Library

In recent years, Inheritance Tax (IHT) has affected more and more families, largely due to rising house prices. IHT is payable at 40 per cent on the net assets of...

We often hear of children being taken into care, but the process by which this occurs is not well known. The Children Act 1989 lays down the circumstances under which...

The most important requirements for adoption are that the adopter must be over 21 years of age, the child to be adopted must be under the age of 18 and...

With the appointment of a Property Ombudsman, the laying down in statute of the duties of estate agents and the passing of the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007...

The Inheritance and Trustees’ Powers Act came into force in late 2014. It changes intestacy law in England and Wales to allow a deceased’s estate to pass to their widow,...

A trust comes into effect when a ‘settlor’ places money, land or other assets in the hands of trustees. The trustees are the legal owners of the property but are...

When you ask for a redemption statement from your mortgage lender, it can come as an unpleasant surprise to see an additional charge termed ‘mortgage exit administration fee’ (MEAF), which,...

There is a bewildering variety of equity release schemes on the market and, judging by the letters pages of the financial press, they are not well understood. Releasing equity in...

When younger members of a family start a business, they often ask other family members to provide part of the necessary capital. If you are approached to do this and...

For people who have money tied up in their homes who wish to release capital for expenditure, or possibly to give to family members, the drawdown lifetime mortgage (DLM) is...