burnetts.co.uk

3rd September 2026 ❘ Legal News and Commentary More than 3.5 million couples in England and Wales live together without being married or in a civil partnership. Despite the often-used phrase “common law marriage”, living together does not currently give a couple the same legal rights as being married. The Government has recently consulted on whether greater protection should be introduced for some cohabiting couples when they separate or one partner dies.

2nd September 2026 ❘ Legal News and Commentary The Law Commission is reviewing commercial leasehold law in England and Wales, with the aim of identifying areas which may unnecessarily delay or complicate commercial property transactions. Its first consultation focuses on some of the practical issues that can arise during the lifetime of a commercial lease. The consultation closes on 16 September 2026. Why is commercial leasehold law being reviewed?

24th August 2026 ❘ Burnetts' News We have further strengthened our Corporate team with the appointment of Corporate Partner Andrew Hill, who joins us from national law firm Knights. Andrew is a highly regarded corporate lawyer with extensive experience advising business owners, entrepreneurs, investors and management teams on a broad range of corporate transactions.

20th August 2026 ❘ Legal News and Commentary By Michael Walby, Corporate Partner Creating a clear vision, attracting investment and ensuring Cumbria shares in the benefits of its own success For around a decade, I lived and worked in Leeds. It was a city region where cranes were semi-permanent residents on the skyline, new developments appeared almost overnight, and large infrastructure and regeneration announcements were treated as routine.

19th August 2026 ❘ Legal News and Commentary By Richard Miller, Agri and Estates Partner. With just 10 weeks to go until the Autumn Budget on 28 October 2026, farming families, landowners and business owners are once again asking what changes may lie ahead for inheritance tax and succession planning.

14th August 2026 ❘ Legal News and Commentary By Chris Morgan, Corporate Partner On every company M&A transaction, the first and fundamental question is who owns the shares being sold?”. It’s a question that’s normally answered without any fuss. A register of members though is more than just a register. It forms the basis of company ownership by setting out who the legal owner of the shares is. This is really as black and white as it sounds.

14th August 2026 ❘ Burnetts' News We’re looking forward to joining Cumbria’s farming community at the Cumbria Farmer Awards 2026, celebrating the farmers, families and agricultural businesses that contribute so much to our county. This year, we’re incredibly proud to be sponsoring the Dairy Farmer of the Year Award, recognising the hard work, expertise and commitment behind some of Cumbria’s outstanding dairy farming businesses.

12th August 2026 ❘ Burnetts' News We’re delighted to have been named as one of the top ten most highly recommended law firms in the North in new client research from Legal 500. Burnetts was ranked eighth in the region, based on feedback from clients who were asked how likely they would be to recommend their law firm.

3rd August 2026 ❘ Legal News and Commentary Managing redundancies can be one of the most challenging issues for employers. Whether your business is restructuring, reducing costs or adapting to changing market conditions, it is important to ensure that any redundancy process is handled fairly, consistently and in line with current employment law.

23rd July 2026 ❘ Burnetts' News Our Commercial Property team is proud to have supported its longstanding client kinderzimmer (UK) on the development of its pioneering new nursery setting at historic Ockford Mill in Godalming, Surrey. The new setting, kinderzimmer Godalming, marks the group’s tenth nursery and represents a significant milestone in the organisation’s continued UK expansion.