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What Are Hidden Assets?

What Are Hidden Assets? – Expert hidden assets solicitors

Individuals may decide to hide assets for different reasons, including in divorce, in criminal cases and when facing insolvency. We take a look at why assets are hidden, how they are hidden and how divorce and criminal lawyers can trace them.

At Solicitors Near Me, we specialise in finding local solicitors with the legal experience you need. We know how hard it can be to find lawyers with genuine expertise who provide good value for money and excellent service.

Solicitors recommended by us are selected because they meet these criteria. If you are dealing with a case involving hidden assets, we can connect you with the right legal expert who will be able to provide the level of assistance you need.

To be connected to a specialist solicitor near to where you live or work, please either call us now on 0845 1391399 or complete a Free Online Enquiry.

What Are Hidden Assets?

Hidden assets are items of value that an individual has attempted to put where they cannot be traced. This could be:

Cash
Property, to include overseas property
Pensions
Investments
Insurance policies
Shares
Valuable items such as cars, jewellery or art

When someone is going through a divorce or insolvency and they fail to fully disclose assets, these are referred to as hidden assets. The court will penalise those hiding assets.
Where hidden assets come to light after the court has dealt with an issue such as a financial settlement in divorce, the matter can be reopened and a new order made.

When And How Do People Usually Hide Assets?

People may choose to try and hide assets if they are facing a divorce to prevent the assets from being taken into account when a financial settlement is made.

Criminals and those accused of criminal conduct may also attempt to hide assets to prevent them from being frozen during an investigation or seized under a proceeds of crime order. They may also attempt to hide assets to avoid paying tax.

Individuals facing insolvency may try to hide assets from creditors and administrators.

Property and cash may be put into trusts, including offshore trusts, while tangible assets may be stored where the individual believes they will not be found. Companies may also be used to hide and move assets.

In some cases, those trying to hide assets use a combination of accounts, companies, trusts and property to try to cover their tracks as well as moving money more than once to increase confusion. Third parties can also be used to hold assets for the direction of legal proceedings.

How Do Divorce And Criminal Lawyers Find These Hidden Assets?

Solicitors can take steps to locate assets so that they can be dealt with legally, for example, included in matrimonial finances on a divorce or used by an insolvency practitioner to reimburse creditors.

There are a wide range of tactics and checks that can be used to look for assets, including looking at records in the public domain, such as:

Company accounts
Company directorships
Property transactions
Shareholdings
Credit reports
Vehicle ownership

Solicitors also use asset-tracing services to uncover information such as:

Use of different names
Searches of company records
Searches of property ownership records
Assets owned by businesses

Solicitors are also able to ask the court to make orders requiring an individual to disclose information, to include:

An order for disclosure, requiring details of assets to be provided
An order for non-party disclosure, enabling a solicitor to obtain information from other sources, such as banks, employers, accountants, new partners and HM Revenue & Customs
A search order, sometimes granted if there is believed to be a risk that documents and other evidence will be destroyed
An avoidance of disposition order, allowing the value of assets that have been moved or sold to be included in calculations such calculations in a divorce settlement
An order adding back the value of assets spent by an individual to the value of matrimonial assets, so that this sum can be included when the size of the settlement is considered
A freezing order to prevent assets from being moved

Where necessary, other experts can be engaged, such as investigation agents, asset tracing agencies and forensic accountants.

Locating hidden assets can mean that a divorce settlement is considerably larger than it might otherwise have been or that creditors are able to recover money they are owed, rather than having to write off a debt.

How Do The Courts Deal With Hidden Assets?

The courts can be asked to make orders allowing hidden assets to be discovered, including orders detailing exactly what is to be disclosed. Where individuals fail to comply, they can be held in contempt and penalised.

As well as penalties for being in contempt of court, the individual at fault may be required to pay the other side’s legal costs and receive a reduced award in any final judgment.

Where there is evidence that assets have existed but have not been located, it is also open to the court to draw an adverse inference from the situation. For example, where an individual has been living a lavish lifestyle but claims to have no money, the court can draw the inference that more financial resources exist than have been disclosed. It can then make an order that takes this into account.

Should I Investigate Hidden Assets?

While it may be tempting to try and locate assets yourself if you believe that they have been hidden, it is generally recommended that you ask professionals to deal with this. There is a risk that you could alert the person involved so that assets are moved and hidden more securely and there is also a chance you could inadvertently do something which is not legal. This would mean that as well as breaking the law, the information you obtain would not be included by the court when it considers your case.

By engaging a solicitor to find hidden assets, you can be sure that discovery will be legal and the information that comes to light can be used in court to support your case. The courts take a dim view of hiding assets and will generally take steps to ensure that assets that someone has attempted to secrete are taken into account when judgments are made.

Contact Local Solicitors For Hidden Assets

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What Can I Build On Agricultural Land Without Planning Permission?

It is your responsibility to apply for planning permission when you need it. This makes it important to know when you need to seek permission – and when you don’t. There are often specific rules. For example, in answer to the question, “What can I build on agricultural land without permission?”

Before we get into specifics though, it’s best to have some understanding of what planning permission and “permitted developments” – the kinds of building work you can carry out without seeking permission – are and how they work:

To be connected to a specialist solicitor near to where you live, please either call us now on 0845 1391399 or complete a Free Online Enquiry.

What is planning permission?

Planning permission is the process of notifying your Local Planning Authority (usually the planning department of your local council) that you plan to build, change, and sometimes demolish a structure on land you own.

Planning permission applications can be granted or rejected. Plans accepted by some local councils might not be accepted by others. Sometimes, permission might be granted but with conditions attached.

However, there are some types of building work that you should be able to carry out without applying for planning permission. These are referred to as “permitted developments”.

What is permitted development?

Permitted developments are several classes of building work that you can perform without the need to seek planning permission. They take the form of several blanket permissions provided by central government rather than local councils.

Yet even these general permissions are not universal. You will sometimes come up against:

Restrictions by area – some “designated areas” of the UK have restricted development rights to protect the local environment or existing character. Examples would be National Parks and World Heritage Sites.
Article 4 directions – are exceptions that local councils can apply for if they feel a certain type of development would be detrimental to the local area. Usually, the local region would have to be a conservation area to have a direction like this.

All of the above means the best approach is to talk to your local council before you apply for planning permission – and certainly before you start any construction or demolition work.

You might also want to consider speaking to specialist planning permission solicitors to get legal advice before you start to deal with your local council.

What can I build on agricultural land without planning permission?

Permitted Development Rights allow you to erect or alter certain buildings on agricultural land without planning permission in certain circumstances. These are generally said to be when:

Your farm is 5 hectares in size or larger
You are intending to build, develop, extend, or convert only certain types of buildings
You are intending to build or change forestry buildings, agricultural buildings (below a certain size), a caravan site and some related buildings, or you’re planning a temporary use of land

What structures can I build on agricultural land without permission?

Can I put a log cabin on agricultural land?

This may depend on whether you intend this cabin to be used for residential purposes for any length of time. For instance, if you want to use your log cabin to house farm workers, you will almost certainly need planning permission.

Can I put a static caravan on agricultural land?

The length of time you plan to keep a static caravan in place will probably be the deciding factor.

A permanent static caravan will most likely require planning permission. A temporary one that will not change the use of the land is likely to be allowed but may also require permission.

Can I put a touring caravan on agricultural land?

Permission for touring caravans on agricultural land is also usually tied to how long you intend to keep the caravan on the site. Long-term or permanent installation will likely need planning permission.

Can you have a smallholding on agricultural land?

A smallholding is an area of land somewhere between a garden and a farm in size (50 acres or less) that is used to grow crops or raise animals.

Because agricultural land is already designated for the purpose, you will not need planning permission to create a smallholding.

The only exception would be if you want to build any permanent structures as part of it. Those will probably require planning permission.

Can you put a shipping container on agricultural land?

A shipping container is generally allowed on agricultural land. Again though, if you intend it to be a permanent installation, it’s worth checking with a planning permission solicitor or your local council whether you need permission.

Can you put a shepherd’s hut on agricultural land?

Planning permission will probably be required for a shepherd’s hut on agricultural land. This is because it is a permanent structure and is likely to be used for essentially commercial purposes.

Is change of use permitted?

In 2015 and 2017, new rules came into place that revised existing and devised new Permitted Development Regulations for agricultural land. These may allow you to change the use of existing structures for specific purposes.

As always, the best approach is to discuss your intentions with a specialist planning permission solicitor or your local council if you want to know what you can build on agricultural land without planning permission.

Want to discuss your plans for building on agricultural land with an expert?

Get in touch. Solicitors Near Me will find you the ideal friendly, approachable specialist to discuss your specific situation with.

Solicitors Near Me

To be connected to a specialist solicitor near to where you live, please either call us now on 0845 1391399 or complete a Free Online Enquiry.

How To Put Pressure On Solicitors

Having Difficulties With Your Solicitor: How To Put Pressure On Solicitors?

If you are dealing with a legal case, you are likely to want it completed as soon as possible. Sometimes, this means encouraging your legal team to deal with matters proactively. In this article we take a look at how to put pressure on solicitors so that your legal matter can progress as quickly as possible.

At Solicitors Near Me, we connect you with hand-picked solicitors who have expertise in a range of sectors, including conveyancing, property law, family law, business law and probate.

We only work with solicitors we know to have a high level of experience and who offer outstanding services as quickly as possible. This includes working hard to move matters forward, rather than waiting to be chased.

If you need legal help and time is of the essence, we will be happy to find you the right solicitor for your needs.

To connect to an expert local lawyer, please call us on 0845 1391399 or complete a Free Online Enquiry.

Otherwise, read on to discover how to put pressure on your current solicitors (and just remember we are here the next time that you need a solicitor)….

Asking Your Solicitor To Speed Up The Process

The first step is to have an honest conversation with your solicitor and find out exactly what the hold up is. Make sure they fully explain the process to you and that you understand why your legal matter is going more slowly than you would like.

Legal matters can be complicated at times, with many different parties involved and paperwork needed from different sources. It may well not be the fault of your solicitor, but they should make sure they keep you updated so that you know what is happening and why there is a delay.

They should also keep the pressure on other parties as far as possible to ensure that everyone is working hard to move matters along.

We take a look at conveyancing and family law, two areas where clients are always keen to finalise issues, and examine what might be causing a delay and what can be done about it.

Delays In Conveyancing Transactions

If you are buying a property, your solicitor will need to carry out extensive due diligence work to check that the legal title is sound and that there have not been any breaches of the restrictive covenants contained in the title deeds.

They will need to carry out searches and if the results reveal anything of concern, they may need to make further enquiries and ask questions of the seller’s solicitor. They will also need to have copies of planning consents and building regulations approvals for any work that has been carried out to the property.

Delays can occur when local authorities or other search agencies have a backlog and are not able to supply results promptly. It may also be the case that your seller’s solicitor is slow to respond to requests for information.

If you are in a chain, you will not be able to exchange contracts until everyone in the chain is ready. If anyone is experiencing a delay, for example, they have not received a mortgage offer or an issue has been revealed in their survey, then the whole chain will have to wait until they are ready.

Both your solicitor and the estate agent can keep the pressure on your buyer’s solicitor. Your solicitor will also be able to chase search results, although these are generally dealt with on a first-come, first-served basis.

You can help avoid delays by instructing a solicitor early on and providing the information they need promptly. This could include identity documentation, money on account of searches and initial forms.

By instructing an experienced conveyancing solicitor, you stand the best possible chance of completing without delay. If a legal issue arises, they will have the understanding to deal with it. The chances are they will have come across a similar problem before and they will have the expertise and legal know-how to resolve it promptly and effectively.

You are also advised to choose a solicitor with a good reputation for client service. They are likely to stay in close contact with you and keep you updated as to progress. They will also make sure they are available to speak to you to discuss any concerns and answer your questions.

Delays In Family Law Proceedings

If you are going through a divorce, you will need to finalise financial issues as well as put new arrangements for your children in place, if you have any.

The financial process can be lengthy. You will need to start by making a full disclosure of all of your assets together with evidence in support. Your solicitor will then enter into negotiations on your behalf with your spouse’s solicitor to try and reach an agreement.

If you are not able to do this, then you will usually be referred to mediation. A mediator will explain the services they offer to you both and you will be able to decide whether you wish to try this route to attempt to reach a settlement.

You will generally go through a similar process in respect of arrangements for your children. If an agreement cannot be reached, then you may be considering going to court.

Extensive backlogs in family courts mean that cases are taking around a year on average to reach a final hearing.

The best way to avoid this is to try to resolve matters without recourse to the courts. There are several methods of alternative dispute resolution which can be both quicker and more cost-effective.

Collaborative law is a round-table discussion between you, your solicitor, your spouse and their solicitor with the aim of reaching a negotiated settlement. It can be a much faster way to finalise matters, often taking around three to four months rather than a year. You can also schedule the hearings for times to suit you and you do not run the risk of it being called off at the last moment, which can happen with court.

Arbitration is similar to court but paid for privately. A senior family lawyer will hear your case and make a binding decision. Again, you can decide when you want to have a hearing.

Mediation is another effective way of dealing with matters. You will be helped to consider all of the options open to you and to work with your spouse to try and find an agreeable solution. The outcome will be one that is acceptable to you both, rather than an outcome imposed on you whether you like it or not, as is the case with court. It can also help you work with your spouse and prevent your relationship from degenerating further, which is particularly advantageous if you have children.

In most financial and children’s arrangements proceedings, you are required to at least consider mediation before you ask the court to intervene.

Contact Local Solicitors

Our expert local lawyers work promptly and proactively to avoid delays wherever possible.

To be connected to a specialist solicitor, please either call us now on 0845 1391399 or complete a Free Online Enquiry.

How Much Do Solicitors Earn UK?

Solicitors’ Incomes UK: How Much Do Solicitors Earn UK?

If you have ever been represented by a solicitor or you are thinking of joining the profession, you may be wondering about salary levels. We take a look at the steps to becoming a solicitor and answer the question, ‘How much do solicitors earn UK?’

What Is A Solicitor’s Income Based Upon?

The amount solicitors earn varies widely, depending on several factors. These include:

The level of experience they have
The area of law that they specialist in
Location
What type of law firm or whether a solicitor is working in-house
The size of law firm or business
Position held, such as newly qualified solicitor, solicitor, associate, partner or equity partner

If you need to speak with a specialist solicitor, please either call us now on 0845 1391399 or complete a Free Online Enquiry.

Level Of Experience

The most common route to becoming a solicitor involves obtaining a law degree and then doing a Legal Practice Course. After this, a trainee solicitor will join a law firm on a two-year training contract. During this time, a trainee will usually have four six-month ‘seats’ in different departments to give them the widest possible experience.

This will give them a chance to try out several areas of law to see which is the best fit and also gives the law firm the chance to assess them in different positions.

The amount paid to a trainee solicitor during these two years will depend on the size and type of the business, whether it is a law firm, public sector employer or other business. Salaries will also tend to be higher in London.

The solicitors’ governing body, The Law Society, recommends that those providing training contracts should pay a minimum of £23,703 per annum for trainees in London and £21,024 outside of London. Major law firms in London often pay more than six figure starting salaries!

Practice Area

Once a solicitor has qualified, their chosen practice area can make a big difference to the salary they will receive. Corporate and commercial lawyers often make over £100,000 per year.

The lowest-paid areas include personal injury, immigration and family law. Estimates vary, but a personal injury solicitor could be paid £38,000 – £43,000 per annum, an immigration solicitor £34,000 – £52,000 and a family lawyer £40,000 – £50,000.

Criminal solicitors earn around £52,500 in London and £32,000-£42,000 elsewhere.

These are only averages, so some solicitors will earn a lot less than these amounts and some a lot more.

Location

Location can make a big difference, not just because of larger fees in wealthier areas of the country, but also because there will be more work available in busy places. A city firm that attracts a large amount of work could provide a large number of working hours for each of its solicitors, while a rural practice could have a much slower pace and consequently lower salaries.

Law Firm Or In-House?

In-house lawyers who work for businesses rather than for law firms can earn excellent salaries. The Office for National Statistics said that in 2016, in-house lawyers were the six-highest earning profession in the UK. The average salary was just over £80,000 per year. The bottom tenth percentile were on just over £36,600 while the top 75th percentile were on nearly £94,500.

Senior in-house lawyers were earning around £165,000 at this time and it is often seen as a slightly gentler pace than being a partner in a major law firm where pressure can be substantial.

Organisation Size

The size of the law firm or business can make a substantial difference to the level of work a solicitor takes on as well as the salary they are paid.

A small law firm will tend to take on smaller jobs for smaller clients and not have access to the large sums paid by big corporations. Similarly, smaller businesses will not necessarily need the level of expertise of large companies and so in-house counsel will be paid a lower amount.

The largest London law firms have the power to pay huge salaries of several hundred thousand pounds upwards.

How Much Do Solicitors Earn UK Depending On Position Held?

After a trainee solicitor qualifies and becomes a newly qualified solicitor, they can work to advance their position over the coming years. The next step is generally to become an associate solicitor, then a partner, then an equity partner.

Newly qualified solicitors earn around £28,000 – £61,000 outside of London, with those in London earning more, depending on the size of the firm. So-called Magic Circle firms, the largest five law firms, pay newly qualified solicitors between £107,000 and £125,000.

The Law Society figures for average solicitor salaries in 2018 are:

Greater London £88,000
South £56,000
Midlands and Wales £46,000
North £43,000

Around half received a bonus of between £5,000 and £10,000.

The next stage for an associate solicitor is becoming a salaried partner. The average countrywide salary according to Law Society figures is £75,000, although this varies widely depending on the firm and location.

Finally, buying into a law firm and becoming an equity partner is likely to increase income substantially. While the Law Society’s average countrywide figure is £130,000, those at large City firms are earning between £1m and £2m each year.

In London, it is estimated that 75% of partners earn over £250,000. Average total pay is around £600,000. The top 17% earned over £1m and the top 2% took home over £2m.

Equity partners’ income is based on a share of their law firm’s profits and can also be based on a lockstep agreement giving a larger share to partners who have worked there the longest.

Contact local solicitors

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Solicitors Near Me For Business Legal Advice UK

Are you looking for business advice Solicitors Near Me? Solicitors Near Me for business legal advice UK – make a free enquiry today to be connected instantly with specialist business advice solicitors.

We can connect you to expert corporate and commercial solicitors near to where you live or work.

As a business owner, you need the right advice and guidance from legal experts to ensure you have a sound legal foundation for your enterprise and that you are compliant with the rules and regulations.

Our Solicitors Near Me service can connect you with local corporate and commercial solicitors who will be able to give you sound business advice as well as the legal expertise you require.

Do You Need Help Finding Business Legal Advice Solicitors Near Me?

Local legal experts have the advantage of knowing the local market and understanding the challenges businesses in the area are facing. They are often well connected in the commercial world with an excellent understanding of what makes a business successful.

We can put you in touch with the business law solicitors who are right for your needs and who will provide comprehensive legal help for your organisation.

To be connected to specialist business legal advice Solicitors Near Me, please either call us now on 0845 1391399 or complete a Free Online Enquiry.

Solicitors Near Me Business Legal Advice UK Service

Our corporate and commercial solicitors Near Me offer a full range of legal services for businesses, including the following:

Business agreement and contract solicitors
Commercial conveyancing solicitors
Commercial dispute solicitors
Commercial lease solicitors
General commercial property solicitors

Where Are Your Business Legal Advice Solicitors?

Our lawyers are located across the UK, with corporate and commercial solicitors in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales on our books.

How Much Does Our Find A Business Legal Advice Solicitor Near Me Service Cost?

Our service connecting you with expert business legal advice solicitors is free of charge. There is no obligation to you to use the solicitors we introduce you to and you will have the chance to decide whether they will be a good fit for you before incurring any costs. Only if you decide that you would like to engage them to work on your behalf will you be liable for their fees.

Why Do I Need A Business Legal Advice Solicitor?

Solicitors Near Me For Business Legal Advice UK Businesses will face a whole range of legal issues during their lifetime, from setting up a robust legal framework, through taking on commercial premises and employees to selling or merging. There is substantial scope for difficulty if the legal agreements are not sound and where details have not been adequately dealt with.

By working closely with legal experts, you can ensure that you have strong contracts in place, reducing the likelihood of disputes arising.

Business agreements and contracts

Business agreements and contracts are the foundation of your organisation. They should be tailored to suit the specific needs of your enterprise and cover as many eventualities as possible. This will mean that misunderstandings and disagreements are less likely and, if they do arise, you will have sound legal documentation to back up your position and put before the court, should an issue result in litigation.

Our solicitors excel at drafting strong business agreements and contracts that will give you the security you need combined with the flexibility to take on challenges. They are experienced negotiators and will work hard on your behalf to secure the best terms possible for your business.

Commercial conveyancing

Taking on commercial property is a major investment and it is essential to have genuine experts to ensure that your purchase is legally sound. Agreements to buy and sell commercial property are notoriously complex and it is important to check that you will be able to use the premises in the way that you wish.

Our commercial conveyancing lawyers will go through the title and legal restrictions with you to make sure that you are happy with the agreement before the purchase is completed.

Commercial disputes

Commercial disputes can be crippling to an organisation, taking key personnel away from their jobs and providing ongoing uncertainty. We have handpicked commercial legal experts who have outstanding reputations for dealing quickly and efficiently with business disputes so that you can go back to focusing on achieving your goals and ambitions.

It is generally better to resolve issues without litigation. Our commercial dispute lawyers can negotiate on your behalf and suggest innovative ways of reaching a compromise agreement so that you can avoid the need for court.

Commercial leases

Commercial leases are both complex and onerous for both landlords and tenants. Unlike other leases, a tenant cannot simply give notice and leave. Once they are locked into a commercial lease, they will remain liable for all rent to the end of the term, which is often between five and eight years.

There is also a risk that a tenant will be liable for all repairs and maintenance to the property. This could even mean putting it into a better condition than it was when they took it on, if the lease is not carefully checked.

Our solicitors will get to know your requirements for business premises and work to agree the right lease for your needs. They can negotiate issues such as the term of the lease, break clauses, liabilities for repairs, rent review clauses, consent for subletting and assigning and service charge caps.

Commercial property

Our solicitors can advise you across all of your commercial property needs to ensure that you have a solid legal framework for your undertakings. We can provide you with lawyers who deal with development, finance, investment, landlord and tenant issues, planning and environmental law.

Solicitors Near Me Who Deal With Business Legal Advice

If your business needs expert legal advice from corporate and commercial solicitors who have genuine in-depth knowledge of both law and the business world, we can provide you with the right connections.

Using the best possible lawyers is always a good move, meaning you stand the best chance of avoiding difficulties in the future as well as the reassurance of knowing that you have a solid legal foundation across all of your business activities.

Find Business Legal Advice Solicitors Near Me Now

To be connected to a specialist business legal advice solicitor near to where you live, please either call us now on 0845 1391399 or complete a Free Online Enquiry.