Inheritance tax payments have been increasing due to rising house prices and an overall rise in family wealth and investment. The latest figures from HM Revenue and Customs show that just over £3 billion was collected in inheritance tax in 2013, an increase of 15% on the previous year and the highest figure since 2008
A further 1.3 million tenants are to be given the right to buy their homes following an agreement between the government, housing associations and the National Housing Federation. The first sales should begin next year. The agreement means that housing association tenants will be able to buy their homes at the same discounted rates currently
Thousands of people set up lasting powers of attorney (LPA) each year to protect their interests if they ever lose mental capacity in the future. LPAs enable you nominate someone to look after your affairs if you are unable to do so yourself. The vast majority of LPAs work exactly as intended but occasionally things
In October 2015, the cases of Sharland v Sharland and Gohil v Gohil were heard by the Supreme Court. In both cases, the Applicant wives’ were seeking the Courts permission to reopen financial proceedings between them, and their ex-husband’s, even though the proceedings had been concluded some years earlier. Their reasons for doing this were
Nearly one quarter of UK properties are now privately rented from landlords and the number of households in the private rented sector has more than doubled since 2001. As the rise in house prices continues to out-pace average wage increases, particularly in London and the South East, renting for many people has become the only
The vast majority of people still prefer to ask a solicitor to write their will, according to new research by Will Aid. The number of people consulting solicitors about their will has risen by 2% over the last four years. Meanwhile, the number of people using will writers instead has fallen from 17.9% in 2008
A husband who behaved in a “blatantly dishonest” way while giving evidence in court has failed to reduce his wife’s divorce settlement. The court heard that the couple had married in February 2006 and separated in December 2011. They had three children aged between four and nine. During their marriage they had enjoyed a wealthy
A woman who was brought over from India to work in Britain for as little as 11p an hour has been awarded £184,000. It’s thought to be the first successful case in the UK involving “low caste” discrimination. Permila Tirkey and her family are Adivasi people from Bihar, one of India’s poorest states. They are
Rising court fees could prevent some small businesses from recovering debts and so force them into insolvency, according to the Law Society. The Society says it’s concerned that the government is considering more increases when the higher fees introduced earlier this year have “failed to deliver any tangible improvements in the court service or helped
The Court of Protection has helped a family resolve difficult issues over lasting powers of attorney for an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The woman’s husband, who also suffered from dementia, had applied for an order appointing him and her two cousins as deputies so they could manage her affairs for her. The woman’s