Welcome to Find Me A Solicitor: The Legal Brief! Find Me A Solicitor’s monthly round-up of key legal developments from across the UK. Each edition brings together the most important changes in law, policy and regulation from the past month, offering clear insight into how they may affect individuals, businesses and legal professionals alike. As the legal landscape continues to evolve, Find Me A Solicitor remains committed to helping people navigate complex legal issues by connecting them with trusted solicitors across England and Wales, ensuring the right advice is always within reach.
1. Employment Law: The Employment Rights Act 2025
April 2026 marks an important shift in UK Employment Law. The Employment Rights Act 2025, which received Royal Assent in December 2025, has had a major wave of implementation this month, which will affect many employers within the UK.
From the 1st of April, the National living wage has risen to £12.71 per hour for workers aged 21 and over, whilst the rate for 18 to 20 year olds increased to £10.85, and the rate for 16 to 17 year olds and apprentices rose to £8.00. These laws will be enforced by the newly launched Fair Work Agency, which opened on the 7th of April as the UK’s single labour market enforcement agency, allowing for consolidation of powers previously held by the HMRC’s National Minimum Wage Unit and other regulatory bodies.
Alongside this, from the 6th of April, the three-day waiting period for Statutory Sick Pay was abolished, meaning SSP is payable from the first day of sickness absence. Reinforced by the removal of the Lower Earnings Limit, which means that lower-paid and part-time workers who previously were excluded from the entitlement are now eligible, whilst the weekly rate has also risen to £123.25. For employers, this leads to higher short-term sickness costs and an immediate need to update payroll and absence management policies to ensure they are reflective of the new rules.
Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave have also become day-one rights; prior to this, employees needed 26 weeks of service to qualify for paternity leave and one year of unpaid parental leave. These qualifying periods no longer exist; a new employee can request paternity leave from the first day of employment. Alongside this, a new statutory right, Bereaved Partner’s parental leave, came into force, entitling fathers and partners up to 52 weeks of unpaid leave, wherein the mother or primary adopter dies within the first year of a child’s life. This shift is key as every employee is protected from the moment they begin the job, and for employers, it means onboarding, policies and planning will assume full parental-leave eligibility.
Lastly, the maximum protective award for a failure to properly consult during a collective redundancy process has now doubled from 90 to 180 days’ pay per affected employee, with no cap on the daily rate. As a result, any business planning a restructure involving 20 or more redundancies has a higher risk to mitigate, as the cost of getting it wrong has increased. Alongside this, sexual harassment is now classified as a protected whistleblowing disclosure. Employees who now raise concerns about sexual harassment and believe the disclosure is in the public interest will legally be protected from retaliation, detriment and dismissal. Treating them as a protected disclosure also means that employers face higher financial risk, stricter duties and greater scrutiny.
Overall, these changes represent a need for immediate action for employers to ensure compliance. Contracts, Handbooks, payroll systems and HR policies all may need scrutiny and adjustment. If you are an employer unsure of your obligations, or an employee who believes your rights have not been respected, Find Me A Solicitor will connect you with specialists today.
2. Property Law – The Renters’ Right Act 2025
One of the most consequential pieces of property law in decades is now on the horizon. The Renters Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent last year, and the commencement regulations were made in April 2026, which will bring the new regime into force from the 1st of May 2026. The centrepiece of the Act is the removal of fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies. From 1 May, all new tenancies will be periodic, which means they will roll over every month with no fixed end date. As a result, landlords will no longer be able to offer six-month or twelve-month terms. For current tenants, the transition will follow a separate timetable confirmed by the government.
Furthermore, Section 21 “no fault” evictions have been abolished; prior to this, landlords had the power to serve a Section 21 notice to make tenants leave without providing any reasons, provided the procedure was followed. This power no longer exists, thus landlords who want to recover possession of their property will now rely on a specified ground under section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, which includes rent arrears, breach of tenancy conditions, the landlord wishing to sell or the landlord needing to move into it, whilst simultaneously the notice periods for these grounds have also been extended.
The Act also introduces a new Private Rented Sector Database, which is a mandatory register which landlords will be required to join before letting a property on the market. Also, a new Independent Private Rented Sector Ombudsman will handle disputes between landlords and tenants outside of court, allowing civil penalties of up to £40,000, which can be issued to landlords outside of court. These can be issued to landlords who breach the new rules, with banning orders to be available for serious or repeat offenders.
For tenants, the practical effect ensures a greater security of tenure for them with stronger protections against retaliatory eviction and a clearer route to redress. For landlords, it sends a clear message: the landscape has changed fundamentally, and the consequences of non-compliance are serious. Whether you are a landlord needing advice on how to navigate the new possession grounds or a tenant whose rights have not been respected, Find Me A Solicitor can match you with a specialist Solicitor that can help.
3. Tax
April 2026 has also brought in important tax changes for sole traders, landlords, company directors and family business owners across the UK.
From 6 April 2026, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax became mandatory for sole traders and landlords with gross qualifying income above £50,000. This means those affected must now keep digital records and send quarterly digital updates to HMRC using compatible software. The legal framework comes from the Finance Act 2021 and the Income Tax (Digital Requirements) Regulations 2021, with HMRC confirming that those above the £50,000 threshold must start using Making Tax Digital from 6 April 2026.
The effect of this is that sole traders and landlords can no longer leave their tax affairs to one annual Self Assessment return. Their income and expenses now need to be recorded throughout the year, with regular submissions made to HMRC. The threshold will also fall to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028, meaning more self-employed individuals and landlords will be brought into the regime over the next two years.
Secondly, changes have now taken effect to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief for Inheritance Tax. These changes were introduced through the Finance Act 2026 and amended sections 104 and 116 of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984. From 6 April 2026, the 100% rate of relief is limited to a combined £2.5 million allowance for qualifying agricultural and business property. Anything above that allowance receives relief at 50%, which produces an effective Inheritance Tax rate of 20% on assets above the threshold. Married couples and civil partners may be able to combine their allowances, sheltering up to £5 million of qualifying assets.
This is especially significant for family farms and owner-managed businesses. Assets which may previously have qualified for full relief may now create an Inheritance Tax liability. For business owners, this means succession planning, wills, trusts, lifetime transfers and liquidity planning need to be reviewed, particularly where the estate is asset-rich but does not have the cash available to pay the tax.
Lastly, dividend tax rates have increased from 6 April 2026. The basic dividend tax rate has risen from 8.75% to 10.75%, whilst the higher rate has increased from 33.75% to 35.75%. The additional rate remains at 39.35%.
This directly affects company directors and shareholders who take income through dividends, which is common in owner-managed companies. The practical effect is that dividend income now carries a higher personal tax charge, reducing take-home income for directors and shareholders. For small company owners, this may require a review of the balance between salary, dividends and retained profits. If you are unsure how these changes affect you, Find Me A Solicitor can connect you with a tax law specialist or a solicitor experienced in wills, trusts and succession planning.
4. Family Law: Supreme Court Rules Adoption Orders Are Final
On 22 April 2026, the Supreme Court gave its decision in In the matter of X and Y (Children: Adoption Order: Setting Aside) [2026] UKSC 13.
The case was about whether an adoption order can be cancelled years after it was made. The children had been adopted in 2013, but continued to have regular contact with their birth mother. As they got older, their relationship with their birth mother became stronger, and the court was asked by the adoptive mother whether the adoption orders could be undone.
The Supreme Court said no. Once an adoption order has been properly made and the normal appeal period has passed, the court cannot cancel it later. This is because the Adoption and Children Act 2002 treats adoption as a permanent legal change.
In simple terms, adoption does not just change who a child lives with. It changes who the child’s legal parents are. The adoptive parents become the child’s legal parents, and the legal relationship with the birth parents comes to an end. This case confirms that the court cannot reverse that later just because family relationships have changed over time.
For adoptive parents, birth parents and adopted children, the decision gives clarity. Adoption is meant to be final. Other issues, such as contact with birth family or access to information, can still be considered, but the adoption itself cannot usually be undone once the proper appeal process has passed.
Overall, the case confirms that adoption is the most permanent order in family law. If you are dealing with a family law issue involving adoption, contact with children, or wider family proceedings, Find Me A Solicitor can connect you with a specialist family law solicitor.
Legal Support and Finding the Right Advice
As these developments show, UK law is evolving rapidly across Employment Law, Property Law, Tax and Family Law. Whether you are a business navigating regulatory change or an individual affected by new legislation, access to the right legal advice is essential. Find Me A Solicitor helps individuals and organisations connect with qualified solicitors across England and Wales, matching legal needs with experienced professionals in the relevant area of law.
Researched and written by Ammaar Pirmohamed.