What to Do When Someone Dies Without a WillWhat to Do When Someone Dies Without a Will

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What to Do When Someone Dies Without a Will

Hello, my name is Kerry. Last year my mother died suddenly. When we went through her papers, we discovered she didn't have a will. My mother had been married to another man before she met my father and I had a couple of step brothers. Unfortunately, they turned up on our doorstep and started to demand that we hand over my mother's life savings to them and their family. I contacted a lawyer who specialises in probate law. She talked me through my case and explained how we would defend it in court. Thankfully, the matter was resolved to my satisfaction and I could start to grieve for my mother. I decided to start this blog to help others who have a contested will on their hands.

3 Legal Considerations When Buying A Restaurant Business

8 January 2018
 Categories: Law, Blog

Buying an existing restaurant business isn't as simple as walking into a store and picking up a new shirt. You need to consider several factors – location, past performance, future prospects and legalities. While you're probably adept at the business considerations, the legal considerations could be much harder to process without the help of a professional solicitor. Here are some of them to keep in mind:

Inspection Of Legality Of Restaurant Operations

As a prospective buyer, you have the right to inspect all aspects of the restaurant, including whether the business is operating wholly within the purview of the law. For example, does the restaurant presently meet all existing food safety requirements or has there been any violation in the recent past? Make sure you check all food safety certificates and other aspects of the business before making the purchase, so that you don't end up buying into a business with multiple legal issues pending against it.

Ensure All Equipment And Existing Stock Are Accounted For In The Sales Price

A sales contract must provide a good deal of clarity and should include everything in your purchase, including all equipment and existing stock you plan on buying from the previous owner. It's important that this is provided within the written contract to eliminate any room for miscommunication between the buying and selling parties later. For instance, if you're planning on purchasing some vintage wines from the existing business and if you want to retain all equipment like cooktops, ovens, refrigerators and dishwashers, you'll want this incorporated into the sales contract. You'll also want to ensure the equipment isn't rented from another third party if you intend to purchase them. Your business solicitor will look into all these legal aspects for you. Of course, the onus of inspecting the equipment to ensure they are in working condition will remain on you before the sale finally goes through.

Consider All Assets You Can Acquire For A Seamless Transition

Apart from premises, equipment and stock, your solicitor can assist you with acquiring an array of other restaurant assets like existing databases, social media handles, websites, loyalty programs and business names for a seamless transition under the new management. Your business solicitor will assist you with acquiring all these additional assets so that you can start running the restaurant as quickly as possible once the sale takes place.

Buying a restaurant isn't always as straightforward as you may hope, no matter how passionate you are about the food business. Consider these legal aspects before you decide to take the plunge.