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You’ve asked us to be kept informed of our next event. The date has now been set and it is Thursday 16th June 2022. We are back at Northern Football Club again and tickets will be being released soon! Meanwhile block the evening out in your diaries! We have already confirmed Newcastle Council will be speaking on their plans for Licensing. Martin Wardle will be covering the VAT implications of property conversions and developments. Our usual suspects will be on hand also including Coversure Insurance, Sweeney Miller Solicitors and Approved Mortgages. Finally don’t forget you can help to support the North East Landlords by becoming an affiliate member of the NRLA – if you use THIS LINK they will help provide essential funds to NEL to keep these meetings running as well as you getting all the excellent benefits you need to succeed in…

The Sweeney Miller Law team are delighted at the recent announcement that the firm is a finalist in not one, but three categories at the 2022 Northern Law Awards. Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, the firm is particularly proud of being a finalist in the Law Firm of the Year (1-5 Partners) Category. The additional categories that the firm is shortlisted for are Team of the Year – Residential Property and Team of the Year – Commercial Property. The Northern Law Awards have been cancelled due to the pandemic for the last two years, with the most recent ceremony taking place in 2019. The Awards are a celebration of the exceptional legal talent in the region and showcase the industry’s successes. The Awards ceremony takes place on the evening of 23rd June 2022 at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. For the Law Firm of…

Celebrating our 20th anniversary in business, Sweeney Miller Law features on the front page of the May 2022 edition of Northern Insight Magazine. The article focuses on the firm’s decision to scale, including the strategic and tactical steps it has taken to achieve its growth ambitions, ranging from developing and ensuring the wellbeing of its team, to the move to new offices in Newcastle and the building of a robust senior leadership team. With a headcount now approaching 80 and an increase in turnover of 65% since 2018, the article highlights the firm’s achievements since it’s foundation in 2002. In the article, Managing Partner, Surbhi Vedhara comments: “I am so proud of what every member of the Sweeney Miller team has achieved in the last four years, from ensuring that excellent service standards were maintained throughout the pandemic, attracting fantastic new clients…

An interview with Surbhi Vedhara, Commercial Property Solicitor and Managing Partner at Sweeney Miller Law, features in this month’s edition of Northern Insight Magazine. The article is part of the magazine’s ‘Staying Power’ series, which examines commercial longevity among some of the North East’s most experienced and successful businesses leaders. Surbhi discusses her career path to becoming a Solicitor, ultimately leading to her reaching the position of Managing Partner at Sweeney Miller Law. In the article, Surbhi also discusses career highlights, the challenging as well as rewarding aspects of her role, together with the significant importance of her colleagues to the firm’s ongoing success and growth. Surbhi also recognises the ever-evolving nature of the legal industry and the constant need for continuous improvement to keep ahead for the benefit of the firm’s team and clients. The full article can be found…

Litigation solicitor at Sweeney Miller Law, Charlie Lynn, has written an article featured in this month’s Northern Insight Magazine. The article discusses the impact of the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act on commercial tenants and landlords. The new Act affects rent payments that built up due to the forced closure of businesses by the Government during the Covid 19 lockdowns. In the article, that can be found here, Charlie explains the background to the Act, the important distinctions between protected and unprotected tenancies, the new arbitration scheme, together with the costs implications and timescales. The article concludes that for both commercial landlords or tenants, given the timescales and how new and untested the process is, it is important to consider getting specialist legal advice. If you are a commercial landlord or tenant that may be affected by the new rules, and…

We can’t wait to get back to in person meetings! Join us for updates on all things property! We will be joined by Tyneside Welcomes at our upcoming event. Do you have your ticket yet? Get your ticket here! About this event Updates from the teams at: Sweeney Miller Approved Mortgages Coversure Insurance Robson Laidler Please book only one ticket per registration. To book your place please click on this link March Landlords Meeting Tickets, Wed 9 Mar 2022 at 17:30 | Eventbrite Location Northern Football Club Great North Road Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 2DT Starts at 5.30pm

Head of Sweeney Miller’s Litigation and Family Departments, Rebecca Cresswell, has been invited to be a member of the 2022 Northern Law Awards Judging Panel. This year’s Awards will take place on the evening of Thursday 23rd June 2022 at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. Attended by a wide range of lawyers from academia, law firms and in house teams, the Awards celebrate the region’s extensive legal talent and industry successes. In response to the cancellation of previous events due to the pandemic, the period being judged has been extended to cover between March 2020 to March 2022. Chartered Legal Executive, Rebecca was first asked to be a Judge 3 years ago for finalists in the ‘Trainee of the Year’ category. She was asked again in 2020, however the previous 2 years Awards were deferred as a result of…

The award has been developed in collaboration with Newcastle University and recognises the highest academic performers in: Land Law Contract Law Equity Students can apply for the Scholarship after receiving their second-year exam results. As a successful candidate, Isobel receives £1000 to help towards the cost of her studies. In addition, she has been given the opportunity of voluntary work experience, paid at £100 per week, at Sweeney Miller Law’s Newcastle based office. During this time, as well as gaining a practical insight into the workings of a busy law firm, Isobel will have the opportunity to learn about the route to qualification and the opportunities in the legal field that may be available. Also recognised at the awards event held at Newcastle University’s Law School were runners up Olivia Harris and Evie Donnelly, who each received chocolates and flowers. At…

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Sweeney Miller Law continued to attract new clients and instructions across both its Newcastle and Sunderland offices, accelerating the decision to relocate its Newcastle Office. Maintaining its growth momentum, on 4thJanuary 2022 Sweeney Miller’s Newcastle team moved into Bulman House, Regent Centre, Gosforth. The Newcastle branch now occupies 4400 square feet of office space across two floors in a prime location off Gosforth High Street. The new premises has its own reception area, a suite of meeting rooms, kitchen and spacious staff break out area. The additional space will enable the firm to develop its services on Tyneside for both individual and business clients across its key practice areas of conveyancing, commercial property, company and commercial, family law, dispute resolution, private client and landlord and tenant. As well as providing space for the firm’s…

Landlord and Tenant Update Landlords will be glad to hear that the Government have announced plans to wind down the ban on evictions, which will coincide with reductions in notice periods that landlords must provide to tenants. This comes as the Government slowly but surely take steps towards normality now the UK is easing its way out of lockdown. Legislation has been amended that will see bailiffs commencing with evictions from 1st June 2021. Notice periods are being reduced from 6 months to 4 months, which will include ‘no fault’ grounds under section 21. Notice periods for the most serious cases under section 8 will remain lower. (This includes 4 weeks’ notice for over 4 months accumulated rent arrears) The government’s plan is to return to pre-Covid timescales on October 1st 2021 in which section 8 notice periods will be between two weeks…

A Section 21 notice is used to evict your tenants either after a fixed term tenancy ends if there’s a written contract; or during a tenancy with no fixed end date, known as a ‘periodic’ tenancy. This will leave Landlords in a difficult position if they wish to regain their property if the Tenant has not breached the tenancy agreement, such as by not paying rent. Also, if Landlords wish to use a Section 8 notice on the ground of outstanding rent arrears, they now must include details of the recently-introduced ‘breathing space’ debt scheme when seeking possession of their property from tenants who have not paid rent. The constant changes to the housing market are making it impossible for Landlords. It is important that you seek legal advice on your property issues to avoid any further delays, especially now that…