The Law Society has raised concerns that the online service for lasting powers of attorney (LPA) could be open to cases of fraud and abuse. LPAs are well established documents that enable you to nominate someone in advance to look after your affairs should you become incapable of doing so yourself at some point in
Law firms in England and Wales have reported a rise in the number of couples making pre-nuptial agreements. Pre-nups – as they are commonly known – are drawn up by couples before they get married. They state how assets should be divided if the marriage doesn’t work out. A report in the Daily Telegraph suggests
A woman has won the right to inherit some of her partner’s estate, even though she had not lived with him for a long enough period to meet the general legal requirement. The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 states that if a couple are not married they must live together for at
A care home company has successfully stopped one of its former franchisees setting up a rival business and competing for the same clients. The case involved a company that operated several franchises. It also managed various care home branches of its own. One particular franchisee felt that he wasn’t being given enough support by the
A cleaning company has been granted an interim injunction preventing former franchisees from competing with it until disputed issues can be dealt with in court. The company made the move to block two franchisees from competing for the same business in Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire. The franchise agreement had been terminated, although it was disputed
The government has announced a change to the Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme amid concerns over rising house prices. New loans granted under the scheme must now be less than 4.5 times the borrower’s income. In a separate move, the Bank of England has told mortgage lenders that only 15% of loans they grant
A personal assistant who was sacked after her affair with her boss was discovered has won her claim of unfair dismissal. The PA lost her job after the affair was discovered by the boss’s wife. The PA, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been in a relationship with her boss who was chief
Delays in the process of setting up lasting powers of attorney (LPA) are causing considerable stress and expense for thousands of families, according to a report in the Times newspaper. An LPA is a legal arrangement that enables you to authorise someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf should you lose mental capacity
One of Britain’s leading family law judges is calling for changes in the divorce process that would take most cases out of the courts altogether. Sir James Munby is the President of the Family Division of the High Court. He wants uncontested divorce cases without any claims over money or children to be settled in
A grandmother’s will, which led to a family dispute over the ownership of her flat, has been upheld by the High Court. The grandmother had originally intended to leave the flat to her daughter and granddaughter and had written this into her will. When she was 90 years old, she moved in with them because