Farm diversification – five areas to consider when planning to diversify

17 September 2020 Farming & Agriculture

Diversification is a hot topic in this current climate. From glamping and tea rooms to experience days and selling Christmas trees, farmers are finding new ways to make ends meet. Johanne Spittle agricultural and commercial specialist at Ware & Kay Solicitors says ‘Diversification can help to transform an agricultural business, but only if it is properly thought through, with the benefit of professional advice and a strong underlying business plan.’ 1.Type of diversification The type of diversification that will work best for you depends on your circumstances, and, if you are a tenant farmer, the type of diversified activity will depend upon what is allowed under your tenancy or permitted by your landlord. Some of the most successful diversifications are those that utilise existing farm resources and infrastructure, or which tap into a gap in the…

Making a Lasting Power of Attorney during the current climate

11 September 2020 COVID-19

During this period of uncertainty we have seen an increase in the number of enquiries from people who want to ensure that their affairs are in order should their health fail. One of the most important ways to do this is to put a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in place. People can become unable to manage their affairs at any stage of life but our more vulnerable clients have naturally been prompted to think about this more than they usually would. A serious illness, accident or the onset of mental illness may make everyday tasks such as paying bills, managing a budget and making financial and welfare decisions difficult, stressful and, in some cases, impossible. An LPA gives a person control over who will help them manage their affairs and allows you to appoint someone you…

Protecting yourself against the impact of relationship breakdown

11 September 2020 Family Matters

The demands of children, family and work, as well as money problems, can place a huge strain on marriages and long-term relationships. People change as a relationship progresses and sadly separation sometimes becomes inevitable. Splitting up is never easy with issues such as asset division, family financial provision and childcare arrangements, which all in need of sorting out before a couple can start their new lives afresh. Matters are made even more complicated if businesses or inherited wealth are involved, but as Robert Bellhouse, family law specialist at Ware & Kay Solicitors in York and Wetherby explains, ‘much of this stress could be alleviated by couples formally agreeing how their assets should be divided before they marry or move in together.’ Nuptial agreements A nuptial agreement is a legal document, agreed by a couple either before…

Black Lives Matter: bringing change to the workplace

11 September 2020 Employment advice

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations, there is increased momentum in addressing racial inequalities at work. But this is against a backdrop of significant and long-standing barriers for workers of black and minority ethnic heritage. For example, recent research by Business in the Community shows that only one and a half per cent of senior professional roles in the private sector are held by black people, despite making up three per cent of the UK population. ‘In any programme of change management involving employees, then it is important to take account of employment law,’ says Gillian Reid, Head of Employment with Ware & Kay in York & Wetherby. ‘Although positive discrimination is prohibited, positive action is lawful and there is plenty of employers can do to tackle inequality of all kinds and particularly…

Protecting your family farm against the impact of relationship breakdown

11 September 2020 Family Matters

Farming is usually a family affair. Many farms are passed down through the generations with family members devoting years of their lives to working hard to ensure that the farming business is there for future generations. Relationship breakdowns can be traumatic for any family but when there is a divorce or separation in a farming family it is particularly difficult as the farm is invariably not only the family business but also the family home and a division of assets can be devastating for the wider family. Ownership of the family is often an added complicating factor in any divorce; the family farm may be owned by the older generation or ownership may have been transferred to a family company or partnership or to a son or daughter but with parents still depending on an income…

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