Shareholders

As a shareholder in a private limited company you may never have to consider your legal rights. It is often only when the relationship between the shareholders or between the directors and the shareholders breaks down do people consider what options are available to them.

We advise in relation to disputes between shareholders including section 944 petitions (formally section 459 petitions), derivative actions brought by shareholders, situations where directions are in breach of the duties they owe to the company and other company disputes. Such disputes may involve negotiations and mediation or eventually court proceedings. This can often be a stressful time and Kyriakides & Braier have the knowledge and experience to help you through this.

We can also advise on preparing bespoke Articles of Association and shareholders agreements which help you avoid potential disputes in the future.

 

Wills

Most people know that administering the estate of a deceased person is easier if there is a will. Of course, if you have worked to build up your assets you ought to make a will, so that your money goes to the people that you want it to go to, and making a will is also a good opportunity for inheritance tax planning. Read more

Probate

After someone dies his or her assets have to be transferred to the beneficiaries. If the deceased left a will then the executors appointed have to pay any inheritance tax, “prove” the will at the court and then get a grant of probate which entitles the executors to administer the estate of the deceased in accordance with the will. If the deceased died without making a will a similar process but more complex occurs under which next of kin have to apply for a grant of administration from the court and then the administrators must distribute the estate in accordance with the intestacy rules. Read more

Powers of Attorney

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 introduced a new procedure for appointing an attorney to manage a person’s affairs. Enduring Power of Attorneys created before 1 October 2007 still have effect but anybody wishing to appoint a new attorney must grant a Lasting Power of Attorney. Read more

Divorce

Divorce is always a stressful experience and one of the aspects that cause a great deal of concern on all sides is the fair and equitable division of the divorcing couple’s assets. Over a long period of marriage many valuable assets have been collected and now have to be divided. Read more