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The government has pledged to provide more affordable homes and to clamp down on leasehold abuses on newbuild properties. The measures were announced in the Queen’s Speech at the start of the new parliament. The new First Home scheme will be designed to make homes available at a discount for local first-time buyers. Councils will
A gardener was unfairly dismissed after he was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, a tribunal has ruled. Lorne Anderson, who had a history of mental health issues, had worked for the Fife Health Board since 2001. His employer required gardeners to have a full driving licence. Anderson worked long hours, often six
A man has been ordered to pay back £270,000 to his mother’s estate following legal action by the executors of her will. The High Court heard evidence that in 1998 the mother had entered into a property development partnership with her youngest son. She died in 2010 and the final property sale was completed in
The government is to revive its no-fault divorce bill that was shelved in November because of the proroguing of the last parliament and the General Election. Now that the Conservative government has been returned, a new bill is to be introduced in the coming year. There was no mention of it in the Queen’s Speech,
The UK is facing a dementia crisis that will have both social care and legal implications for millions of families over the next 20 years. Our ageing population means that the number of people suffering dementia related diseases is set to double by 2035. The Alzheimer’s Society estimates that by that time, the number of
Mixed-sex couples can now enter into civil partnerships if they wish as an alternative to marriage. The new right came into effect on December 31 last year under the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019. Completing the legislation was one of the last actions of the government before the December election. Civil
A mother has had to forfeit the residential care of her son after she tried to alienate him from his father. The case involved a boy who lived with his mother but had regular contact with his father and his paternal family. However, from March 2018, there had been no direct contact between father and
The government has confirmed that it will provide tenants with more protection by abolishing no-fault evictions. It will also provide renters with a new lifetime deposit scheme, making the process of moving home easier and cheaper for millions. The measures were announced in the Queen’s Speech at the opening of the new parliament, with ministers
Tesco has been refused permission to withdraw an admission it made after being accused of overstating its expected level of profit. The admission related to an allegation that its trading statement made in August 2014 was untrue and/or misleading in that it misstated the level of trading profit expected to be achieved for the first
Businesses across different sectors are urging the new government to end late payment practices that are crippling many small companies. They say the existing Prompt Payment Code isn’t working and fear a surge in company insolvencies if no action is taken. David Frise, CEO of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), said repeated failures by