Resources

There’s no denying the huge steps forward seen in creating equality for same-sex couples in the UK during the 21st Century, first with the Civil Partnership Act 2004 and then the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. However, as heterosexual couples have marriage as the only option open to them to make their relationship formal, there have been suggestions of a new inequality having now been created. A legal challenge by mixed-sex couple Rebecca Steinfield and Charles Keidan to be able to enter into a civil partnership instead of a marriage was unsuccessful earlier this year, meaning it’s unlikely the situation will change for heterosexual couples in the near future.

Following the announcement of the snap general election to take place on 8th June, the government has decided to scrap its plans to increase the legal fees due after a person has died. Having proposed a rise in probate fees in England and Wales to come into effect in May, which would have seen an increase from the current flat figures of £155 or £215 to as much as £20,000 for the most valuable estates, the Ministry of Justice announced in the second half of April that there was too little time for the legislation to go through parliament before the election.

The Court of Appeal recently ruled that a senior manager’s negligence in failing to ensure that a colleague followed company policy could amount to gross misconduct justifying the manager’s summary dismissal.

Disputes over ownership of strips of land between two properties are all too common, and usually arise from a mis-drawn boundary map. However, a recent case in the Appeal Court resulted in the apparently farcical decision that two neighbours each possessed a valid registered title to the same strip of land 4 metres long by 2 metres wide. But, Rob Stubbs, Head of Dispute Resolution says “Although this sounds crazy, the decision actually enabled the position to be tidied up rather neatly.”

We know from experience that when you lose a loved one it is often difficult to know what to do first. This simple guide explains the steps involved, what needs to be done at each stage and where legal support may be required.

Research just published underlines how ill-prepared most people are in terms of their end of life planning.

Wills for everyone in the family can be expensive. Read about our exclusive Family Wills Bundle offer, easily explained by the Jones family, here!