Family Justice Council: Help Sorting Out Divorce Finances The Family Justice Council has launched a new financial guide to help people going through a divorce without a lawyer. The guide, which can be downloaded here, is specifically aimed at non-legal readers and its primary purpose is to provide a road map through what is often [...]
Can you Take your Child Out Of School To Go On Holiday? The media attention that surrounded the High Court case brought by Jon Platt, an Isle of Wight father, who refused to pay a fine after taking his daughter on holiday during term time, shows that the topic is one that affects a lot [...]
Sharp Intestate Rise Highlights Why Making A Will Is Essential The topic of a BBC Radio 5 talk show earlier today focussed on the worrying number of people who continue to die without a Will – in fact the number has doubled over the past five years. According to Citizens Advice figures, they had 1,522 queries [...]
Living With Dementia: Dementia Awareness Week Throughout the month of May, the BBC have been broadcasting a series of programmes focusing on dementia – broadcasting inspirational stories and offering help and advice on an illness that affects 800,000 people across the UK. Angela Rippon also explores the Truth About Dementia, investigating the disease that took her mother's life and [...]
Soft-tissue Injury Damage Recovery Changes The Law Society has issued a statement that robustly opposes plans to remove the right to recover general damages for soft-tissue injuries. Speaking at the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers' annual conference, Law Society chief executive Catherine Dixon told delegates: 'The current environment for making personal injury claims is becoming more hostile. [...]
Richmond Rugby Club's Golf Day – SRB A fine day’s golf was enjoyed at Richmond Rugby Club’s annual golf day at the Royal Mid-Surrey course in Richmond – the players in the Stone Rowe Brewer sponsored event were treated to some lovely spring weather, some great golf and a delicious lunch to follow. They were [...]
95% of Separating Couples Go Straight To Court New figures obtained by National Family Mediation show that government policy aimed at promoting mediation as the preferred way of settling disputes over parenting, finance and property has failed. Since 22 April 2014 attendance at a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) has been compulsory before a separating couple [...]
Deeds of Variation with Your Will When a Will is made it can be difficult to predict what changes may happen to a family in the future, and it is even harder to predict changes in the law. Fortunately, all is not lost if a Will is no longer fit for purpose, or if the [...]
Duties and Liabilities of Trustees There has been significant case law in recent years regarding the duties and liabilities of trustees when faced with decisions regarding whether to sell or retain land, incur expenditure on repairs or to take legal action (Brudenell-Bruce v Moore [2014], Jeffrey v Gretton [2011], Cotton v Earl of Cardigan [2014] [...]
Tax Implications for Pensions upon Death Major changes to tax charges that apply to benefits paid on the death of someone who was a pension scheme member took effect in April 2015. It is now extremely important that those who are members of pension schemes have a nomination form or letter of wishes in place [...]