The government has issued a new set of guidelines to help people preparing to sell their home. The document, How to Sell, was produced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and covers everything from ensuring your home has ‘kerb appeal’ to making sure you get good legal advice from a qualified solicitor.
The government plans to bring an end to unfair evictions with what it describes as the biggest change to the private rental sector for a generation. It will introduce legislation to abolish so called ‘no-fault’ evictions, which are one of the biggest causes of family homelessness. Ministers say the plans will be beneficial to both
The leader of the political group, the Christian People’s Alliance, has lost a court battle with his sister over their mother’s will. Sidney Cordle gained national prominence in 2014 while campaigning against same-sex marriage. He also stood for Parliament for Hitchin and Harpenden but failed to get elected. Mr Cordle’s mother Peggy died in 2016
Pre-nups are becoming increasingly popular and although they are not legally binding automatically, they are now usually upheld by the courts if they are fair to both sides. If they are not fair, it’s possible that they will be overturned, as happened recently in the High Court. The case involved Morgan McConnell, who is an
The Land Registry says its commitment to developing new digital services is making the process of buying a home simpler and quicker. One of its main innovations is a system allowing homeowners to re-mortgage their property by signing their mortgage deeds online. Lord Henley, the minister with responsibility for the Land Registry, said: “People are
A Royal Mail employee was unfairly dismissed after he stored ‘obscene material’ on his online work account. That was the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal, which ruled that Royal Mail’s internal appeals policy shouldn’t have allowed such a severe penalty. The case involved operational support manager Mr P Chokski. He was dismissed for sharing
Judges will not allow parents to make numerous contact applications spanning several years if the process could be detrimental to their children, as illustrated in a recent case before the Court of Appeal. The case involved a couple who had separated when their children were aged five and two. The mother had made unproven allegations
The High Court has set aside a transaction in which an 85-year-old sold her house at a considerable undervalue to a man 45 years her junior. The judge held that she did not fully understand what she was doing when she agreed to the sale. Ann Sybil Gurney formed a close relationship with William Paul
The government has announced a temporary change to probate applications until a controversial new fee structure comes fully into effect. Probate is the process by which a person’s will is administered after their death. Currently there is a flat fee of £215, or £155 if a solicitor is involved. That is being replaced by a
A tribunal has held that Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) was wrong to dismiss an employee who raised questions about health and safety practices. The judge likened its HR process to “a show trial in the former Soviet Union”. The case involved energy trader Donald Nutt who was employed by SSE for 16 years. After