A new strand of the Government’s Help to Buy scheme has been launched, with the aim of helping members of the armed forces to buy their own home. They can now apply to the Forces to Buy scheme for a loan of up to 50% of their salary to use towards buying a home. It
A father has been denied direct contact with his daughters because they repeatedly stressed that they didn’t want to see him after he separated from their mother. The sisters were born in 2003 and 2006. They both moved out of the family home with their mother when their parents separated in 2008. Then the sisters
The government says building your own home is becoming more affordable following the introduction of new measures to support the self-build industry. In the Budget, the Government announced it would create a £150m repayable fund to help people who want to custom build. This will help to service up to 10,000 plots. Ministers are also
There have been very substantial changes to the law that affects families since the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Child Arrangement Programme came into force in April. The main changes are that 1. It is now compulsory to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MAIMs) before being able to make an application
A property developer who breached his legal duties by failing to spend an investor’s money correctly has been ordered to make a full repayment. The case involved a property developer and an investor who agreed to set up a golf course in France. The investor provided £500,000 to get the project started in July, 2007.
A pressure group has lost an appeal to prevent wind turbines being built next to an area of natural beauty. A planning inspector had approved an application from a developer to build the turbines. He found that they would provide a useful contribution to the area which had a shortfall of renewable energy. He was
What is defamation? A defamatory statement is where one person damages a person’s good name without lawful justification or excuse. When a defamatory statement is in writing it is libel and when a defamatory statement is made orally, it is slander. The changes brought in under the Defamation Act of 2013, including the new requirement
There are 3 million people in the UK who combine work with care. This is set to rise significantly due mainly to an ageing population. 1 in 5 adults has seen their work impacted as a result of their caring obligations, especially those aged 45 to 64. Productivity, attendance and stress levels can suffer when
This is a brief summary of the main points: ACAS and Tribunal claims Employees wishing to bring claims before the Employment Tribunal must first contact ACAS, which will offer a conciliation service. The measure, effective from 6 May, is designed to help the claimants and employers reach an agreement without having to go to a
The rising value of houses could turn inheritance tax into a major issue for thousands of families across the UK The problem is that the inheritance tax threshold has been frozen at £325,000 until 2018; by that time, house prices are expected to have risen by 25% It’s likely therefore that many people will