Following April 2021 there is likely to be a tsunami of landlord and tenant claims and insolvency proceedings when the government furlough scheme and the insolvency provisions come to an end.
It is predicted that Northern Ireland’s sweeping six week lockdown and any lockdown in the rest of the UK will result in significant job losses and a “tsunami” of bankruptcies. A deep recession is predicted.
Representatives of retail, hospitality and other sectors accused the Stormont executive of mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic and said the restrictions, which start on Boxing Day, will devastate businesses and permanently damage high streets.
On 9 December 2020 the government announced it intends to extend the temporary suspension of the use of statutory demands and winding-up petitions until 31 March 2021.
Up until then it is not possible to serve a statutory demand or wind up a company/force it to pay a debt under the threat of liquidation.
So there really is no alternative but trying to resolve matters amicably in the meantime. A breathing space was exactly what was recommended by Lord Neuberger earlier in the pandemic and the cabinet office recommended mediation to parties in dispute.
We always have mediators available at short notice to mediate remotely at a reasonable rate.