Leading family lawyers have expressed disappointment and concern at the government’s approach to funding mediation sessions for divorcing couples. The Family Justice Minister, Simon Hughes, recently announced that separating couples will be entitled to one free mediation session as long as at least one of them qualifies for legal aid. This is an improvement on
A couple have been granted permission to tear up a badly drafted trust, after an error left the wife unable to benefit from it. The husband had set up the trust several years ago, with the intention of it providing for his wife and children in the event of his death. The man’s bank was
The Law Society has raised concerns that the online service for lasting powers of attorney (LPA) could be open to cases of fraud and abuse. LPAs are well established documents that enable you to nominate someone in advance to look after your affairs should you become incapable of doing so yourself at some point in
A woman has won the right to inherit some of her partner’s estate, even though she had not lived with him for a long enough period to meet the general legal requirement. The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 states that if a couple are not married they must live together for at
House prices in Britain have fallen for the first time this year, according to figures from the online estate agency, Rightmove. The average asking price for a home in June was £272,275. This dropped to £270,159 in July – a 0.8% reduction. Houses in Greater London were the most durable in holding their value, suffering
The government has announced that children will be given a greater voice in the family justice system so they can they can express their opinions about disputes that affect their lives. Ministers say children as young as 10 will be able to make their views known to the judge dealing with their case. It follows
Law firms in England and Wales have reported a rise in the number of couples making pre-nuptial agreements. Pre-nups – as they are commonly known – are drawn up by couples before they get married. They state how assets should be divided if the marriage doesn’t work out. A report in the Daily Telegraph suggests
A care home company has successfully stopped one of its former franchisees setting up a rival business and competing for the same clients. The case involved a company that operated several franchises. It also managed various care home branches of its own. One particular franchisee felt that he wasn’t being given enough support by the
A personal assistant who was sacked after her affair with her boss was discovered has won her claim of unfair dismissal. The PA lost her job after the affair was discovered by the boss’s wife. The PA, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been in a relationship with her boss who was chief
A Sikh employee has been awarded £18,000 compensation after being racially abused by his Muslim boss. He had worked as a forecourt cleaner at a garage and was often given demeaning tasks and made to perform them repeatedly. His boss made him collect things from the cash and carry up to four times a week