Following changes to the stamp duty land transaction tax (SDLT) from 1 April 2016, higher rates of SDLT will apply to the purchase of additional residential properties (such as second homes and buy-to-let properties). The changes followed a surprise announcement by the Chancellor at the last budget and were passed in the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2015-16.

If at the end of a purchase a buyer owns two or more residential properties, they may be liable for a higher rate of SDLT. One of the key factors in whether extra tax is due is whether they are replacing their main residence. If the buyer has disposed of a previous main residence within 36 months of the day of the transaction, the buyer will be considered to be replacing a main residence and no extra tax will be due. 

Here is a selection of vacancies from our Legal Secretary Jobs Board this month:

Legal Secretary x 3 – Debenhams Ottaway
Location: St Albans
Salary: £23,000 

Debenhams Ottaway are looking for two Legal Secretaries to join their Private Client team and one Legal Secretary to join their Dispute Resolution team. Their duties will be to provide secretarial and administrative assistance to a minimum of 2 Partners and Lawyers.

Applicants must have excellent computer skills and a minimum typing speed of 50wpm. Previous secretarial experience in a law firm is desirable.  

Since 2010 there have been serious discussions in Parliament about the possibility of creating a British Bill of Rights. The topic of constitutional law does not often become something of popular discussion, but following the Scottish referendum of 2014 and the current EU renegotiations by David Cameron, potential reforms are currently at the centre of British politics. 

In this article we will concentrate on the possibility of a British Bill of Rights, but it is worth noting that there are many other elements of our English legal and political system that are currently under review. Examples of other contentious constitutional issues include:

•    The separation of power between the government and the courts. This relationship has been affected by EU law taking priority over UK law, and it has created a more politically “active” Supreme Court. 

Even if you love your job and your career, there are bound to be some weeks when it feels like the “same old, same old” routine, sometimes when you hit a plateau or a dip in the road. That doesn’t mean you need to change jobs or careers – or that you should resign yourself to feeling stagnant.

Here are six paths to renewal:

1. Variety: A routine can become a rut too easily. Even small changes add up to reignite your enthusiasm. Try working from a different place once a week. Hold meetings someplace new. Eat lunch with people in other departments.  Find two routine tasks that you can complete in a different way.

Does the very concept of a judge being able to rule against a dead person’s last will and testament seem completely unacceptable to you? Perhaps you feel that this really is the final straw when it comes to our judiciary asserting their rulings in an area that really ought not to be touched? Upon first glance at this issue, I would have to admit to having felt very similar feelings myself; however, as with everything in life, especially law, things are never that straightforward, and there could well be circumstances at play that might just change your mind.

Take the case of Llott v. Mitson [2015] EWCA Civ 797 as an excellent example of circumstances that might just persuade you into sympathy for the judges in our top courts.

Remember that you are the public face of the firm

Every firm has them. The clients whom we politely call “demanding”. The clients who ring up and must speak to your boss right now about their latest difficulty; the clients who turn up at reception shouting the odds; the clients who angrily dispute their bills with you and claim that your boss didn’t actually do the work; the clients who threaten to – and frequently do – take their grievances to the Legal Ombudsman, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and the press. 

Do you know what your boss thinks about your performance at work?

Some readers will be able to answer “yes” to this question without much thought because they go through evaluations at least once a year, and those evaluations are built into their work calendars. These meetings are a great opportunity not only to get feedback from their bosses, but also to give feedback about how their own job is working out for them – and to consider that all-important question of salary. 

Be self-reliant when proofreading your documents

“Halo, I’m sorry to trouble you, I know your busty, but you sued us recently for some tiepin work and I wandered if you wood car to rate our services on a scale of wan to ten. …”

           The Professional Paralegal
               Register Conference
                            on 
                      21 April 2016
                             at 
      Wybston Lakes Executive Centre
          Great North Road, Wybston
                        MK44 3AL
 

The Professional Paralegal Register (PPR) is delighted to invite ILSPA members to attend the first-ever Paralegal Conference to have been organised in England and Wales. A special rate of £40 per ticket is available for ILSPA members.

Legal Secretaries who perform any kind of legal work are, by definition, Paralegals. The PPR recognises that many Legal Secretaries undertake substantial legal work and could benefit from further professional recognition as a PPR member.

Here is a selection of vacancies from our Legal Secretary Jobs Board this month:

Conveyancing Legal Secretary/Receptionist - Verbatim Property Lawyers
Location: Ilford
Salary: £17,000 - £20,000 
Closing Date: 31/05/16

Verbatim Property Lawyers are URGENTLY looking for an experienced member of staff to assist with an expanding conveyancing practice in Woodford Green. The applicant should have a minimum of 6 months’ practical experience.

View the full job description here: 
https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/40106/