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Businesses are featuring more prominently in divorce court battles, a leading law firm has warned.

Family members are contesting ownership and petitioning courts to transfer shares or order a sale as part of their pleadings.

Associate James Brown from Manchester-based Pannone said family businesses had become an “increasingly contested issue”.

He said falling house prices during the recession and the growing awareness that husband and wives can claim half of all assets had contributed to the change.

He noted that some contested divorces take two years and the disruption to a business can be significant.

“Pre-recession we were not seeing fights over and about the business quite so much,” he said. “We think the value of the assets were enough so you could divide the pot. One side could keep the property and the other, running the business, would keep that.”

He added: “The problem is a that if a couple is fighting over a house that is a static thing; the value can go up and down but that’s it. For a business it’s the impact on the business itself.

“Two years is an enormous amount of time, preventing your business from doing what it should be doing. Taking your eyes off the business and focusing on the divorce can have a hugely detrimental impact.”

Mr Brown recalled a salvage company that recently went bust after the husband and wife fell out. The wife owned the majority of the shares but both claimed to have come up with the original business idea.

Mr Brown said: “The husband over enthusiastically tried to contact some of their major clients to ask them to say he had brought them in as clients. The clients immediately took their business elsewhere and that business has gone into liquidation.”

In another example, the elderly chairman of a long establised business was drawn into a divorce dispute involving his son and daughter-in-law because she disputed his role in the company and argued that her husband should own all its shares.

“Dad, who had set up the company, and the husband, who was a director, were both having to spend a lot of time and money on divorce proceedings when they should have been focusing on the business,” said Mr Brown. “That business is still running but I think both would say their profitability has been hit because they are not focusing on it .”

Mr Brown estimated that around 150 companies have been adversely affected by divorce between shareholding directors in the last three years.

The Institute of Family Businesses has asked the Law Commission to make prenuptial agreements – protecting assets including stakes in family companies owned before couples marry – legal and binding in the UK.

The commission is considering the legal status of prenups following the Supreme Court’s recent decision in the case of German heiress Katrin Radmacher.

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David Cameron said businesses of all sizes have "creativity and enterprise" to "help tackle' some of the most urgent social challenges"

The Prime Minister has used a speech to the business at the annual meeting of the community in the Centre of London to call businesses to make a larger contribution in the "Big company" conservatives.

He said companies of all sizes had "creativity and enterprise" to "help to combat" some of the most pressing social challenges countries face. In return, he said that the Government would create favourable conditions for businesses to succeed.

Mr. Cameron said that charters should be based on five "priority" in which companies must focus their efforts:

Skills enhancement and create jobs, including the multiplication or providing more training courses for the disadvantaged young peopleBetter support for small and medium-sized businesses, start-ups mentoring helping staff capable of living on their work, including by working both for the community involved in promoting family-friendly and flexible employees are local Green Volunteers workGoing and cut energy use by 10pc per year.

As the President of the company in the community, the Prince of Wales was also speaking at the event.

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Francis Maude called end "rich margins" ?45bn goods and services purchased by the central Government each year photo: Paul Grover

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude said central Government must become a better buyer of goods and services of small and medium-sized enterprises.

In an interview with your company, Mr. Maude said it plans to break large IT contracts so that UK companies can plant for the work and also called Whitehall departments to become less harmful risk during the selection of suppliers.

Dr. Maude said: "it is certainly the case where a large number of central Government argues against the effective participation and the participation of small businesses, SMEs."

"Part of which is the way that get; extremely long, long drawn out, ladies and pre-qualification process, tiring." And very risk adverse supply be required to provide exactly the same services at exactly the same client public sector in a manner which prevents the newer, younger, more flexible and more flexible suppliers to compete in the entreprises.Cela history means that you have a less competitive, less involvement and a result of the poor Tower.?

Dr. Maude said that he had no control over the purchase of local government practices but had Whitehall aspiration 25pc of its annual procurement budget expenditure of ￡ 45bn with SMEs.

"We make easier, less costly and less burdensome [for SMEs]", he said. "We are not going to order it more contracts actually goes to small businesses, but we will order that supply system should be executed so that it confronts to small businesses.

"There are benefits obvious que.Ils are more likely to be based in the United Kingdom, are more likely to be innovative, it is a market more competitive supply it y anything to say about it... and it will create jobs."

The Cabinet Office is rolling a standard prequalification across Whitehall next month, which Mr. Maude said questionnaire will be "mandatory" for central Government contract offerings and should reduce the paper burden for small businesses.

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BELTSVILLE, Md - President Barack Obama presented a proposal Friday to provide tax relief for businesses, call Democrats and Republicans to join after Tuesday's election to stimulate the economy.

Days before the Republicans are supposed to achieve substantial gains in the polls of the Congress, Obama, a Democrat, has highlighted a plan won until this little traction policy despite what sees as White House use bipartisan.

The proposal would allow businesses of all sizes take immediate retained for certain expenditure capital between September of this year and the end of 2011.

Locking of the last years mess just ask Mike Dillon, who fought to keep his home in New Hampshire during most of the past 10 years. Life Inc.: page top Economist says no "double-dip" Life Inc.: giant monument for the credit crunch

Small businesses can now deduct 50% of some investments immediately instead of accounting for the costs over time.

"Political season goes faster."And when he (is), each of us will have a responsibility, Democrats and Republicans, to work together to the extent possible to promote jobs and growth, "Obama, flanked by giant rolls of sheet metal, said after the tour a local company in Maryland."

"The idea that I am announcing today is that Democrats and Republicans should be able to support...".It is a simple.Il proposal would be a serious difference for this company and others like it.?

Administration of fact Obama septembre.Il proposal published a report Friday outlining its benefits, including $ 150 billion in tax breaks to businesses over two ans.Il cover some 2 million small and large companies.

Obama remarks indicate the intention of the White House to focus on the issue in the coming months, even if the Democrats lose majorities in one or both houses of Congress on Tuesday.

"It will bring a tooth in the unemployment rate which we now on," said Obama.

"We will continue to widen the worst recession in the early 1980s, our mission is to accelerate recovery and encourage faster growth," he said, commenting on the release of a report in advance on the US economy in the third quarter.

Obama representatives expressed hope that Republicans would support the plan.

"The last month or two, you've not seen Republican even out kissing the Chairman put forward ideas and trying to discuss constructively to advance their ', a senior official said to journalists.

"One would hope that in November, December next year that people start examines economic underlying narrative proposals and uniting to move forward."

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters.Cliquez on restrictions.

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The IES said officials took a tougher line on either seeking businesses postpone more ?1m tax or request further extensions on small amounts of tax payments. Photo: PA

HM Revenue & customs said "application underlying" fell for the scheme, which saw companies postpone ￡ 6 supported tax since its inception in November 2008 as a key initiative to help companies with problems of cash during the recession.

However, the official figures released Friday showed that the percentage of applications are dismissed had spent 2 6pc 5 2pc 2009 this year.

The Daily Telegraph has calculated that, for three months, this rate increased to 7 4pc.

Philip White, Executive Director of the firm financial Syscap, said: "it is clear confirmation that ies makes it more difficult for undertakings to postpone payment of tax and the effect is gradually wind regime."

Hui said he had not been any change to the criteria to be eligible to postpone the VAT, tax on corporations, CAFE or income tax.

But a spokesman said officials took a tougher line on either seeking businesses more than ￡ 1 m tax reporter or request further extensions on small amounts of tax payments.

"The area where you have seen down us more difficult is the repetition of arrangements.Nous ask for more information, and we will not need accept the request,"he said.""

"We will be asking what else did you fact trade your way to your cash flow difficulties."

The figures go a way to allay the fears of accountants that ies were quickly winding on the scheme, with more than 26 000 applications approved during the last three months covering more than 460 m ￡ tax.

However, the amounts are significantly lower than the applications approved at the peak of the month of January 2009.

A second surge in demand was observed in January of this year, with 26,800 applications, largely related to deadlines for payment of VAT and income tax.

Said IES applications extend VAT representing half 371,200 applications carried out since November 2008.En September, these applications have been running 57pc observed level last year.

The amount of tax-deferred basis being reimbursed by the companies dropped 400 m ￡ per month at its peak in March 2009 to 160 million to ￡ in September.

Some ￡ 970 tax m were still pending at the 1st octobre.IES has already said it expects to collect at least 90pc of any tax differs.

The insolvency experts said they remain concerned that a large number of undertakings in financial difficulty may have due to the HMRC will continue to spread the tax arrears.

"If a company asked more than an hour agreement payment or an other extension on their agreed repayment plan, indicating their financial difficulties can be extremely serious," said Frances Coulson of R3, the Organization of business insolvency.

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Small business consultants has filed an official complaint to the Secretary of the company and EU with Lloyds TSB to break the law authorities refusing to cash a cheque for ￡ 7,156 Cuban business.

Bath of Barrie, President of Fertecon base Tunbridge Wells, said yesterday: "I find incredible that a bank controlled by the State is something which is contrary to the Loi.Il is damaging our activities and probably thousands of other small enterprises UK export efforts."

Lloyd's told the Bank has revised its approach to deal with countries submitted to the Government and international sanctions "to better protect customers, its business, its inhabitants and its reputation."

Keiron Walsh, a senior commercial service of the Bank told Mr. Bain: "Unfortunately we cannot offer advice on alternative for your payment arrangements."

The block on the cheque has highlighted fresh changes quietly introduced by banks to avoid soiling regulations infringed its trade against Cuba.Le UK sanctions nor the European Union has similar blocks on trade with Cuba, but the importance of the US market has seen banks United Kingdom to fall in line.

Lloyd's already felt the weight of the u.s. regulatory authorities, forced to pay 350 m $ in January last year after having been accused of assist clients in Iran, the Libya and Sudan to avoid sanctions United States. Sanctions power exercised by the United States was also on display when Barclay was fined for the month of August to break the US reportedly sanctions from business dealings with persons related to Cuba, Iran Libya, Myanmar and Soudan.La British Bank has agreed to pay a m $298 fine covering commercial transactions valued at $ 500 million.

The result is that Barclays told customers it is no longer a company with ties to Iran Korea North, Myanmar and sanctioned Sudan areas. ""Our policy of sanctions also includes a ban on transactions involving anyone or any entity on United States, A [UN], UK or EU sanctions list," said the Bank.

Lloyd's defend its action on the Cuban cheque. "Lloyds takes its responsibilities regarding the application of sanctions seriously and recently reviewed our approach to these countries and entities that are subject to the Government and international sanctions worldwide to better protect our customers, our business, our people and our reputation.?

Mr. Bain, which specializes in the provision of advice on agricultural markets, such as fertilizers and 95pc overseas business has undergone an intensive trade restrictions, since the cheque has been blocked a week ago and said to his research work have shown that virtue of the law the interests of the protection of trade and the status of blocking of the European Union "is illegal payments block of Cuba.

It has been said by Business Department Vince Cable that no order has been made pursuant to the commercial interests Act making it an offence to comply with the extra territorial legislation from another country - laws aimed at countering the U.S. restrictions under the terms of the Helms-Burton Act in 1996.

But Mr. Bain discovered there is room for the Department to consider an investigation if a complaint is made on the refusal of a bank to process a transaction with Cuba.

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