Read our latest articles, news briefs and legal updates across all our different services.
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the principles allowing parents to have contact with their children who are in care continued to apply during Covid-19, even though it could create practical difficulties for local authorities. The issue arose after a mother appealed against a decision that face-to-face contact with her three young children should
The Help to Buy scheme has been extended to compensate for the delays in building work due to the coronavirus outbreak. Under the current scheme, work on new homes would have to be finished by the end of December – the extension will mean the deadline will now move to 28 February 2021. The deadline
A court has imposed a penalty of more than £800,000 on a husband who behaved unreasonably during divorce proceedings. The judge said the move should act as a warning to all couples that the law would not tolerate dishonest tactics. The case involved a couple in their fifties. They had been married for 25 years
The number of families having to pay inheritance tax (IHT) has fallen for the first time since 2009, according to the latest figures. Inheritance tax is set at 40% and becomes payable once the tax-free threshold of £325,000 has been passed. There is no tax liability if a person’s estate passes directly to their spouse.
High Court has settled a dispute between a father and son over whether money was ‘loaned or gifted’ to buy a home. The father had been a successful builder and property developer who owned numerous residential properties. He and his son had been directors of a building company which owned a commercial property; the son
New proposals have been put forward by industry insiders to improve the process of buying and selling homes. The Home Buying and Selling Group (HBSG) – made up 120 organisations advising the government – has drafted a memorandum for the “smooth operation of the residential property market in the UK”. The proposals, in what would
The Government says that wills witnessed over video links during the Covid19 pandemic will be considered legal and valid. The move is designed to make it easier for people to record their final wishes while keeping safe and practising social distancing. Currently, the law states that a will must be made ‘in the presence of’
The Family Court has granted a woman’s application to have the home she shared with her former partner sold, even though their son was still living there. The couple had been in a relationship from 1995 until 2017 and had two children. One was aged 19, and referred to in court as D; the other
The Affordable Homes Scheme, which is designed to get more families on to the property ladder, is being extended for a further year because of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s estimated that the building of 53,000 new affordable homes has stalled due to delays in the construction industry caused by lockdown. The Government is stepping in
The Court of Appeal has ruled that a judge was wrong to prevent two grandparents adopting their 3-year-old grandson. The court heard that the child’s mother suffered from mental health problems. She had a long history of drug abuse and had criminal convictions for violent offences. She had had no contact with the child since