New reporting forms have been introduced to improve protection for people using lasting powers of attorney (LPA). LPAs enable you to appoint someone to be your deputy and look after your interests should you lose the capacity to make decisions for yourself at some point in the future. Deputies can be appointed to make decisions
The recent case of Barbulescu v Romania hit the national press with headlines suggesting that the law had changed and that employers could do whatever they wanted in relation to the interception and monitoring of employees’ emails. These headlines were not correct. The law in this area has not changed but some clarification has been
When it comes to estate planning on the death of an individual, the default legal positions for married and unmarried couples who have not made wills are very different. There is a common misconception that long term partners are automatically entitled to a share of their partner’s estate if they die without a will. However
A company had not discriminated against an employee by telling her that she had to speak English while at work. That was the decision of the Employment Tribunal in the case of a Russian born woman who started working for a company involved in testing products on animals. The company became concerned at the woman’s
The government is to oblige courts and councils to always pursue adoption when it is in a child’s best interest. Ministers say they will change legislation as soon as possible to “make crystal clear that councils and courts must place children with the person best able to care for them right up until their 18th
A court has ordered that a deceased man’s bank account should be frozen because of a family dispute over his estate. The case involved a man who had died intestate, that is, without having made a will. His bank accounts containing £500,000 were closed down by his eldest son, from his first marriage. The man’s
The government has confirmed that more than 2,000 divorce cases may have been voided due to an error on the self-assessment form on the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) website. The error involves Form E, which records the financial details of divorcing couples. The software running the form didn’t take all liabilities into account and so
The Right to Buy scheme has now been extended to housing association tenants. It is being piloted in five areas across England and will be rolled out to the rest of the country later this year. It gives tenants the opportunity to buy their home with a discount of £103,900 in London and £77,900 elsewhere.
The government is making an extra £5m available to councils to tackle unfair practices by rogue landlords. The money will be shared among 48 councils to enable them to carry out more raids, increase inspections of property, issue more statutory notices, survey more streets and to demolish sheds and prohibited buildings. Housing Minister Brandon Lewis
Nearly 60% of employees say the new National Living Wage (NLW) will help to increase their motivation at work. More than 70% say it will make them feel more positive for themselves and their families. The NLW comes into effect on 1 April and will be set at £7.20 per hour for workers over the