The High Court has ruled that a man’s will that existed only in draft form on a computer, but which was signed by two reliable witnesses, should be accepted as valid. This is a highly unusual decision because generally, the original will, signed in the presence of two witnesses present at the same time, must
House prices across the UK increased by an average of 12.4% in the year to April 2022, according to the latest figures from the Land Registry. It means the average property in the UK is now valued at £281,161. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, house prices increased by 1.1% between March and April 2022. The UK Property Transactions Statistics showed
The government is providing an extra £5.4 million to help families resolve disputes such as contact arrangements through mediation instead of going to court. Under the scheme, mediation vouchers worth £500 are provided to divorcing couples with the aim of helping them find mutually agreeable solutions and freeing up space in the family courts. It seeks
The Employment Tribunal has ruled that an employee who was dismissed while suffering from long Covid is entitled to make a claim for disability discrimination. It held that his symptoms met the criteria for him to be classed as disabled under the terms of the Equality Act. The case involved Mr T Burke, who had
The heart-breaking experience of TV presenter Kate Garraway and her husband highlights the value of drawing up Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) to protect your future. Garraway’s husband Derek Draper suffered a terrible reaction to Covid and still has a long way to go in his recovery. The Good Morning Britain star said that
No-fault evictions are to be banned as part of government plans to “end the injustice of unfit homes and help protect renters from the rising cost of living”. The Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper is designed to ensure millions of families benefit from living in decent, well looked-after homes as part of the biggest shake
One of the UK’s leading judges has urged divorcing couples to use the £500 voucher that enables them to access mediation services to settle difficult disagreements. Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls, made the suggestion in a complicated case involving a couple who had separated in 2017. The father had regular unsupervised contact with
There has been a surge in the number of divorce applications since the new No-Fault law came into effect in April. The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 aims to reduce the potential for conflict amongst divorcing couples by removing the ability to make allegations about the conduct of a spouse and allowing couples to
The government is to launch a 10-Year Plan to tackle dementia following estimates that one million people will be living with the disease in the UK by 2025 and 1.6 million by 2040. Speaking at the Alzheimer’s Society Conference 2022, Health Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed the plan will focus on how new medicines and emerging
The Global Business Mobility Route (GBM) has a number of sub–categories, one of which is the Graduate Trainee visa. The GBM – Graduate Trainee visa was introduced on 11th April 2022. It replaced the Intra–Company Graduate Trainee visa, also previously known as the Tier 2 (Intra–company) Graduate Trainee visa. The Graduate Trainee visa is for