Blogs
Mediation – helping to forge family-centred solutions
In the first of a series of posts about mediation, we’ll start by looking at what it is and what it seeks to achieve, and the part a mediator can play in helping couples deal with important practical issues surrounding separation, enabling them to go their separate ways and move on with their live....
Concerns that permitted development rules are producing ‘poor quality’ residential homes
In recent days, fresh concerns have been raised that permitted development rules are having a negative effect on Britain’s housing market by encouraging too many ‘poor quality’ office-to-residential conversions which are not properly overseen by planners. Under the rules governing permitted....
Top 10 mistakes clients make about wills, and how we can put them right
Of course, one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make is dying without a Will, and it’s a sad fact of modern life that more than two-thirds of people in the UK don’t have one. However, even where there’s a Will in place, mistakes or oversights can be made, and it’s more important than ever ....
“Fresh thinking” needed on Green Belt policy
A briefing document published by the Landscape Institute in recent days has called for “fresh thinking” on the UK’s Green Belt policy, amid concerns that existing laws are too vague and fail to address a number of important environmental issues. Towards the end of April, the Institute laid ....
Ashes to ashes… and where you can scatter them
While many of us grew up thinking of burial as the way in which we say farewell to the deceased, statistics from the Cremation Society of Great Britain show that around 75 per cent of people are now choosing cremation rather than burial. Deciding what to do with the ashes In the 1970s, onl....
Consultation unveiled on proposed new cladding rules
Prior to his appointment as Home Secretary on Monday 30 April 2018, former Housing Secretary Sajid Javid unveiled an important consultation on new proposals to improve fire and safety testing on cladding systems installed on residential buildings. It is expected that the consultation, which comes....
Making mirror wills – will your wishes be fully reflected?
If you and your partner share the same plan for what happens to your estate after each of you has passed away, then mirror wills can work for you. Basically, mirror wills are two separate wills made at the same time, naming the same beneficiaries. Often, the only difference between them is the name ....
The Skripal case – unravelling the unusual and challenging mental capacity issues
Over recent weeks, the twists and turns in this high-profile case have made daily media headlines. The events that unfolded on a bench in a park in Salisbury rapidly became first a national and then an international political issue, as Colonel Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were hospitalise....
LGA voices concerns over permitted development changes for rural communities
In recent days, Housing Minister Dominic Raab has unveiled important changes to permitted development rights affecting home and land owners who live in rural areas. Previously, farm owners were able to convert existing agricultural buildings into a maximum of three houses without seeking planning....
Why you need to get the best possible legal advice when buying your home
With Britain’s housing crisis never far from the news headlines, the government is looking at various ways to update and improve the house-buying process. As part of this initiative, the Department for Communities and Local Government recently held a consultation into ways the current procedures m....
Important new leasehold changes could affect property developers
Property developers who are dependent on payments from leases to bolster their operations could be adversely affected by leasehold changes which appeared in the Government’s Housing White Paper in February. Currently, there are an estimated four million residential leasehold properties in the U....
Joint tenants or tenants in common? What you need to know
With property prices remaining high, buying a home with family members or friends can often be the only practical way of getting onto the property ladder. There are plenty of advantages. The deposit will be lower, as will the ongoing costs of ownership such as mortgage repayments, council tax and ut....
