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Home ownership is generally regarded as providing safety and long-term security, but this is not always the case as properties can be compulsorily purchased by... Read More

When you appoint a solicitor to be the executor of your will, you can be assured that they will understand their duties and can be... Read More

When a same-sex couple undertook fertility treatment which led to the birth of a baby girl, the intention was that both would be listed as... Read More

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have challenged a number of property-based trading businesses, seeking to deprive them of the Inheritance Tax (IHT) and Capital Gains... Read More

Most leaseholders would like to obtain the right to manage their own premises. However, as one tribunal case shows, there are many potential pitfalls, so... Read More

Charities are generally thought of as being mild and benevolent organisations and in many ways they are, but some can also be very aggressive when... Read More

Under UK law, it is compulsory for all vehicles that are used on public roads to be insured, and third-party liability insurance, which covers accidental... Read More

Marriages of convenience are normally entered into in order to give one of the spouses the right to remain in the UK. At present, EU... Read More

Mis-selling of interest rate hedging products (IRHPs) by lenders has caused acute financial pain to a great many businesses and individuals and, as one High... Read More

Rights of way over land are a constant source of dispute and, because the law relating to land is complex, such disputes all too frequently... Read More

There really is little point in instructing lawyers to represent you if you do not then listen to their advice. In one case which illustrates... Read More

It is not often that the facts about how much of a mortgage was repaid are a matter of dispute, but in a recent case... Read More

According to the Government’s GOV.UK website, if you are a company director, you have to file a tax return every year. It says that every... Read More

It is estimated that more than 800,000 Britons now own property abroad. What used to be highly exceptional may now seem rather commonplace, but that... Read More

An executor of an estate is personally responsible for his or her actions, so as well as there being significant duties, on occasions the role... Read More

Family courts routinely grant anonymity to children involved in care proceedings, but that inevitably has an effect on parents and others who might wish to... Read More

In the same week that a former policeman was convicted of stealing a house and £200,000 from his disabled cousin by abusing a power of... Read More

Disputes between neighbours can blight the lives of all concerned and it is always wise to seek legal advice before matters get out of hand.... Read More

With an increasingly peripatetic workforce, more and more people are finding that the issue of their fiscal residence has a significant effect on their tax... Read More

It has been revealed that the widely reported case last March in which a wife was not granted a divorce from her husband because she... Read More

Although a worryingly high proportion of the population never make a will, a fairly large number of those who do make more than one. It... Read More

Giving away your assets to the next generation before your death can be an effective means of minimising Inheritance Tax (IHT) liabilities. However, as one... Read More

There is a tendency to think that procedural matters are mere formalities and there is no need to be in a rush to dot the... Read More

Imprisoning parents is inevitably traumatic for their children, and striking a balance between child welfare and appropriate punishment of criminals is a dilemma confronted by... Read More

The dangers of concluding that estranged children who have been disinherited will have no claim against a deceased person’s estate were made very clear after... Read More

It is a civic duty to assist the courts in the resolution of disputes, and judges have the power to compel reluctant witnesses to give... Read More

A property owner who demolishes an existing dwelling house and replaces it with an entirely new one is entitled to reclaim VAT on the costs... Read More

The popular press has made a great deal of a recent Court of Appeal case, reporting that there had been a significant departure from the... Read More

The old adage that ‘an Englishman’s home is his castle’ is only partially true and the impact of planning law on a property owner’s rights... Read More

Amidst an ageing population, the role of judges in protecting the weak, vulnerable and infirm is of ever increasing importance. In one case that proves... Read More

There have always been wolves in sheep’s clothing ready to take unfair advantage of private investors and they can be difficult to spot without professional... Read More

Among football fans it is very well known that the owners and supporters of Blackpool FC are not on good terms. It is also common... Read More

No matter how much you may be tempted, taking the law into your own hands is not a good idea. When a mother who... Read More

Unoccupied and decaying properties can have a serious impact on the neighbourhood and can become a focus for vandalism and anti-social behaviour. However, as one... Read More

One reason why it is rarely advisable to represent yourself in litigation is that you need a good lawyer to tell you when you are... Read More

People aged over 55 who have only a small (less than £30,000) pension pot in a defined benefit (final salary) scheme or in some instances... Read More

When a person has an accident involving a car and a claim results, it is usually dealt with by the insurer of the driver concerned.... Read More

Resorting to skulduggery in divorce proceedings is sadly common but almost never does either side any good. That was certainly so in one case in... Read More

Problems with covenants affecting land are common and sometimes a dispute can resurface years after it seems to have been settled. In a recent instance,... Read More

Just how tough HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can be was illustrated by a recent case in which they imposed a penalty of £1,300 for... Read More

Unfulfilled hopes of substantial inheritance are commonplace, both in fact and fiction, but not often do they lead to such ham-fisted attempts at forgery as... Read More

The position of those in debt is normally far from hopeless and much can be done to save them from penury. However, they are particularly... Read More

When a couple split up, it is very common for one of them to wish to move away, often to the area where they grew... Read More

Basement extensions are increasingly popular, particularly in areas where property prices are high, but are not always looked upon favourably by neighbours. In one case,... Read More

Like many pieces of tax legislation, the ‘additional threshold’ (AT) for Inheritance Tax (IHT) – which, in simple terms, limits the potential IHT charge on... Read More

With the general election hogging the headlines, the passing of the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017, which received Royal Assent on 27 April 2017, went... Read More

An interesting use of the law relating to the sale of goods helped a couple whose all-inclusive holiday was ruined by gastroenteritis claim compensation from... Read More

Taking legal advice when borrowing for any purpose is important, as a recent case in which a wife faced the possibility of the sale of... Read More

You can claim tax relief if assets that you have acquired become worthless or loans that you have advanced prove to be irrecoverable. However, in... Read More

There are a number of requirements that must be met for a will to be valid and one of these is that the signing of... Read More

Planning laws are complex and before starting any building work it is always wise to seek professional advice. In one case that proves this point,... Read More

It is astonishing how often disputes over the beneficial ownership of assets become the subject of lengthy court proceedings. In a case decided in March,... Read More

No matter how much you may trust relatives or close friends, you should never sign important documents without independent legal advice. In one case that... Read More

Investment advice is best obtained from authorised professionals and it is unwise to rely on friends’ recommendations, no matter how trustworthy they may appear. In... Read More

With the recent furore over the Government’s proposed increase in the cost of obtaining probate on larger estates, currently on ice owing to lack of... Read More

Owning a long leasehold, particularly one in a block of flats or which is part of a larger development, can be very different from owning... Read More

When accidents cause damage or injury and the responsible driver is uninsured, a claim can be made to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), an organisation... Read More

An argument that assets which HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said belonged to a deceased man (and were thus subject to Inheritance Tax) were actually... Read More

In the Internet era, it is wholly acceptable to use Facebook or other social media to make contact with those who have to be notified... Read More

Disputes about the validity of wills frequently centre on allegations that the deceased lacked ‘mental capacity’ when they created a will. In a recent... Read More

Disturbance can take many forms and noise is just one of them. Planners made that point in heeding the concerns of residents of a quiet... Read More

On the rare occasion that a professional adviser makes a mistake or behaves improperly, clients should be able to be confident of being compensated in... Read More

We have often written about the dangers of taking advice from unqualified and/or unregulated advisers. A recent change in the regulations surrounding financial advice will... Read More

A person who voluntarily prioritises their marriage over their working life may not be entitled to compensation for the earnings foregone if their relationship ends... Read More

Where there is money, there is opportunity for wrongdoing and a steady stream of cases show that vigilance is needed to prevent the assets of... Read More

As a recent case shows, whilst there is legislation which, in certain circumstances, allows leaseholders to obtain the right to manage the buildings they occupy,... Read More

When a taxpayer named Mr Coomber sent his cheque by post to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to settle his tax demand, he thought that... Read More

In general, there is a presumption that on divorce the assets will be split more or less equally, but that is based on case law... Read More

Will disputes can be extremely bitter and the kind of skulduggery depicted in fiction sadly sometimes reflects reality. In one case, the High Court found... Read More

The Government has acknowledged that the upcoming general election makes it unlikely that probate fees will increase significantly in May as planned, as there will... Read More

The need for charities to exercise strict controls over the disbursement of significant sums was made clear in a recent report by the Charity Commissioners... Read More

Boundary disputes are commonplace and, unless skilfully mediated, can often spiral out of control, ending up in legal action the cost of which far exceeds... Read More

With HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) pressing ahead with plans to make ‘customers’ deal with them only digitally, it is good to see that when... Read More

When the marriage of a wealthy couple broke up, the English court had the opportunity to consider the impact of two pre-nuptial agreements the couple... Read More

The latest research from National Savings and Investments shows that a staggering 64 per cent of adults in the UK have not made a will,... Read More

The Supreme Court has ruled on the long-running dispute between First Bus and a disabled passenger who sued the bus company after a driver declined... Read More

The standard pre-contract enquiries made by a solicitor when a client is intending to purchase a property include querying whether there are any disputes which... Read More

The complexities of financial advice can be bamboozling, particularly for the elderly, but one High Court case – in which a 96-year-old woman won more... Read More

One of the most important roles played by judges is to protect individuals against unlawful treatment by the state. In one unique example, the High... Read More

A recent case shows the importance of involving a solicitor in the preparation of a will, especially where it is considered that an attempt to... Read More