House prices across the UK increased by an average of 10.6% in the year to August 2021, according to the latest figures from the Land Registry. It means the average property in the UK is now valued at £264,244. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, house prices increased by 2.9% between July and August 2021, compared
A couple have been prevented from building a new home in their garden because of a covenant dating back 60 years. Covenants are promises or conditions often inserted into title deeds that affect or limit how a property can be used. They are legally binding on whoever later buys the property unless overturned by a
The mediation voucher scheme is being expanded to help thousands more separating couples resolve disputes without having to go to court. The scheme, launched by the Government in March, provides a £500 voucher for mediation services with the aim of finding amicable solutions to disagreements. It seeks to spare eligible families the trauma of going through
A teacher who locked a misbehaving pupil in a store cupboard, that was rumoured to be haunted, has won his claim of unfair dismissal. Mr Mohammad Basit taught maths at Pleckgate High School in Blackburn from 2012. He had an unblemished record and was known for his self-professed ‘love of his job’. However, an incident
Leaseholders with Countryside Properties will no longer be subjected to ground rents that double every 10 or 15 years. The effect of these increases is that people often struggle to sell or mortgage their home and their property rights can be at risk, for example, if they fall behind on their rent. Countryside will also
Probate lawyers are urging the government to introduce reforms to make it easier for families to access the ‘digital assets’ of deceased relatives. A new report carried out by STEP – the professional body for inheritance planning advisers – highlights the extent of the distress caused by being cut off from digital assets when family members
There’s been a large rise in the number of married couples using ‘prenups’ over the last 20 years, according to a new survey. The survey, carried out by Savanta ComRes for the Marriage Foundation, found that one in five couples married since 2000 have some form of a pre-nuptial agreement in place. This compared to
The coverage in the press in relation to Alice Thompson’s case against her employer Manors Estate Agents is understandable: any case with a large settlement figure and an easy headline is going to attract attention. However, while it is being portrayed as a huge pay out for simply not allowing an employee to leave work
The High Court has ruled that a judge’s decision to limit a mother’s evidence in a domestic abuse case to five allegations was wrong and should be set aside. The case involved a married couple who separated in 2019. They had two children aged 12 and three. In 2020, they each issued applications for child
A man has been removed as an executor of his mother’s will after his brother complained that he was obstructing the administration of the estate. The case involved three brothers; two of them were executors of her will. Following several years of disagreement, one of the brothers raised a petition seeking the removal of the