The government has issued a comprehensive guide on How to buy a home. The guide focuses on freehold properties and will be particularly useful to first time buyers. It takes you through the various stages of the process, beginning with how to work out how much you can afford. It also looks at the various
People who were overcharged when arranging deputyships over a seven-year period can now claim refunds. It’s thought the average pay-out could be £240. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) sets the level of fees for the appointment of deputies, who help people that lose the capacity to manage their financial and welfare interests. The Office of
The High Court has granted a special order enabling a man to take legal action against his brothers in a family dispute over their father’s will. The case involved Satbir Singh Dhillon and his brothers, who were executors and trustees of the will. Dhillon sought a declaration that £532,875 had been removed from the father’s
A family have succeeded in correcting an error in a trust fund that would have resulted in a tax bill of £112,000. The case involved a discretionary trust created in 2011 in respect of the estate of a man who had died in November 2010. A beneficiary of his will was entitled to £250,000 from
More than 170,000 new homes were built in the year to June, an 8% increase compared with the previous 12 months and the highest number for 11 years. The same period also saw the proportion of family houses being built increase to 78% of all the new dwellings – the highest since 2000. The figures
A mother who wrongfully removed her three children from their father without his consent has been ordered to return them to him in Germany. The case involved a German couple were married in 2005 and divorced in 2012. They had joint custody of the children, with the mother as primary carer and the father having
It has been reported that in at least 60% of cases brought before the Family Court consist of an element of domestic violence, with the majority of incidents being directed by men against women. The government defines domestic violence as “Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse
Child Arrangement Orders (CAOs) are court orders which regulate where a child is to live, and how much time they spend with their parents. They replaced the traditional residency orders and contact orders in 2014. However, what happens when one party does not adhere to arrangements included in a CAO? What recourse does a parent
The much-lauded Domestic Abuse Bill has fallen at Committee Stage as a result of the pre-election pro-rogation, with no clear commitment for it to be carried forward into the next parliament. The purpose of the Bill was to increase awareness around domestic abuse, improve the experience of victims in navigating the justice system and in
The Law Society has considered the question of whether offers made “without prejudice save as to costs” should be considered under “conduct” when the court is assessing whether to make a costs order against a party in financial remedy proceedings. Currently, the courts will consider any open offers made by the parties when assessing liability