This Precedent provides a worked example of Precedent: Improving efficiency—Voice of the Customer/Client (VOC)—blank and demonstrates how client feedback can be used to determine the efficiency of processes. All process improvements should be geared towards improving the experience of the internal/external client, and to do that you need to understand what they want or expect from you. In continuous improvement (CI) terminology this is known as understanding the ‘Voice of the Customer/Client’ (VOC). The VOC needs to be balanced against what your team is willing and able to provide. In CI terminology this is known as the ‘Voice of the Business’ (VOB). This worked example has been tailored for those working in an in-house legal team. What do our clients want? Step 1: Identify our clients Who are our existing clients? (Specific and generic) Internal clients—procurement team, HR etc.External clients—suppliers. Who are our potential clients? Could we potentially provide legal or consultancy services externally in order to generate revenue? Untapped markets to explore? Other niche businesses within a similar market sector. Is our client base likely

This Precedent can be used to gather customer information and feedback to determine the efficiency of a process as part of step 1 of the five step improving efficiency framework—see Practice Notes: Improving efficiency: The five steps framework and Improving efficiency: Step 1—identify and define the problem. All process improvements should be geared towards improving the experience of the internal/external client, and to do that you need to understand what they want or expect from you. In continuous improvement (CI) terminology this is known as understanding the ‘Voice of the Customer/Client’ (VOC). The VOC needs

With technology sweeping through the workplace and changing the way we do things on an almost daily basis, it can feel rather like going for a paddle in a rough sea—a wave of change comes along and nearly sweeps you off your feet but, before you’ve regained your balance, the next wave is bearing down on you. This practice note will help you identify what you are currently doing that is helping and hindering your personal resilience when dealing with these waves of change and offer a number of practical tips for dealing with ongoing change. What is personal resilience? The internet offers the following definition: Psychological a resilience is defined as an individual's ability to properly adapt to stress and adversity. Stress and adversity can come in the shape of family or relationship problems, health problems, or workplace and financial worries, among others. Wikipedia This is where the first challenge arises—though this Practice Note is focusing on building your resilience in the workplace the reality for most of us is that there

Working within an in-house legal team at the moment is rather like going for a paddle in a rough sea—a wave of change comes along and nearly sweeps you off your feet but, before you’ve regained your balance, the next wave is bearing down on you. This Practice Note will help identify what you are currently doing that is helping and hindering your personal resilience when dealing with these waves of change and offers a number of practical tips for dealing with ongoing change. This Practice Note covers: • What is personal resilience? • Tackling the root of resilience • Why does everyone else appear to be coping? • The scientific approach • Getting to grips with 'learned helplessness' • Other areas of support What is personal resilience? Psychological resilience can be defined as an individual’s ability to properly adapt to stress and adversity. Stress and adversity can come in the shape of family or relationship problems, health problems, or workplace and financial worries, among others. This is where the first challenge arises.

This Checklist provides guidance on steps you can take to increase awareness of, and improve, well-being for the in-house legal team. Management training and development—equip managers with essential skills and knowledge to effectively support and monitor team well-being by ensuring managers receive training on: • mental health awareness and early warning signs. See Practice Notes: Understanding mental health and well-being and Well-being in legal teams • emotional intelligence and active listening skills. • having supportive well-being conversations • leading by example through self-awareness Mental

Being able to put your point of view across in an assertive, confident manner is an essential skill for any legal professional, but for most of us there are times when we feel anything but assertive. This Practice Note will help you understand what the triggers are for changes in your levels of assertiveness and what you can do to help yourself. What is assertiveness? People talk a lot about assertiveness, often without clearly defining what they mean. The Collins dictionary defines assertiveness as: ‘the quality of being able to express one's opinions or desires in a clear and direct manner’. Assertiveness is about having confidence in yourself and standing up for your own rights while also respecting the rights of others. It is based on the belief that other people’s rights and needs are as important as our own. Assertive people are able to express themselves with confidence and to explain their view and what they want to happen, without resorting to passive, aggressive or manipulative behaviour. People with good assertiveness skills

This Checklist is intended for in-house lawyers. It suggests role-based practical actions to improve your understanding of how key finance and accounting concepts apply to the business. These suggested actions are designed to increase your financial awareness and improve confidence in contributing to commercial discussions. In the context of this Checklist: • an individual contributor means an in-house lawyer who does not manage a team or function • a functional or people manager means an in-house lawyer with responsibility for leading a team or managing part of the legal function • an enterprise leader means a senior legal leader who operates at organisational level, engaging directly with the executive team and the board To assess your current financial literacy, see: How financially literate are you—checklist. For guidance on the essentials of business finance and accounting, and why this matters for in-house lawyers, see Practice Notes: • Introduction to business finance and accounting—financial accounting and external performance, and • Introduction to business finance and accounting—management accounting and internal decision-making Individual contributor Action Guidance □

Family analysis: This case involved an application by the Lord Chancellor under section 55(1)(c) of the Family Law Act 1986 and the inherent jurisdiction, in 79 divorce cases, for declarations that the marriages no longer existed as of the date the final divorce orders were made. The application was necessary after a glitch in the online court portal allowed the applicants to start an application for a divorce one day earlier than legislation permitted (the relevant time period under section 3 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (MCA 1973) being not before ‘the expiration of the period of one year from the date of the marriage’). The High Court considered whether the final divorce orders were voidable or void. It was determined that the orders were voidable and, unless any of the 158 individuals involved sought to argue otherwise before the end of January 2025, the orders were legally valid. Vikkie Chetcuti-Gee, associate solicitor at Burgess Mee Family Law examines the issues.

The Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 (AHA 1986) applies to all agricultural tenancies created before 1 September 1995. For more information, see: Agricultural holdings (formerly 'Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies')—overview. Compensation at the end of the tenancy may be claimed either: • under the terms of the tenancy agreement, as supplemented by AHA 1986, s 7 (which imports the ‘model clauses’ in relation to maintenance, repair and insurance of fixed equipment into all tenancy agreements to which AHA 1986 applies), and the Agriculture (Maintenance, Repair and Insurance of Fixed Equipment) Regulations 1973, SI 1973/1473, revoked and replaced (with

If a landlord is in liquidation, the liquidator may disclaim the landlord’s superior lease. The landlord’s liabilities as tenant under that superior lease come to an end when the disclaimer takes effect, but the liabilities of other parties, including the undertenant, do not. The undertenant will be entitled to remain in occupation provided it performs the former landlord’s obligations under the headlease(see section 178(4) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986), and Hindcastle v Barbara Attenborough Associates). It may often be in the undertenant's interests to obtain a vesting

It has been assumed that this Q&A refers to a rentcharge that is a positive covenant. A rentcharge is defined as ‘an annual sum paid by a freeholder homeowner to a third party who normally has no other interest in the property’. A rentcharge can also be referred to as a ‘chief rent’. See government guidance for more information. It follows, that requiring the freeholder to pay an annual sum will be a positive covenant listed on the property’s title. Positive covenants differ from restrictive covenants in that they require the purchaser to do something

Relevant property trust charges In the case of the ten-year charge, the available nil rate band (NRB) is used as part of a formula to calculate the effective rate (ER), which in turn determines the actual rate of inheritance tax (IHT) to be applied to the particular trust. The actual rate is 30% of the ER. As the maximum ER is 20%, the maximum actual rate is 6%. See Practice Note: Relevant property trusts—the principal (ten-year) charge before 18 November 2015 [ARCHIVED] and Relevant property trusts—principal (ten-year) charge pro forma calculation.