Prior to the introduction of revised procedures (set out in regulations under section 68 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which came into effect in July 2002), people who had to cross common land in order to reach their homes were sometimes...
A family who inherited land were also held to have inherited an obscure ancient liability, which ended up costing them dearly, after a recent decision by the House of Lords.
When presented with a bill for £95,000 for repairing the...
The most important requirements for adoption are that the adopter must be over 21 years of age, the child to be adopted must be under the age of 18 and that joint applications to adopt can only be made by married couples and civil partners. Unmarried couples...
In March 2005, the rules relating to approaching people regarding financial promotions were relaxed so that so called ‘sophisticated investors’ and high net worth individuals (HNWIs) could be more easily approached with a view to making...
When dealing with an estate, an increasing problem for executors is the valuation of assets in the form of the chattels of the deceased. In probate terminology, chattels are the ‘everyday’ assets such as furniture and ordinary possessions, as...
Inheritance tax (IHT) is payable at 40 per cent on the net value of a person’s estate above (2008/9 rates) £312,000 (the current nil rate band). It affects an increasing number of people owing to the rise in house prices in recent years. One...
Divorce is seldom an easy business, but the problems are compounded when there is a family business involved. The division of the spoils has traditionally been the subject of a great deal of argument, but recent cases have at least clarified the thinking of...
In the UK, there are quite generous exemptions from Inheritance Tax (IHT) which apply to business assets. One problem with making use of such exemptions is the effect this may have on the subsequent value of the relevant assets for Capital Gains Tax (CGT)...
Ownership of two homes in the UK is becoming more commonplace as couples who both own houses marry, houses are inherited, parents buy houses for their children to live in, or people just buy a place in the country, either to let or to escape to at weekends....
A care order is a court order that places a child under the care of a local council. The local council then shares parental responsibility for the child with the parents and will make most of the important decisions about the child's upbringing, such as...
A will expresses the final wishes of the deceased person and it is commonly thought that a will is irrevocable after death. However, provided everyone agrees, it is normally possible to vary a will provided that the application is made within two years of...
From 2003-4 Self-Assessment Tax Returns have included a facility to enable individuals to donate some or all of any tax repayment to a chosen charity.
Participating charities have signed up with the Inland Revenue and been allocated a...
