Skip to main content
How Social Media Can Fuel A Divorce

How Social Media Can Fuel A Divorce

Long gone are the days of hiring a private investigator to prove a cheating spouse. Nowadays evidence of a partner's infidelity might be found online.
More legal aid support for victims of domestic violence

More legal aid support for victims of domestic violence

The Ministry of Justice has announced that victims of domestic violence will get more support in taking abusive former partners to court.

Swifter justice for London bus and tube fare dodgers

Swifter justice for London bus and tube fare dodgers

More than 3,000 tube and bus fare dodgers have been sentenced through a revolutionary new digital sentencing system.
Property Scam – A Cautionary Tale

Property Scam – A Cautionary Tale

It’s a troubling norm of today’s society that most people will have heard a horror story about property fraud from a family member, a colleague from work or simply reading online. Importantly, these stories need to be kept in perspective: remember, the tales of properties being rented and sold without any noteworthy problems are the ones people usually don’t bother sharing! However, it’s also worth taking heed of the negative experiences of others to ensure you do everything you can to avoid falling into similar traps.

How to avoid HMRC scam emails and phone calls

How to avoid HMRC scam emails and phone calls

Anyone with an email address is likely to have experienced a scam or phishing communication landing in their inbox, and unfortunately this type of attack is becoming both more frequent and more sophisticated. Sending a message purporting to be from HMRC is a popular method criminals can use to attempt to get hold of personal and financial details. It’s not limited to email either, with hoax text messages, social media communications and telephone calls also being used in order to illegally extract the information needed.

New steps to combat VAT fraud by overseas online sellers

New steps to combat VAT fraud by overseas online sellers

The loss of VAT from the sale of goods online continues to be a problem for HMRC, with the tax losses for 2015-16 from goods sold by overseas businesses but routinely stored and dispatched to UK consumers from within the UK, estimated to be between £1 billion and £1.5 billion. Following HMRC’s consultation, which concluded in March last year, the responses to the idea of ‘split payment’ as a way to tackle the problem show that whilst such a method would bring challenges, there is broad agreement that it is a workable solution.

Will it really improve my retirement if I increase my pension contributions by 1% – or should I just enjoy the money now?

Will it really improve my retirement if I increase my pension contributions by 1% – or should I just enjoy the money now?

When retirement is decades away, it’s understandable that many people near the start of their working lives don’t give a lot of thought to exactly how much of a difference the amount they pay into their pension will make when they finally come round to needing it. Increasing your pension contribution by 1% might sound so small as to be insignificant, making it tempting to choose to enjoy more of your hard-earned money today rather than putting a little more of it away for years to come. But is that really the case? What difference would putting an extra 1% into your pension actually make?

What exactly is Mifid II and what does it mean for the ordinary investor?

What exactly is Mifid II and what does it mean for the ordinary investor?

If you’re an investor, it’s likely that you’ll have heard discussions or read reports around the arrival of Mifid II. It’s just as likely that you won’t have had much idea of what Mifid II is or how it might affect you and your investments.

Invalid appointment of administrators

Invalid appointment of administrators

If you are a company director, beware of acting in a way that is contrary to the articles of association of your company, even if the action may on the face of it seem logical. This was a point discovered, to his cost, by the director of BW Estate Ltd.

Reforms to compensation payouts

Reforms to compensation payouts

Measures to change the way compensation pay-outs are calculated by the courts have been unveiled by Lord Chancellor David Lidington. Simon Wright said, “The announcement is welcome and follows a pledge made by Ministers in February to consult on whether there was a fairer way to set the “discount rate” in future.

Nottingham-based Auction Estates Ltd reaches £10m milestone following completion of £1.5m orphanage deal

Nottingham-based Auction Estates Ltd reaches £10m milestone following completion of £1.5m orphanage deal

Auction Estates Ltd, a dedicated property auction house specialising in the sale of residential housing, commercial property, land and specialist property investments, has hit a major milestone this month having completed in excess of £10m worth of auction sales in its first twelve months of business.

Getting the best deal on a cruise to beat those winter blues!

Getting the best deal on a cruise to beat those winter blues!

There are those that believe I am well positioned to write this article, and they may be right!

4 steps to stop inflation eating your savings!

4 steps to stop inflation eating your savings!

According to the Consumer Price Index, inflation is currently at 3%. This is the highest rate for over five years, meaning household budgets are being stretched further and further as the average pay is going up by just 2.2%. As the Bank of England has just announced the first base rate rise in over a decade, the pressure is likely to be on even more as mortgage costs will go up for many people as a result. So, here are our top tips to help you ease the impact of inflation upon your income.
Power of Attorney – The case for and against

Power of Attorney – The case for and against

Setting up a trusted family member or friend with a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) ensures that someone else is able to make important decisions for you when you’re no longer in a position to be able to make them for yourself. But this in itself is always going to be a key decision in your life, so it’s important to consider the benefits and risks before going ahead with giving another person the authority LPA unlocks.

What impact will an interest rate rise have on young homebuyers’ mortgage bills?

What impact will an interest rate rise have on young homebuyers’ mortgage bills?

Recent official figures have revealed that homebuyers are being lent more money by banks than at any time since the global financial crisis a decade ago, with many of the borrowers being young people for whom stepping onto the property ladder is barely affordable. As such, billions of pounds of debt which may prove unsafe is being taken on by them at a time when interest rates are expected to rise.

Changes Afoot for Commercial Landlords

Changes Afoot for Commercial Landlords

The Energy Efficiency Regulations 2015 brought into force minimum energy efficiency standards for residential and commercial properties. As of 1 April 2018, Landlords with properties within the scope of these Regulations must not renew existing tenancies or grant new tenancies if the property has less than the minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of ‘E’. It is estimated that a significant number of rented properties in England and Wales have an F or G rating.

Legal Services in the UK are GREAT

Legal Services in the UK are GREAT

In case you were not aware, the legal services provided in the UK are Great. But don’t just take our word for it; its official! A global drive to promote the UK’s £25 billion legal services sector at home and abroad has just been launched by the Lords justice spokesman Lord Keen at a reception in Singapore.
Crackdown on fake holiday sickness firms

Crackdown on fake holiday sickness firms

The Government is finally stepping in to tackle the sickness claims culture which is not only damaging Britain’s reputation overseas and could also be driving up holiday costs. [Partner’s Name], a partner in local law firm [firm’s name] said, “A system to control costs already exists for most personal injury claims in England and Wales, but a loophole is being exploited in foreign holiday claims”.

Notification of email checks required

Notification of email checks required

A recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights has provided further specific clarification of companies’ responsibilities in respect of their employee email policies. Katie Ash, Head of Employment Law said, “The ECHR ruling in case of Bogdan Bărbulescu could shape extent to which firms can monitor employees’ private communications”. In essence, the court ruling says that not only must a company policy inform employees that they reserve the right to monitor employee emails, but they must also let employees know when they are doing so.

Home secretary must establish marriage of convenience

In an interesting twist on an old movie script, a recent Supreme Court ruling found that for a removal order to be issued against an EU individual on the ground that she had abused her right of residence in the UK by attempting to enter into a marriage of convenience with a non-EU national, it was for the home secretary to establish that it would have been a marriage of convenience rather than for the individual to establish that the relationship was a genuine and lasting one.

Don’t get caught out by the lifetime allowance rule change

The total tax paid by those exceeding their lifetime pension allowance amounted to £36 million in 2014/15, climbing steeply from £20 million in 2014/15 and equating to an 80% rise. The figure has climbed in recent years from £12 million in 2012/13 to £19 million in 2013/14 and up again to £20 million in the following year. The increased revenue has been generated through more stringent rules introduced last year regarding the lifetime allowance (LTA), the highest amount of money a person is allowed to save in their pension pot and benefit from tax relief at their marginal rate.

People who get financial advice are £40k better off

People who get financial advice are £40k better off

A recent study has revealed that people who seek the advice from an independent financial adviser (IFA) are on average £40,000 better off than those who don’t do this. The research has come from leading think-tank the International Longevity Centre, who have stated that both the ‘affluent’ group – wealthier people more likely to own their own homes and have degree-level education – and the ‘just getting by’ group – less wealthy people likely to be living in rented accommodation and have lower levels of education – benefit similarly from the financial advice they seek.

What is the skills shortage costing British business?

What is the skills shortage costing British business?

New research by the Open University has found that the cost of Britain’s skills shortages amounts to more than £2 billion annually due to higher salaries, temporary staffing bills and recruitment costs. The survey of 400 firms found that nine in ten respondents reported struggling to recruit workers with the correct skills within the last year. This is likely to exacerbate concerns over employers experiencing difficulties in filling key jobs, a situation many predict will be worsened after Brexit and a subsequent immigration clampdown.

Court departs from the ‘sharing principle’ in a divorce settlement

Court departs from the ‘sharing principle’ in a divorce settlement

In a ruling in the June of 2017, the courts followed an increasing trend for financial settlements of divorcing couples to reflect more accurately the contributions that each partner made to the marriage.

Why children come first in a divorce

Why children come first in a divorce

During a break up, being fair and civilised to each other is often the best you can hope for, but when there are children involved emotions need to be set aside.