A distribution company has been ordered to pay damages to a perfume manufacturer after it failed to meet several requirements of a longstanding contract. The two parties had an agreement dating back to 2003. The relationship soured and so in July 2010, the manufacturer gave 12 months notice to terminate the agreement. The distributor responded
Chancellor George Osborne has announced two new schemes designed to help potential homebuyers who can afford to pay a mortgage but find it difficult to raise a large deposit. The measures were announced in the Budget. The first scheme is called Help to Buy: equity loan, and applies to new build properties only. It expands
Courts usually try to share marital assets equally during divorce settlements, but what happens if some assets don’t become available until several years after the separation? The issue arose in a recent case before the High Court. The husband had founded a successful company in the early years of the marriage. Both husband and wife
A buyer who pulled out of a house purchase has been ordered to pay compensation for the fall in value that took place in the two years after the deal fell through. The buyer had argued that forfeiting his deposit should be adequate compensation, but the Court of Appeal disagreed. The case involved a buyer
A father has been granted parental responsibility for his son despite being denied direct contact with the boy. The Court of Appeal held that the two issues should be dealt with separately. The case involved a couple who had a son during a brief relationship. They had split up before the boy was born but
Q – I am 58 years facing a divorce and I am told my spouse can make a claim against my pension. Is this true? A – Yes. There is an Act of Parliament called the Welfare Reform & Pension Act 1999 which says pensions can be shared. Q – But that’s not fair.
Q – I have recently read that there is going to be a legal presumption of shared care. What does this mean? A – This is a proposal only and is at the moment the subject of some debate. It has been a system used inAustraliain relation to children in broken relationships through divorce or
Q I am considering a divorce. What are the grounds for me to be able to do so? A In every case, a person has to prove that their marriage has irretrievably broken down through one of five facts. These are that their spouse has behaved unreasonably or committed adultery; that they have lived apart
Q My partner is violent to me. He doesn’t like it when I answer back, sometimes he has too much to drink and I’m really afraid of him. What can I do? A – First of all if he assaults you or puts you in fear you should call the Police. If a criminal
Q I am thinking of leaving my partner. We have children and finances that we need to sort out. Do we have to end up in a court? A – No. There are various options including trying to resolve things between yourselves amicably, Mediation, Collaborative law and traditional negotiation involving solicitors. Q – I’m