A case in which a son abused his power of attorney to squander £230,000 of his frail mother's money underlined the wisdom of employing an experienced lawyer, rather than a loved one to manage your finances if you lose the ability…
Industrial deafness can be slow to develop and those affected have a tendency to suffer in silence. However, as a Court of Appeal ruling powerfully underlined, you should seek legal advice immediately if you have the slightest suspicion that your…
The cohabiting couple is the second largest family type in the UK, and the fastest growing, with statistics published by the Office for National Statistics in November 2017 forecasting approximately 3.3 million families in 2017. It is worrying, therefore, that…
The insolvency of one of the companies within a contractual chain can cause major difficulties for all concerned. However, as one High Court case showed, professional drafting of agreements can provide invaluable protection against such risks. A large contractor had…
As any lawyer will tell you, the consequences of lying under oath in court can be very serious indeed. In one case, an accountant who forged his dead mother’s will in an attempt to get his hands on her stake…
Even the courts can fall victim to fraud and certainly did so in one case in which a disbarred barrister deceived family judges on a wholesale basis into believing that they had jurisdiction to entertain divorce petitions lodged by foreign…
A great many people give generously of their time to the management of social and sporting clubs and such dedication is very often not rewarded, at least financially. In one uplifting case, however, the High Court opened the way for…
Title deeds to property often lie mouldering and forgotten for many years, but the consequences of losing them can be severe. In a case that stands as a warning to the untidy, misplaced documents left a businessman facing an alleged…
In the Autumn 2017 Budget, the government announced that it was granting relief from the higher rate in certain cases. The changes apply to transactions with an effective date (normally completion) of 22 November 2017 or later. In short, the…
From 22 November 2017 first time buyers paying £300,000 or less for a residential property will pay no Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). First time buyers paying between £300,000 and £500,000 will pay SDLT at 5% on the amount of…
