Many wills contain clauses which alter the distribution of assets in the event of changing...

If you have a legitimate legal complaint, any delay in consulting a solicitor is highly likely to...

The law relating to the division of family assets on divorce varies widely across the world and...

Katie Gibson-Green, a member of the Agriculture & Estates team at Essex law firm Birkett Long,...

Is compensation paid to individuals whose businesses have failed due to mis-selling of financial...

Inheritance Tax (IHT) is not only payable on the value of the estate of a deceased person, but can...

You might think that where the boundaries of property lie should be clear, but boundary disputes...

Law firm, Birkett Long, has announced the appointment of Victoria Gratton as a solicitor in the...

It is a mark of a civilised society that anyone who suffers a wrong at the hands of state...

It may sound overcautious to say so, but it is always worth taking legal advice before entering...

The recent Budget contained an announcement that will be unwelcome news for some property owners. ...

Proposals to link the cost of being granted probate over an estate valued at more than...

The leasehold system in the UK has been crying out for reform for years, and the Government has...

Modern litigation spans the globe and issues concerning cross-border service of documents and...

You may be forgiven for thinking that the authorities always follow proper procedures, but that is...

It is commonplace for one spouse to control the family finances and, while relations are amicable,...

When a man's first wife died, he inherited her share of the property they had owned jointly. At...

A recent case may raise alarm bells for anyone thinking about adding a basement to a property...

When people need to go into care, the local councils that end up supporting the care costs are...

Legislation that will give families of people who go missing the ability to administer their...

There has been a massive amount of disinformation put about over the years (and, apparently,...

Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) have many advantages over normal savings accounts –...

The widespread belief that 'an Englishman's home is his castle' can all too easily lead the unwary...

When an investment is made in a capital asset that subsequently becomes valueless, the loss can...

If parents engaged in child contact disputes take up entrenched positions, it is very nearly...

Lending money to the public is, for obvious reasons, a heavily regulated activity and, as a case...

The High Court of Justice is a very expensive place to resolve a family dispute, as is evidenced...

The law allows people who occupy land over a long period and use it as their own, without anyone...

What can I do if I am not able to manage my affairs? You may be worried about what happens to...

Moving into care can sometimes mean selling your home. We can help you through every stage of the...

Scams of all shapes and sizes are becoming depressingly frequent and the Financial Conduct...

Navigating the care system As life expectancy increases, so does the impact on ourselves and...

If you no longer have the capacity to make decisions for yourself and you do not have a power of...

Tom is 81 and a widower. A few years ago Tom was diagnosed with dementia, and although initially...

The law does not require you to make a will but if you die without having made one, your estate,...

The Supreme Court recently decided a case which made clear some of the limits that apply when...

When a person's affairs are being managed by someone else under a lasting power of attorney (LPA),...

Care orders for children that result in them being taken away from their parents are not made...

Those who make a profit on the sale of their principal private residence do not have to pay...

As we enter the last quarter of the year, the uncertainties and questions surrounding Brexit are...

We asked Lillie, who began her career as a paralegal, about qualifying into Birkett Long’s...

Those who doubt the legal advantages of getting married should take note of a case in which an...

Many blocks of flats are managed by a residents' association, which has the great advantage of...

The law that allows someone who was dependent on a deceased person during their lifetime to make a...

Experienced solicitor, Karen Johnson, has joined the Divorce and Family team at leading Essex law...

We all make mistakes…and when a contract is set up the terms of which clearly do not...

The Supreme Court judges' decision to prevent a wife from divorcing her husband , which was made...

When the Finance Act 2006 came into force, it introduced a ten-year charge on discretionary...

Solicitor Jemma Jones has joined Birkett Long’s Colchester residential property team. ...

Construction works on neighbouring properties can make your life a misery but, with the right...

When an estate is to be administered, an application for probate must first be made if the...

The perceived generosity of English judges in big money divorce cases has made the UK the venue of...

In a unanimous judgment, the Supreme Court has ruled that a bakery in Northern Ireland's refusal...

If you are approaching pension age, unless you are one of the increasingly few with a...

One of the dilemmas the courts face from time to time is how to achieve the right balance between...

Japanese knotweed is a very considerable pest – 'indisputably the UK's most aggressive,...

One of the requirements for a will to be accepted as valid is that the person who makes it must...

It is normal for money, often considerable sums, to pass between family members. However, when...

Despite strong representations from the professional community, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have...

Almost everyone who has flown much has a story (or more than one) about lost or damaged luggage,...

If you are faced with an unwelcome proposal for development nearby, a recent case shows how...

London has gained a reputation as 'the divorce capital of the world' because settlements reached...

If you accept appointment under a power of attorney, it is essential to understand the...

It is a stressful and unhappy enough time when a loved one dies, but the anguish of those mourning...

On our densely populated island, there is a pressing need for available land to be put to sensible...

A decision of the Supreme Court announced today has important implications for unmarried partners...

The usual course of events on divorce is that there is a financial settlement which divides up the...

If landowners allow vegetation to grow so that it affects visibility on adjacent highways, should...

Farming families appear regularly in the courts these days, as more and more cases arise that...

Following the Grenfell disaster in 2017, cladding has come under close scrutiny with surveys being...

Relationships that start on the Internet are already leading to some interesting situations. A ...

Taxpayers are personally responsible for filing their tax returns on time, and failing to do so...

The EU has published its first draft Code of Practice on Disinformation (the Code), or as Mr Trump...

On 24 July 2018, the EU Commission handed out fines totalling €111m to 4 electronic...

Money in a bank account represents the debt due from the bank to the account holder and is not...

When a will is made late in life which materially changes how an estate is to be distributed...

Family judges will approach pre-nuptial agreements with greater respect following a landmark...

It is a common term in a lease for the tenants to have to seek permission from the landlord if...

There are special rules for people working in the UK on short-term secondment from employers based...

With the holiday season upon us, a recent case shows that there are limits to the liability of...

A divorced man who remarried in his late 50s made a new will in 1998, one year after the marriage,...

Court orders have to be obeyed and those who defy them can ultimately be sent to prison. Exactly...

When valuing a property for Inheritance Tax (IHT) purposes, is it legitimate to take into account...

  Every year, 1 in 3 people dies without having a legally valid will. In that year,...

  In April 2018, The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government...

  The term “common law marriage” is frequently used within society to refer...

If family members or friends are facing bankruptcy, it may be tempting to assist them in keeping...

One powerful reason why you should always seek legal advice before making your will is to ensure...

The Court of Appeal has made an important decision in a divorce case in which the main argument...

Francesca Cozens, a member of Birkett Long’s South Essex Divorce and Family Team based in...

In 2017, 205,293 dwellings in England were left empty for six months or more. With the housing...

If you are facing menacing demands for money, you should take legal advice straight away. In a...

Financial pressure can easily lead the unwary into the arms of unscrupulous lenders. One High...

Setting up family trusts with minors or those with mental incapacities as beneficiaries is by no...

The validity of pre-nuptial agreements depends on legal advice being taken on both sides, equal...

Harassment is very unpleasant and, when a person is subject to a campaign of abuse, it can prove...

Giving someone else power of attorney over your finances can be a useful means of ensuring that...

Legal arguments between cohabitants who break up are commonplace. However, a recent case dealt...

When a wealthy construction business owner and his wife divorced in 2011, a 'clean break'...

Although they may not know it, many householders are banned by restrictions in their title deeds...