Changes to the shared ownership rules could help an extra 175,000 people on to the housing ladder, according to the government. Shared ownership allows people to ease their way into the property market by purchasing a share in their home rather than having to pay the full amount. They only have to a find a
A woman who devoted her life to her family while her husband concentrated on developing his business has been awarded £69m in a divorce settlement. The case involved a couple who began living together in 2002. They married in 2004 and the wife became a homemaker and a full-time mother to their two children. At
The family of the pop star Prince fear there could be a costly dispute over his multi-million pound fortune because he died without having made a will. Prince’s sister, Tyka Nelson, has asked a court in the United States to appoint a special administrator to manage his estate because he left no will or instructions
Research into dementia is making regular headlines, with the recent report of Sea Hero Quest, a smartphone game developed by dementia researchers to record people’s spatial navigation skills. According to the reports, these skills are often the first skills to fail in a person who has dementia. Alzheimer’s Research UK, who have made the game
An elderly woman knew what she doing when she drew up a new will, even though she was suffering from some mental impairment at the time. That was the decision of the Court of Appeal in a case involving a family dispute between the woman’s grandchildren and their uncle. The court heard that in 2003,
A woman has won the right to claim part ownership of the home she shared with her former partner and helped to pay for over several years. The case involved an unmarried couple who had lived together for 15 years. The house was in the partner’s name and was bought with an interest only mortgage.
A father who felt that he had been ambushed during legal proceedings has successfully appealed against a decision denying him direct contact with his son. The case involved a couple who had separated after a troubled relationship. They had one son who lived with the mother. The father was granted supervised contact but applied to
Restrictive covenants are a useful way to protect your business from competition from employees who may leave to join a rival company. They work in various ways such as preventing an employee from competing with your business for a set period or within a set area, or by preventing them approaching your clients for a
The changes to stamp duty have saved homebuyers £657m in just over a year, according to the latest government figures. More than 780,000 people have benefited across England and Wales. The changes, which came into effect in December 2014, introduced more gradual increases in stamp duty rates. Under the previous system, the duty was a
Inheritance tax receipts are set to increase by more than 20% this year, according to the Office for National Statistics. The latest figures show that death duties are on track to bring in £4.6 billion in the 12 months to February. That compares with the £3.8 billion for the same period last year. Rising house