A father has been told that he cannot invoke the Hague Convention to have his children returned to Austria after their mother took them to live in England. The Family Court was told that the children were British citizens born in the UK in 2012 and 2019 and were aged nine and two. The parents
The Court of Session has ruled that an education authority had not acted unfairly when it dismissed a teacher after indecent images were found on his computer. The issue arose after police attended the teacher’s home to carry out inquiries relating to an IP address linked to online indecent images. He was charged with possession
Cohabiting couples are to qualify for bereavement payments if one of them dies leaving dependent children. Previously, a surviving parent could only claim the financial support if they had been married or in a civil partnership at the time of their spouse or civil partner’s death. Under plans being drawn up by the government, Widowed
UK house prices rose by 10% in the year to May, according to the latest figures from the Land Registry. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, average house prices increased by 0.9% between April and May this year, compared with an increase of 0.5% during the same period in 2020. The UK Property Transactions Statistics showed
The process of managing a loved one’s affairs using a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is to be made simpler and safer. An LPA is a legal document that allows people to appoint someone else (an attorney) to make decisions about their welfare, money or property. They are often used by older people to choose
The role of a grandparent in a child’s life is unique to every family situation but many grandparents play a significant role in a child’s upbringing. Yet these relationships are often overlooked or marginalised following a breakdown of the relationship between the parents of the child. The parents can be caught in their own conflict
The High Court has outlined some tests for mental capacity and whether a person may have had delusional beliefs when making a will. The issue arose following a family dispute involving a brother and sister. Their parents had divorced in 1980 when their mother discovered letters written by her husband which revealed that he had
Aviva and Persimmon have agreed to end unfair leasehold practices, following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). It means that Aviva has committed to remove certain terms from its leasehold contracts that cause ground rents to double, and Persimmon will now offer leasehold house owners the opportunity to buy the freehold of
A nurse who was dismissed for refusing to work weekends has won a landmark ruling that could affect thousands of women with children. Gemma Dobson was a community nurse with North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS. She had worked fixed days because she had three children, including two with disabilities. However, she was dismissed after the
A mother who wrongfully removed her two sons from their home after separating from their father has been ordered to return them to Lanzarote. The two boys, referred to only as X and Y, were three years and 18 months old, respectively. The father was Italian but had lived in Lanzarote since he was seven