Davis Solicitors Clear legal advice, in plain English

Davis Solicitors

Clear legal advice, in plain English

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A Ramp, a Wet Room and a Written Promise: Protecting Family Money Spent on a Parent’s Home
Wills & Estate Planning

A Ramp, a Wet Room and a Written Promise: Protecting Family Money Spent on a Parent’s Home

When adult children pay for stairlifts, wet rooms or ramps so a parent can remain at home, the money is often handled informally. This article explains how to document a family loan, a charge or a beneficial share — and why the difference matters for care fee assessments, inheritance tax and family disputes.
Signed Over, Not Safe: The Quiet Dangers of Gifting the Family Home
Wills & Estate Planning

Signed Over, Not Safe: The Quiet Dangers of Gifting the Family Home

Transferring the family home to an adult child can look like sensible planning for care fees or inheritance tax. In practice, it is an irreversible step that can cost you control, expose the property to your child’s creditors or divorce, and fail to achieve the tax saving you intended. Here is what to consider before any deed is signed.
Cooling Off, Not Closing Down: Online Returns for Small Sellers
Commercial Law

Cooling Off, Not Closing Down: Online Returns for Small Sellers

Consumer cancellation rights are not an optional extra for an online shop. This guide explains the fourteen-day window in practical terms, identifies the exceptions that commonly affect small sellers, and shows how to draft a returns policy that is clear, fair and enforceable.
When the Invoice Goes Unpaid: A Measured Route to Recovery
Litigation & Disputes

When the Invoice Goes Unpaid: A Measured Route to Recovery

An unpaid invoice is a cash-flow problem long before it becomes a legal one. This guide sets out a disciplined, proportionate sequence for UK businesses — from the first courteous reminder through statutory interest and a letter before action to county court proceedings — with the commercial relationship kept in view throughout.
A Name Is Not a Brand: Securing Your Business Identity Beyond Companies House
Commercial Law

A Name Is Not a Brand: Securing Your Business Identity Beyond Companies House

Incorporation at Companies House tells the world a company exists; it does not tell competitors to keep away from your name. This article explains the gap between a registered company name and a registered trade mark, and sets out the practical steps a small business can take to search, register and enforce the brand it trades under.
Same Customers, New Company: Transferring Contracts on Incorporation
Commercial Law

Same Customers, New Company: Transferring Contracts on Incorporation

Incorporating a sole trader business can strengthen its structure, but it also changes the legal party your customers contracted with. This guide explains how to move existing contracts across cleanly, avoid insurance gaps and communicate the change without unsettling clients.
The Signed Testimonial: Writing Employee References That Stand Up to Scrutiny
Commercial Law

The Signed Testimonial: Writing Employee References That Stand Up to Scrutiny

A former employee asks for a reference, and a small employer must decide how much to say. Too much warmth can overstate the record; too little can look like punishment. This article sets out a practical, legally aware approach to references that is fair, accurate and defensible.
The Account That Follows You Home: Director’s Loans and the Paper Trail HMRC Expects
Commercial Law

The Account That Follows You Home: Director’s Loans and the Paper Trail HMRC Expects

An overdrawn director’s loan account is rarely a deliberate tax scheme. More often it is the sum of everyday withdrawals, personal expenses and year-end adjustments. This guide explains how to record, repay and disclose director’s loans before HMRC or a liquidator asks the obvious question.
When a Director Falls Silent: A Lawful Route for Owner-Managed Companies
Commercial Law

When a Director Falls Silent: A Lawful Route for Owner-Managed Companies

A director who stops responding can leave a small company unable to make decisions. This guide explains how owner-managed companies can examine the constitutional documents, separate removal from employment, follow the statutory process and manage the practical risks that follow.
The Deposit in Trust: Getting Tenancy Protection Right From Day One
Residential Property

The Deposit in Trust: Getting Tenancy Protection Right From Day One

A tenancy deposit is not simply money set aside for cleaning and damage. In England and Wales it is held within a statutory framework with strict deadlines, prescribed paperwork and real financial consequences for anyone who overlooks the detail. This guide explains the rules from both sides of the agreement and closes with a practical check-out checklist.
Prompts, Outputs and Ownership: Managing AI Content in a Small Business
Commercial Law

Prompts, Outputs and Ownership: Managing AI Content in a Small Business

AI tools can draft marketing copy, proposals and internal documents quickly, but speed does not answer the legal questions. This guide explains the UK position on ownership, confidentiality and liability, and sets out practical steps a small business can take before the first prompt is typed.
The Work Party Is Still Work: A Small Employer’s Guide to Social Events
Commercial Law

The Work Party Is Still Work: A Small Employer’s Guide to Social Events

A staff party may be a thank-you, but it is not a legal vacuum. This practical guide explains how small employers can manage alcohol, harassment, social media and vicarious liability before, during and after a work social event without turning it into a legal minefield.
The Marital Asset in the Boardroom: Safeguarding a Company Through a Shareholder’s Divorce
Commercial Law

The Marital Asset in the Boardroom: Safeguarding a Company Through a Shareholder’s Divorce

A shareholder’s divorce can reach far beyond the family home. This guide explains how courts in England and Wales may view private company shares, why the company’s articles and any shareholder agreement matter, and what directors can do to protect value without interfering in someone else’s settlement.
The Briefcase That Should Not Leave: Client Information After a Key Employee Resigns
Commercial Law

The Briefcase That Should Not Leave: Client Information After a Key Employee Resigns

When a trusted employee resigns, the immediate concern is often continuity. The harder question is whether client contacts, pricing knowledge or confidential documents are leaving with them. This guide sets out the practical and legal steps a small business can take without turning a resignation into an unnecessary dispute.
A Document Worth Getting Right: Lasting Powers of Attorney in England and Wales
Wills & Estate Planning

A Document Worth Getting Right: Lasting Powers of Attorney in England and Wales

A Lasting Power of Attorney is often treated as a later-life formality, yet it is one of the most practical documents a family can put in place. This guide explains how LPAs work, why signing and registration errors cause delays, and what can be done now to avoid a future application to the Court of Protection.
Fences, Deeds and Disagreement: A Measured Approach to Boundary Lines
Litigation & Disputes

Fences, Deeds and Disagreement: A Measured Approach to Boundary Lines

A boundary disagreement can feel like a simple question of where the fence should stand. In law, it is rarely that straightforward. This guide explains what records matter, how to reduce conflict, and when to seek advice before positions harden.
When the Scaffolding Goes Quiet: Legal Steps for an Abandoned Building Project
Litigation & Disputes

When the Scaffolding Goes Quiet: Legal Steps for an Abandoned Building Project

A contractor’s silence can leave a homeowner or small business exposed, especially when money has already changed hands. This guide explains how to tell a temporary pause from a repudiatory breach, protect the evidence, and recover deposits or appoint a replacement without weakening your legal position.
The Invisible Estate: Putting Your Digital Affairs in Order
Wills & Estate Planning

The Invisible Estate: Putting Your Digital Affairs in Order

A will deals with houses, savings and possessions, but it may say little about the photographs in a cloud account, the email inbox that still receives bills, or cryptocurrency held under a seed phrase. This article explains how digital assets are treated in England and Wales and how to leave clear, lawful instructions for your family.
A Room, Not a Tenancy: What Homeowners Should Know Before Taking in a Lodger
Residential Property

A Room, Not a Tenancy: What Homeowners Should Know Before Taking in a Lodger

Renting out a spare room can help with household costs, but the legal status of the person who moves in matters. This guide explains the practical difference between a lodger and a tenant, and the paperwork that helps a homeowner keep their position clear.
Funding a First Home: A Parent’s Guide to Deposit Contributions
Residential Property

Funding a First Home: A Parent’s Guide to Deposit Contributions

Parents often help with a first home deposit, but the legal difference between a gift and a loan can matter enormously later. This guide explains how to record the arrangement clearly, why a declaration of trust may be useful, and how to protect both the money and family relationships if circumstances change.

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