Local councils in England have been given new powers to encourage them to build more affordable homes for first time buyers in their communities. The government has introduced a package of measures that will enable councils to fund homes using Right to Buy receipts, including homes for social rent, and give them greater flexibility over
A teacher ordered to retrain and undergo a degree course at the age of 60 has been awarded £140,000 compensation in a discrimination case. Sue Allington had worked for nearly 20 years at the fee-paying Rose Hill School in Tunbridge Wells. She had started as a games teacher in 2002, then taught maths to Year
People making or renewing their will are being urged to consider arranging a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) at the same time to protect their interests into the future. It follows research carried out by the Law Society, which showed there had been an increase in the number of people drawing up a new will
A wife has lost her appeal to reduce the amount her husband should be awarded from her pension fund as part of their divorce settlement. The husband and wife, who were aged 69 and 57 respectively, had been married for 20 years before separating. Following the separation, the wife and two children remained in the
A court has corrected an error in a man’s will to reinstate his original intention as to how his estate should be divided among family members. The issue arose because the deceased had made a will in 1998 dividing his estate into 52 parts to be given to different named beneficiaries from his wife’s family.
A new watchdog organisation has started work to protect consumers by ensuring that developers deliver high-quality homes. The New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) is an independent body set up to introduce a new industry code of practice for builders and create the New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS) to support homeowners in disputes with builders. The
All new homes will have to meet stricter energy efficiency standards in future as part of the government’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment. Newbuild properties are expected to produce 75-80% lower carbon emissions compared to current levels. To ensure the building industry is ready to meet the new standards by 2025,
In 2019, the Office of the Public Guardian learned that nearly 75 percent of people think that their partners or close family members can automatically make decisions for them if they’re not able to. This is not true; only a lasting power of attorney (LPA) gives you the legal ability to give those you trust
In ensuring that Lasting Powers of Attorney can keep up with an ever modernising world, the Office of the Public Guardian has launched a new online service. Appropriately titled “Use a lasting power of attorney service”, the new system makes it easier than ever before to act as an attorney and it rolled out to
While it is still too soon for any certainty and teething problems are likely to persist, it is possible to speculate and draw some current conclusions on the effect of Brexit on some areas of UK legal practice.