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LEGAL Where there’s a will…


Claire Brown (pictured), a Wills and Probate Solicitor at Dodds Solicitors LLP, talks about the importance of protecting your assets and your family with a will during the coronavirus crisis.


“The past few weeks have been life changing and unsettling for most of us due to the unexpected coronavirus situation. “In these unprecedented times,


our ‘disaster plan’ has had to come into play overnight, but so far, so good. We are set up to work remotely from home and we have been speaking with each other and our clients via email, skype and telephone. Despite our staff working from home, we are still one team ready to serve our clients as we normally do. “It has been reported that there


is a 30% increase in the demand for wills already and this is expected to keep growing. “In times like this, people are


understandably taking the time to reflect and think about putting their wills in place or updating any old ones they might have. “In normal circumstances, we


would meet with our clients face to face and discuss their wishes at that meeting. We would then see the clients again to sign their wills with them. “So, what is the process now


with the imposed social distancing? “If you are thinking about


putting your will in place this is what you need to do. “Firstly, contact your solicitor by


email or telephone to let them know you would like to make a will. They will be able to obtain your ID and any other documents remotely


by email or scanned picture message. “Next, as a firm, we will call our


clients to discuss their wishes with them and advise them over the phone. This can be followed up by email if necessary. “We will then prepare the wills


and send them out for the clients to sign at home with instructions on how they should do this. We will check the signed copy to ensure it has all been done correctly. “The will is then in place and


valid. “Ultimately a will is one of the


most important things you will do in your lifetime and the current situation is prompting people to think about it even more.”


How to navigate furlough


In an effort to keep the economy moving and safeguard UK jobs during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Government introduced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). It was part of a package of measures, announced in


March, to alleviate the impact of the crisis on businesses across the UK. Law firm Nelsons has received a huge number of enquiries from a range of businesses – including retailers, restaurants and bars, manufacturers and call centres – wanting to implement the scheme and seeking advice on how best to do this.


‘It’s worth noting that employees cannot elect to be a furloughed worker without their employer’s agreement’


Laura Kearsley (pictured), partner and solicitor in Nelsons’ employment law team, explained how the scheme works and what actions businesses need to take.


She said: “CJRS enables businesses to recover 80% of wage costs for employees on ‘furlough leave’, a


concept which sees the Government reimburse the employer for wage costs, as an alternative for employers who might have otherwise implemented redundancies, lay-offs, unpaid leave or other measures for their employees. “Employers and employees will need to agree the members of staff being designated as ‘furloughed’ workers. “This should be straightforward because this route


will no doubt be more attractive to employees than redundancy, lay off, unpaid leave or a reduction in pay. “Employers should send a letter or email to each


employee concerned and get them to agree to the change in status formally, in writing. “Employers will then need to submit details to


HMRC. It’s worth noting that employees cannot elect to be a furloughed worker without their employer’s agreement. “Furlough leave is recommended for


anyone that would otherwise have been laid off or made redundant due to the impact of coronavirus on the employer’s business. It does not help with any situations where employees had agreed to reduce their hours, or to a pay cut but where they are still required to work. There is currently no option to do a mixture of reduced hours and furlough leave. “It’s also important for businesses


to acknowledge that this scheme may create resentment between employees. Some will still be at work getting either full or reduced pay, while others will be on furlough leave getting paid at least 80% for doing nothing, while those who are off sick may be getting only statutory sick pay, which is likely to be less than 80% of full pay.”


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‘In times like this, people are understandably taking the time to reflect’


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