Divorcing couples are being urged to use mediation to settle their disputes instead of engaging in lengthy court battles. The latest figures released by the Office of National Statistics show that more than 100,000 people get divorced each year. Family Justice Minister Simon Hughes says mediation can help settle disputes over issues such as money
On 6 April 2014 a major part of the Government’s programme of employment dispute reform will come into force with the introduction of ACAS Early Conciliation. The new scheme will require an employee who believes that they have a claim against their employer to notify ACAS of the dispute before they can issue a claim
A woman has failed to get an improved divorce settlement even though her husband had misled the court about the extent of his wealth. The case involved a couple who separated after 17 years of marriage. The assets were divided with the wife getting around 65% in cash and properties, giving her a total of
Setting up a simple trust relating to his mother‘s home has saved a man and his wife several thousand pounds in capital gains tax. The case involved a woman who sold her house in 1996 to her son and his wife on condition that she was allowed to continue living there for the rest of
The High Court has upheld a 91-year-old woman’s will even though she was suffering from dementia at the time it was made. The law requires that when making a will, a person must have testamentary capacity – that is, they must fully understand what they are doing and the consequences of their decisions. However, in
A landlord company has won its appeal to be paid money owed by a commercial tenant which had gone into administration before completing the surrender of its lease. The case involved a retail group that leased several properties. It got into financial difficulty and began proceedings to surrender the leases. Money was held in escrow
An engineering firm has lost its appeal against having to pay damages to an airline company. The case involved a breach of contract by the engineers. They had an agreement with the airline that they would service aircrafts at a specified hourly rate. However, the airline was not obliged to use the service. Over time,
Marital agreements including pre-nups and post-nups could become legally binding without the need for court approval under a proposed new law. At present, such agreements are not legally binding although there has been a growing trend for courts to uphold them unless they are unfair to one side or the other. Now the Law Commission,
The government has made it easier for people to build their own homes by cutting the Community Infrastructure Levy on self-built accommodation. Property developers have to pay a levy to local councils to help with the cost of the infrastructure needed to support the development. Some local councils charge £100 per square metre for residential
Benjamin Price said that he had “signed his own death warrant” because he was “not prepared to put up and shut up”. The case centred on an unwritten agreement that Mr Price had with his employers. He had been employed by Morgan Stanley for 14 years, and was on a salary of £533,000. He was