between 27 July 2020 and 31 March 2021, but do not apply to purchases of second homes or buy-to-let properties.

The Estates commentary has been enhanced to include discussion of recent case law pertaining to the forfeiture rule and a helpful section on locating a will.

From 4 June 2020, a $25,000 grant is available to certain individuals who build a new home or substantially renovate an existing home.

From 3 August 2020, electronic conveyancing takes a big step forward in South Australia.

Online applications for criminal matters in the Queensland Magistrates Court was enabled from 9 July 2020. Queensland’s Chief Magistrate

The continuing commitment of By Lawyers to updating and enhancing our publications has seen the Wills (NSW) guide reviewed.

The Commercial Lease guide has been enhanced with the inclusion of two new precedent documents to assist practitioners: Authorised guarantee agreement and Licence to assign. These can be found in the folder D. If Required – Sublease, assignment, variation and surrender.

Recent amendments to workers’ compensation legislation have commenced in Queensland.

The Estates commentary has been updated to reflect operational changes brought in by HM Revenue & Customs and the Probate Registry. HM Revenue & Customs will no longer print and stamp the inheritance tax Probate Summary, form IHT421, and return it to customers. Instead, they will email the IHT421 directly to the HM Courts & Tribunals Service. They will let the agent or taxpayer know when they have done this either by writing, or by adding a note to the IHT calculation. HM Revenue & Customs will no longer be accepting cheque payments for IHT, or making IHT repayments by cheque. They have started to update various IHT forms to include space to add bank details. To date, the provision to add bank details has been added to the Claim for Relief – Loss on Sale of Shares, form IHT35, and Inheritance Tax Account, form IHT100. Practitioners should make sure that they are using the latest versions of all forms. Probate applications should be sent to the Oxford and Newcastle district registries only, and not Cardiff or Harlow. The Estates commentary provides practical guidance for all those running probate files.

The By Lawyers 101 Policies & Procedures guide has been re-named 101 Staff Handbook.

Land tax changes apply from midnight 30 June 2020. There will be an increase in the general land tax threshold to $450,000 and a threshold

Important changes to the Retail and Commercial Leases Act 1995 and accompanying Regulations came into effect on 1 July 2020.

1 July updates are a big focus for By Lawyers. This is because many Commonwealth and state legislative instruments provide for scheduled ind

From 1 July 2020 all applications for grants of probate and letters of administration must be filed in RedCrest-Probate

A new publication relating to the law and practice of debt recovery matters has been published. This comprehensive and easy to follow publication provides commentary and precedents for the conduct of debt recovery matters, both before and during court proceedings, when acting for a claimant or defendant. It includes: Commentary discussion of: the pre-action protocol and practice direction; alternative dispute resolution and offers to settle; issuing proceedings and responding to them; default and summary judgment; case management, disclosure and trials. Precedents for: conditional fee agreements; letters of demand; particulars of claim; settlement agreements; defence and counterclaims; chronology, case summary and trial bundles. Also letters to clients explain the process and protocols, and standard letters to other parties give practitioners all the focused and practical guidance they need. We invite you to explore our new Debt Recovery publication and consider the wealth of assistance it offers.