The term ‘gaslighting’ was used for the first time ever in a published High Court judgement in the Family Courts. This was a milestone moment, giving the term legal credibility and legitimacy. ‘Gaslighting’ is a psychological term used to describe a specific type of manipulation where the manipulator is trying to get someone else (or
The aristocratic singer and TV star Bo Bruce has won a court battle against her brother Thomas Brudenell-Bruce, Viscount Savernake, over their inheritance after their mother died. Bruce, whose full title is Lady Catherine Anna Brudenell-Bruce, was a runner up on the TV series, The Voice and has had chart success with the top 10
When dealing with the finances upon divorce, all assets need to be taken into account including any business interests. It can be particularly contentious when this includes interests in family businesses which have spanned generations. Business interests are likely to be regarded as matrimonial assets and therefore there are circumstances when their value can be
Changes to divorce law will come into effect from 6 April. The government is also introducing a new online service to help couples adapt to the changes. The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 reforms the legal requirements and process for divorce. The act aims to reduce the potential for conflict amongst divorcing couples by
The government is introducing new rules to ensure that new homes and buildings in England will have to produce significantly less carbon dioxide as part of the battle against climate change. Under the new regulations, CO2 emissions from new build homes must be around 30% lower than current standards and emissions from other new buildings,
The government is closing a loophole that allows owners of second homes to avoid paying tax by claiming their often-empty properties are holiday lets. The changes will target people who take advantage of the system to avoid paying their fair share towards local services in popular destinations such as Cornwall, Devon, the Lake District, Suffolk,
The government is providing an additional £1.3 million to enable more separating parents use the family mediation scheme. The extra investment is expected to help families resolve disputes away from court, such as those involving financial or contact arrangements for children and takes investment in the initiative to more than £3m since its launch in
The government is to allow vulnerable people to continue to be able to have their wills witnessed via video-link until 2024. The move extends measures brought in because of the pandemic. It’s designed to help people who are forced to isolate either with Covid or from another vulnerability. Ministers hope it will reassure all those
The Government offers a model assured shorthold tenancy (AST) agreement for private landlords to use which aims to strike a fair balance between landlords and tenants. In January 2021, the Government announced a change to the model tenancy agreement to assist renters with ‘well behaved pets’, who find it increasingly difficult to find landlords willing
Despite an ever growing proportion of the population choosing to cohabit rather than get married, nearly half (46%) of adults in England and Wales mistakenly think that couples acquire ‘common law’ rights after living together for a certain amount of time or having children together. These misconceptions can lead to one party being particularly vulnerable in the