A woman who was misled by her cohabiting partner has won her legal fight to own 50% of the home they shared together. The case involved Natalie O’Neill and Shaun Holland, who had lived together for 12 years. Legal title to the property had been vested in the sole name of O’Neill’s father from its
A father has been granted a court order for his children to be vaccinated despite objections from their mother. The children were aged six and four. The parents had separated, and the children lived with the mother. The parents were involved in proceedings for a child arrangement order under the Children Act 1989. The mother
The government has provided brief but useful advice on Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) and how they can be used to help people who are no longer able to make decisions for themselves. An LPA is a legal document that you can draw up when you’re fit and healthy authorising someone you choose to make
All non-contentious probate applications where there is a will in place must now be made online. The service, known as MyHMCTS, was set up by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to streamline applications, enabling probate professionals to issue, pay for and manage applications within civil and family courts and tribunals. It went live on 2
First-time buyers interested in new-build homes can now apply for the new Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme. With a Help to Buy: Equity Loan, the government lends homebuyers up to 20% (40% in London) of the cost of a newly built home. Customers pay a deposit of 5% or more and arrange a mortgage
A husband has failed to persuade the court to overturn a divorce settlement he described a “grossly unfair”. The case involved a couple who had married in 1987 and divorced in 2010. The husband was a successful property developer and the wife was a homemaker. A consent order for financial remedies was made in 2010,
The Court of Appeal has rejected a local authority’s plan to have a two-year-old girl placed for adoption. The girl, referred to in court as LC, had two older brothers, aged eight and seven. The mother had learning difficulties and mental health issues. There were concerns that the children had suffered neglect, had been exposed
The High Court has ordered that an 11-year-old boy who was abducted by his father should be returned to his mother. The case involved a couple who had married in 2009. The mother was Italian and the father was part Italian with dual nationality. The family lived in Italy in a house opposite the home
The government is reviewing the planning system to make it as easy as possible for people to build their own home. There are currently about 15,000 of these types of homes built every year – an increase of 50% in two years. It’s estimated that the self and custom build industry is worth almost £4.5
The Covid pandemic has led to a surge in the number of employees bringing claims to the Employment Tribunal, according to research carried out by Citizens Advice. It says that if claims continue to increase at the current rate, the number could pass 500,000 by the spring. Even this could be a conservative estimate, the