Blog

Stamp Duty has now been abolished for first-time buyers in shared ownership homes that cost up to £500,000. In the 2018 budget the Chancellor has announced that, following last year’s Stamp Duty changes, first-time buyers in shared ownership homes that cost up to...

Jane Lodeto enjoyed an interesting webinar today on passing digital assets on death. Many digital companies have not made provisions for Executors to easily access a deceased persons account, and it may be difficult for your Executors to even find these assets. ...

Are you worried about how to act at your looming office Christmas party? Do you relax and enjoy the free bar or act professionally, as though you’re at a business meeting? Well Bellman (B) V Northampton Recruitment (NR) may have some answers for you. In 2011 NR threw...

Which? Legal have recently reported that 40% of people who responded to their questionnaire used a DIY, or free Will writing service, when making their Will. With High Court disputes concerning Wills increasing by over a third in the last 5 years, this raises a lot of...

Is it directly discriminatory for a Christian baker to refuse to bake a cake containing a message supportive of gay marriage? No, held the Supreme Court in Lee v Ashers Baking Company Ltd and Others. Mr Lee asked Ashers Baking Company to bake a cake with a photo of...

The government says there are more than 3.3 million unmarried couples in the UK who live together with shared financial responsibilities - nearly half of them with children. But these households do not have the same legal protections as those who have a civil...

Preparing for end of life has never been more important. Studies have shown that a growing number of people in the UK are now living with dementia and are therefore often lacking capacity to make decisions themselves.  Most have not put in place Lasting Powers of...

It is common-place to be asked to provide references when applying for new job, but is there a legal requirement to give one? Unless regulated by an institution such as the Financial Conduct Authority, an employer is under no legal obligation to give a reference....

Recently, in the case of MenCap v Tomlinson-Blake the Court of Appeal held that carers who sleep at a client’s home, to attend to any needs the client has throughout the night, aren’t entitled to minimum wage whilst asleep. Before the decision made in the Court of...

Recently the government published its White Paper ‘The Future Relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union’. Within the paper it was stated that employment laws wouldn’t change in the way we expected when (or if) the UK leaves the European Union....

We regularly advise clients on the benefits of having a Lasting Power of Attorney and always invite the attorneys to come along to the meeting to speak to us or to approach us by telephone before signing the document. Figures from the Office of the Public Guardian...

Married couples still take up 42% of the Equity Release market, but this year has shown a sharp increase in the number of single women over the age of 55 choosing to release Equity from their homes. Figures released show that single women are now 35% of the Equity...

After its exponential increase in popularity throughout 2017, Equity Release shows no signs of slowing down in 2018. Over a quarter of all pensioners are now pursuing Equity release; Q1 has shown that 26% of over 55s are choosing Equity Release up from 22% previously....

In Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust v Haywood [2018] the Supreme Court has held by a majority that, in cases of dismissal on notice by post, and where there is no contractual provision governing when notice takes effect, the contractual notice only...

Auto-enrolment is a government pension scheme which, unless employees have already signed up for a workplace pension, automatically diverts a portion of an employee’s monthly salary into a pension pot. The employer and the government also make a contribution each...

If you applied for a Lasting or Enduring Power of Attorney between 1st April 2013 and 31st March 2017 you may be entitled to a partial refund of the application fee.   This is because between 2013 and 2017, the operating costs of the Office of the Public Guardian...

We have been giving you updates based on the quarterly reports of Equity Release borrowing throughout 2017 and each one has shown growth from the previous quarter, but quarter 4 has shown that Equity Release is now at a 15-year high and the market appears not to have...

In late 2016 we reported on a case that showed employers must encourage their employees to take rest breaks or they are, in the eyes of the Employment Tribunal, ‘refusing’ a work break. A recent case looks at the nature of the 20-minute break workers are entitled to...

The High Court has found that an employer, WM Morrisons Supermarkets PLC, was vicariously liable for the deliberate and criminal disclosure by a rogue employee of personal data belonging to co-workers. This is the first group litigation data breach case to come before...

The gig-economy has been dominating the legal spotlight for a long time now, and it doesn’t seem to be changing. A window salesman worked for a company on a self-employed basis for twelve years. Upon his dismissal, he raised a claim for £27,000 in unpaid holiday over...

Chancellor Phillip Hammond announced on Wednesday 22nd November 2017 that the threshold for Stamp Duty, for first time buyers, will be raised from £125,000 to £300,000 resulting in potential savings of £5,000. Further, for first time buyers, properties valued up to...

Resolution is an organisation of family lawyers and other professionals who believe in a constructive, non-confrontational approach to family law matters. Our director, Jane Lodeto, is a member of Resolution. Resolution members follow a Code of Practice that promotes...

In August this year, we reported in our blog that the popularity of Equity Release was at its highest ever level, and the third quarter of 2017 has shown an even larger increase. £824 million has been released from equity in the last quarter alone. This is officially...

In Queensland Australia, just before passing away, a man drafted a text message explaining he wished his assets to be left to his brother and nephew rather than wife and son. The Supreme Court of Australia decided to recognise the text message as a valid Will....

Further to our post on 6th December (which can be found HERE), Ofsted has since appealed the High Court’s ruling and taken the case to the Court of Appeal. Ofsted presented the case with the arguments that the High Court ‘erred’ in its decision and that it should have...

When the court looks at making a Child Arrangements Order to determine who a child lives with, and what time they spend with each parent, they presume that the involvement of a parent in a child’s life is in the best interests of the child, unless there is evidence to...

Since 1st April 2016, those purchasing a second home that does not replace a previous main residence have been liable for an additional 3% stamp duty on the purchase. Married couples and civil partners are treated as one unit for this purpose. If the couple jointly...

You may have recently read about a heterosexual couple applying to the court for the right to form a Civil Partnership, who were refused by the Judge in the first instance and then again by the Court of Appeal. Their application is for a judicial review of the...

The Court of Appeal have recently heard the appeal of Karen Hart and found in favour of the husband, not allowing the appeal. Ms Hart was married for 23 years and she received from the court just over 37% of the capital matrimonial assets on the divorce (£3.5 million...

Equity Release Activity increases substantially as figures show £700 million value in one quarter Equity release is now a key part of retirement planning for the over 55s. Equity release allows people who own their homes to utilise the value of the bricks and mortar...

This June marked Jane Lodeto’s ninth year participating in Havens Hospices’ Will Month; an annual event in which Jane and our Wills and Probate team offer our full Will service, from drafting the Will to storing them in our fireproof safes, absolutely free of charge...

Today, 3rd July, marks just two months until our Billericay team participate in their first team Triathlon, raising money for Havens Hospices. Over the last few months Jane Elgar has maintained her sporty regime in preparation, continuing to participate in her running...

If contact or the residence of your children cannot be agreed between the parents, you may have to apply to the Court for a Child Arrangements Order. These orders were introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014 to replace the previous framework of contact and...

For the past 8 years, Jane Lodeto who heads up our Wills and Probate Department has participated in Havens Will Month. Havens Hospices encourage people to make Wills by having one month a year where local firms offer their time and expertise free of charge in return...