Costs Office meaning

This Checklist should be read in conjunction with the Practice Note: Block transfer orders—the law and practice. Read this Checklist alongside the Practice Note: Block transfer orders—the law and practice. There are three principal scenarios that necessitate a block transfer of office-holder appointments: where an office-holder dies on the retirement of an office-holder from practice where an office-holder is otherwise unable or unwilling to continue in office. This may happen if an office-holder moves firms, or loses their licence to practise as a result of regulatory action The Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 (IR 2016), SI 2016/1024, rr 12.35–12.38, govern applications to the court for the block transfer of cases from one office-holder to another. The block transfer application process applies to the following types of appointment: compulsory liquidation (winding up by the court) voluntary liquidation (both members’ voluntary liquidations and creditors’ voluntary liquidations) administration bankruptcy voluntary arrangement (both company voluntary...

This tracker outlines the consultation papers issued by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in 2013, together with notice of any later rules and guidance published. For FCA consultation papers from different years, see: FCA consultation paper trackers. For Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and Financial Services Authority (FSA) consultation papers, see: PRA consultation paper tracker [Archived] FSA consultation paper tracker [Archived] Topic area: Consumer credit; Disclosure and transparency; Supervision; Funds CP13/18: Quarterly Consultation Paper No. 3 The FCA proposed to: make small changes associated with transferring consumer credit regulation from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the FCA (chapter 2) bring in an administrative fee to recover costs arising from listed issuers’ late publication of periodic financial statements under the Disclosure and Transparency Rules (DTRs) (chapter 3) broaden the ability of authorised fund managers and others to communicate with unit-holders electronically, including via website-based communications (chapter 4) revise the process for handling a waiver application...

What claims or causes of action can be assigned? Insolvency office-holders should bear in mind the difference between transferring an ‘office-holder claim’ (ie any statutory cause of action the office-holder may pursue under the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986)) and a claim that resides in the insolvent company (ie a ‘company claim’) or in the bankrupt individual. Claims which vest in the insolvent company or the bankrupt individual An insolvency office-holder’s central obligation is to gather in the property of the insolvent company or the bankrupt individual and to realise its value for the benefit of creditors. See Practice Notes: Role, powers, functions and duties of an administrator Role, powers, functions and duties of a liquidator Role, powers, functions and duties of a trustee in bankruptcy As choses in action fall within the meaning of property capable of realisation, insolvency office-holders may assign claims that vest in an insolvent company or a bankrupt individual from the outset of...

What are the most significant changes introduced by the Act that pension scheme trustees need to prepare for? The most notable reforms in the Act that trustees should be ready for are: Data subject complaints: complaints about the handling of personal data must be acknowledged within 30 days and answered without undue delay. ICO enforcement powers: the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) now has authority to compel interviews and require the production of documents to assess compliance. Data subject access requests (DSARs): the Act codifies the ICO’s existing guidance, meaning (i) trustees must apply a ‘reasonable and proportionate’ search standard when responding; and (ii) the ‘stop the clock’ rule pauses the one-month deadline for a response. Automated decision making (ADM): the Act allows reliance on the full set of lawful bases — including ‘legitimate interests’ — when non-special category personal data is used for significant automated decisions about an individual, provided suitable safeguards are in place. ...

In this issue A review of key cases in 2025 Decision to prosecute and alternatives to prosecution Criminal procedure and evidence Proceeds of crime Bribery, corruption, sanctions and export controls Environmental offences Financial services and pensions offences Health and safety and corporate manslaughter offences Local authority prosecutions Money laundering Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information A review of key cases in 2025 Headline corporate crime matters in 2025 included the UK Supreme Court overturning the convictions of two traders jailed for rate manipulation; the anti-fraud agency deploying a seldom‑used legal power to recover criminal cash; and the first conviction for sanctions breaches. See News Analysis: The biggest financial crime cases of 2025. Decision to prosecute and alternatives to prosecution SFO compliance guide highlights early remediation is key On 26 November 2025, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO)...

In this issue: Brexit highlights Post-Brexit transition guidelines Brexit SIs Constitutional and administrative law Subsidy control and State Aid Judicial review Equality and human rights Other Public law news Daily and weekly news alerts Dates for your diary Trackers New and updated content Useful information Brexit highlights EAC sets out recommendations on future of UK-EU data adequacy The House of Lords European Affairs Committee (EAC) has issued a letter to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, summarising the principal conclusions and recommendations from its inquiry into UK‑EU data adequacy. It found that the loss of EU data adequacy in June 2025 would bring substantial costs and added administrative burdens for businesses and organisations, create obstacles to international trade and economic co‑operation, and detrimentally affect Northern Ireland under the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the Windsor Framework Agreement. The EAC therefore advises that the government engage with...

Family office The phrase ‘family office’ spans a wide array of circumstances, so there is no universally agreed definition. The Family Firm Institute, however, characterises a family office as: ‘A separate entity apart from the operating business (and sometimes created with the assets realised after the sale of a family enterprise) consisting of a diversified wealth portfolio held for the benefit of the family’ (Family Enterprise; understanding Families in Business and Families of Wealth Wiley 2014 (not reported by LexisNexis®)). Such offices are largely, and more commonly, the preserve of high net worth—indeed ultra high net worth—families (ie those with investable assets above $30m), with varied holdings and complex affairs. That complexity can create scope for disputes. Nonetheless, with a well-designed structure supported by a clear strategy and effective family governance, a family office can yield substantial advantages. These benefits accrue not only to the family members themselves but also, through coordinated philanthropic efforts, to the broader community. Likely features of a family office include: a...

STOP PRESS: Abolition of non-dom regime and remittance basis of taxation from 2025–26 The Finance Act 2025 has scrapped the remittance basis and, from 6 April 2025, substitutes a residence-based system. The reforms bring in a new Foreign Income and Gains (FIG) regime and revise the rules for overseas workday relief. For detailed guidance on these updates, refer to Practice Note: The abolition of the remittance basis of taxation from 2025–26. The UK operates a comprehensive framework for taxing employment income. This Practice Note explains the core income tax principles for employment income and the way they attach to earnings. Keep in mind that any form of remuneration connected to an individual’s employment can give rise to income tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs) liabilities (for NICs, potentially affecting both employer and employee), together with possible apprenticeship levy costs for the employer. In addition, intricate provisions govern the withholding and collection of income tax on employment income and employee NICs under the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system. These...

This Practice Note summarises what the SRA Accounts Rules (Accounts Rules) require in relation to receiving and transferring costs, and mirrors the SRA’s supporting guidance: SRA, Helping you keep accurate client accounting records. Money received or held in respect of unbilled fees or disbursements There is a defined meaning of client money. It includes funds you hold or receive towards your fees and any unpaid disbursements where these are received before you issue a bill for them. The SRA elaborates in separate guidance: ‘client money is money of any currency that is received and held as cash, cheque, draft or electronic transfer by a firm when they are providing legal services’. Examples include amounts for the firm’s fees, and any outstanding expert fees, received before a bill has been sent to the client for those sums. Where money held or received for unpaid disbursements is client money, it follows that money held or received in respect of disbursements already paid is office money. The general...

INSOLVENCY ACT APPLICATION NOTICE Case No: [ insert case number ]. Court: High Court (Business and Property Courts, Insolvency and Companies List (ChD)) OR Business and Property Courts in [ insert location ] OR County Court at [ insert location ] (Business and Property Work). In the matter of [ insert company’s name ] and the Insolvency Act 1986. Parties: [ Insert Applicant(s) ] v [ Insert Respondent(s) ]. Under IR 2016 r 18.23. Parties and addresses: Applicants [ names/addresses ]; Respondents [ names/addresses ]. Application relates to [ details ]. Judge: [ level ]. Venue: [ court/hearing centre ]. Ref: [ number ]. Orders sought: Fix remuneration at £[ insert sum ] plus VAT; disbursements £[ insert sum ]. Costs to be an expense of the [ liquidation/administration ]. Any further order or relief the court considers appropriate. Grounds: witness statement of [ name ], dated [ date ]. Service/notice: [ names/addresses, if any, or none ]. Address for...

Brief details of claim This action is brought under section 423 of the Insolvency Act 1986. The Claimant is the [ insert office held ] at [ insert name of the company ] (the Company). ...

This Agreement, dated [ • ] 20[ • ], is entered into between the following parties: Parties [ insert name of Borrower ], a company incorporated in England and Wales with registered number [ insert company number ], whose registered office is at [ insert address ] (the Borrower); and [ insert name of Lender ] of [ insert address ] (the Lender). Background (A) [ insert description of background to transaction ]. (B) The Lender has agreed to provide the Facility (as defined below) to the Borrower on the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement...