Can you benefit from a trust you have made a gift to?

Can you benefit from a trust you have made a gift to?

We were asked the other day if there is anything stopping a discretionary trust making a distribution to someone who has previously made a gift to the trust. This may seem like a simple question, but it isn’t. As you will probably be aware, most (if not all)...
Marijuana anyone? The ins and outs of employee drug testing

Marijuana anyone? The ins and outs of employee drug testing

Employers have long struggled with the balance between an employee’s responsibilities at work and their right to a life outside of work. This has often given rise to the question of whether an employer can discipline employees for recreational activities conducted outside of working hours.

Taming the ‘Seven Dogs’ of business succession planning

Taming the ‘Seven Dogs’ of business succession planning

No matter what type of business you’re in, it’s important to protect yourself against the unexpected – what we refer to as the “Seven Dogs”: Death, Disability, Divorce, Default, Departure, Disagreement and Deadlock.

When one of these events occurs, often one business owner will want to take ownership and control of the business, and the other owner (or their family) will want funds to maintain their lifestyle.

A lot of questions then arise…

Are you an ‘employee’ or ‘independent contractor’, and why should you care?

Are you an ‘employee’ or ‘independent contractor’, and why should you care?

Over the past couple of decades there has been a clear shift away from ‘traditional employment’, and towards people acting as independent contractors or ‘freelancing’. This has important impacts on both ’employees’ and ’employers’.