A householder has lost ownership of a strip of land outside his home after a neighbour started using it and then claimed it as hers under the principle of adverse possession. The case involved a grass verge that was close to the neighbour’s property. The neighbour started using in 1999 and maintained it as if
The family law group Resolution has urged the government to increase legal protection for cohabiting couples. New figures released by the Office for National Statistics reveal that unmarried couples living together are now the fastest growing family grouping in the UK. There are 3.1 million opposite sex cohabiting couple families. It means they now make
With an ageing population and more people living in less traditional family set ups it is becoming increasingly common for people to challenge wills and make claims on the estates of their deceased relatives. Challenging a will and making a claim on an estate are two quite different legal matters. The former is made on
A sub-contractor has won its appeal that workers who were temporarily laid off while employed on a building project should still qualify to be transferred to a new firm under TUPE regulations. The sub-contractor had been engaged by a construction company to work on a large contract. It assigned a number of workers to carry
A husband has won his appeal against a divorce settlement that would have not have been possible to put into practice. The case involved a couple who were both 58 and were divorcing after 13 years of marriage. The wife worked in a primary school and the husband owned a small company. At the hearing
Thousands of people set up lasting powers of attorney (LPA) each year to protect their interests if they ever lose mental capacity in the future. LPAs enable you nominate someone to look after your affairs if you are unable to do so yourself. The vast majority of LPAs work exactly as intended but occasionally things
The government has announced the latest measures in its campaign to eradicate the gender pay gap within a generation and to provide more opportunities in the workplace for women and ethnic minorities. Legislation to prevent discrimination and promote equality has been in place for more 40 years but women still earn less on average than
A landlord was entitled to recover from tenants the VAT charges it had to pay its managing agent in respect of caretaking staff. That was the decision of the Upper Tribunal (Lands) in the case of a landlord who hired a managing agent to fulfil the various obligations set out in his lease agreements. The
The vast majority of people still prefer to ask a solicitor to write their will, according to new research by Will Aid. The number of people consulting solicitors about their will has risen by 2% over the last four years. Meanwhile, the number of people using will writers instead has fallen from 17.9% in 2008
Inheritance tax payments have been increasing due to rising house prices and an overall rise in family wealth and investment. The latest figures from HM Revenue and Customs show that just over £3 billion was collected in inheritance tax in 2013, an increase of 15% on the previous year and the highest figure since 2008