Navigating Inheritance Tax Implications for Cohabitating Couples

In a rapidly evolving social landscape, cohabitation has become a prevalent lifestyle choice for many couples. However, when it comes to inheritance tax, cohabitating couples often find themselves in a challenging situation when it comes to writing their wills and making them tax efficient. Inheritance tax laws are typically structured to provide certain benefits and […]

SDLT on Mixed Use Property

With Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) charged differently on residential and non-residential property, the disposal of a mixed-use property can lead to tax consequences that may affect the value you receive on sale. Recently, the Chartered Institute of Taxation and the Stamp Taxes Practitioners Group agreed new guidance with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on […]

Gifts to Pets in Your Will

In the realm of estate planning, one aspect that is often overlooked or not well-understood is the inclusion of provisions for pets in your will. Whilst pets are considered cherished members of many families, the law typically views them as property. As such, they require special consideration in your estate planning to ensure their continued […]

Ownership of Property Depends on Intention

Property can be owned in joint names as joint tenants, which means that each co-owner owns an undivided share in the whole property (and would therefore be the sole owner on the death of any co-owners), or as tenants in common, where each co-owner has a specified share in the property that is not necessarily […]

Ripped Off By a Rogue Trader? You Can Be Compensated!

Elderly people and those who are vulnerable are sadly prime targets for rogue traders, but the law is not powerless when it comes to helping those affected. The successful prosecution of a rogue builder promises more than £200,000 in compensation for his victims. The builder’s modus operandi was to con householders, mostly pensioners who lived […]

Unfair Post-Nuptial Agreement Set Aside by Court

A Russian ‘serial non-discloser’ of assets said to be worth millions of pounds had his attempt to bind his ex-wife to the terms of their post-nuptial agreement dashed recently in the family court. The agreement was entered into in Israel after ten years of marriage. Mr Justice Mostyn ruled that although the man’s ex-wife would […]