Black Thursday September 30th: furlough ends, court fees hiked for small claims and filing for EU trade marks ends

September the 30th this month is a day that will define many a businesses’ autumn. On that day furlough ends with more than a million workers facing either unemployment or reduced hours if their employer survives having the life support withdrawn.

It’s also the day that court fees are hiked – just as the numbers of small claims and legal action to secure payment from a supplier’s clients are expected to mushroom as more companies struggle with cashflow.

“It’s the worst possible time to bring it in,” said Ian Carrotte of ICSM, “so I urge anyone who has delayed chasing payment from a late paying client to immediately start proceedings. We offer free legal letters and free membership of ICSM – and our debt collection service is highly effective. The increases to fees hurt as they are an upfront payment – which will be paid eventually by the debtor – but with the pace the courts have been working at due to covid that could be some time.”

The third change on September 30th is the deadline for applying for Intellectual Property Office (IPO) effectively the deadline for customers filing a UK right and claiming an earlier filing date for EU trade marks and design applications.. Under Article 59 of the Withdrawal Agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, Customers can: apply to register the same right as a UK right within nine months after the end of the transition period, this being up to and including 30 September 2021; claim the earlier filing date of the pending right; claim any valid international priority you had on the pending EU application, along with any UK seniority claims recorded against it.