The number of families having to pay inheritance tax (IHT) has fallen for the first time since 2009, according to the latest figures. Inheritance tax is set at 40% and becomes payable once the tax-free threshold of £325,000 has been passed. There is no tax liability if a person’s estate passes directly to their spouse.
A court has imposed a penalty of more than £800,000 on a husband who behaved unreasonably during divorce proceedings. The judge said the move should act as a warning to all couples that the law would not tolerate dishonest tactics. The case involved a couple in their fifties. They had been married for 25 years
High Court has settled a dispute between a father and son over whether money was ‘loaned or gifted’ to buy a home. The father had been a successful builder and property developer who owned numerous residential properties. He and his son had been directors of a building company which owned a commercial property; the son
The number of people working from home could double once the Covid-19 crisis is over, according to new research. A survey carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) says employers expected a dramatic increase as employees get used to the advantages of home working and not having to commute. CIPD surveyed
The Employment Tribunal failed to properly consider the needs of the employer when dealing with a disability discrimination claim. That was the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal in a case involving the Department of Work & Pensions and one of its employees, Susan Boyers. Ms Boyers suffered from migraines, stress and panic attacks. She
The Court of Appeal has upheld an injunction preventing a director from revealing confidential information about his former company. The court heard that the company had been owned in equal shares by two directors. Relations between the parties broke down and they entered into a settlement agreement under which one agreed to sell his shares
Two teachers who were made redundant during a school reorganisation programme were unfairly dismissed. That was the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal in a case involving Gwynedd Council v Shelley Barratt & Ors (2020). The teachers had been employed by the council to work at a community secondary school (School 1). Under the Staffing
The Government says that wills witnessed over video links during the Covid19 pandemic will be considered legal and valid. The move is designed to make it easier for people to record their final wishes while keeping safe and practising social distancing. Currently, the law states that a will must be made ‘in the presence of’
New proposals have been put forward by industry insiders to improve the process of buying and selling homes. The Home Buying and Selling Group (HBSG) – made up 120 organisations advising the government – has drafted a memorandum for the “smooth operation of the residential property market in the UK”. The proposals, in what would
The Family Court has granted a woman’s application to have the home she shared with her former partner sold, even though their son was still living there. The couple had been in a relationship from 1995 until 2017 and had two children. One was aged 19, and referred to in court as D; the other