2015

As many people are aware, in 2013 the possibility of obtaining Legal Aid to help in a dispute relating to divorce or children was severely restricted by the Legal Aid,  Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. This placed a requirement that in order for a person to receive Legal Aid (public funding) they would […]

You will no longer be able to bank on your Bank to sort things out after your death HSBC, formerly known as the Midland Bank, have taken the decision to stop offering a probate service. If you have appointed HSBC or the Midland to act as your executor, they will no longer undertake this role

The recent budget scarcely mentioned inheritance tax,  which is hardly surprising in light of the coalition agreement not to raise the threshold until after the forthcoming election. The government did, however, resurrect the proposal to abolish deeds of variation, a plan abandoned last century in light of strong opposition from many, including the Law Society.

A poll conducted by the Law Society has found that the most stressful aspect of buying a new home is the time it takes to advance the matter to completion. In fact, 65% of homebuyers indicated that they were willing to pay more in legal fees in exchange for a speedier transaction. The conveyancing process

The European Union (‘EU’) have recently announced new mortgage rules to be introduced in all countries that are members of the EU.   England and Wales will therefore be affected by the new regime which, by March 2016, must be implemented in relation to all residential and commercial mortgages.   The new rules will mean

A recent case in the High Court has provided guidance on what should be considered when a spouse applies for  maintenance payments.   Spousal maintenance, put simply, amounts to payments made from one spouse (‘Payer’) to another (‘Payee’)on a regular basis so that the Payee may continue to cope financially and transition to a financially

When couples divorce, they sometimes informally agree what will happen to the matrimonial home. They might agree that the wife should live there until the youngest reaches adulthood, that the property be sold and the proceeds be divided (not necessarily equally) or for the outgoing party to be ‘bought out’ by the person who stays.