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Widespread belief in the myth of common law marriage is putting millions of cohabiting couples at risk of financial hardship if their relationship breaks down. The warning comes from the family law group, Resolution, after it commissioned a survey showing that most cohabitants don’t realise that they don’t have the same automatic rights as married
A man who looked after his mother in the years before her death has been removed as an executor of her will following legal action by his two brothers. The man was the woman’s younger son. He had lived with her and cared for her, along with two full-time carers, for several years. He continued
The government may appoint a housing ombudsman to help people settle disputes if they face problems relating to property. The idea was put forward by the Communities Secretary Sajid Javid as he discussed government plans to provide an extra 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s. Currently, there are four government approved providers of redress
The amount of money owed to small businesses has halved in the last five years, according to government ministers – but business leaders say the UK is still gripped by a poor payments crisis. The figures were released as the government appointed Paul Uppal to the newly created position of Small Business Commissioner. His role
The government has announced a series of new measures to crack down on bad practices, stamp out overcrowding and improve standards for those renting in the private sector. One of the main changes is that landlords renting properties in England occupied by “5 or more people from 2 or more separate households” will need to
A director has been disqualified from running a business for six years because he paid large sums of money to his associates instead of creditors after his clothing company got into difficulties. Ronald Trevor Barnes ran Cleanliness Ltd, a manufacturer of personal care products in Nottingham. The company went into liquidation on 1 August 2014
An employment tribunal has ruled that a Poundland employee was unfairly dismissed after giving away over £300 worth of products to customers. The employee, Mr Zia, joined the company in June 2013 and worked his way up to assistant manager of the Southall store. As a senior member of the shop team, Mr Zia had
A landlord has won her appeal that she was not affected by recent changes in the law and so her notice to repossess her property was valid. The case involved a landlord who rented out her house in 2007 on an oral monthly tenancy. She sought repossession in 2016 but the tenants objected, claiming that
Nearly a third of family business owners fear their company will die out and not be passed on to the next generation once they retire. One in five believe it’s unlikely that family businesses will even exist in the future. These are some of the findings of a survey carried out by insurance company Direct
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be one the main events of the year with millions of people across the world wishing them every happiness. The romance between them is plain to see, but should the couple also be considering some more practical matters? Many people now draw up a pre-nuptial agreement,