Demolishing an unoccupied property
If you are the owner of an unoccupied property that is uninhabitable, or you already have a permanent home of your own – you may be wondering what development opportunities you have? Could you renovate the property so it may be sold for a profit or leased to tenants? Or could you demolish the property […]
Legal sector welcomes the appointment of non-lawyer Alex Norris as justice secretary
Alex Norris has become the first non-lawyer to be granted the post of Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice in a Labour government. The MP for Nottingham North and Kimberley, who on Monday replaced David Lammy in Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government, is a former trade union official. For the past year, he […]
Errors in administering estates result in a fine and a rebuke
A firm has been fined over £12,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for misconduct in handling client money, while a solicitor has received a rebuke for misconduct in the administration of an estate. Kings Lynn firm Hawkins Ryan was fined £12,366 and ordered to pay costs of £1,350 after the SRA found it had […]
Warning for families as ‘ordinary’ estates swell IHT coffers by £96m
Inheritance tax receipts for April 2026 to June 2026 are £2.3 billion, £96 million higher than the same period last year, as changes to IHT rules bring more estates into scope – with more to come. “The planned changes taking effect in the 2027/28 tax year will bring most unused pension funds into IHT calculations,” […]
Disinherited nephew faces jail for breaching Foot Anstey injunction
A disinherited nephew faces up to two years in jail after the High Court found he had breached an injunction granted to Foot Anstey in December 2024. Mr Justice Griffiths found Sean Stimson to be in contempt of court following a campaign of “vitriolic” threats and abuse against the firm. In an earlier hearing, Foot […]
Geneology experts warn increasing use of home DNA tests could trigger inheritance disputes
Genealogists have warned that the rising popularity of home DNA tests could trigger will disputes and create a moral judgement about what constitutes family in inheritance matters. Consumers are increasingly using commercial at-home DNA testing kits to explore their ancestry, identify biological relatives and screen for inherited health conditions. But Neil Fraser (pictured right), partner […]
France votes to legalise assisted dying
Assisted dying has been legalised in France, subject to approval from the country’s Constitutional Council. The National Assembly voted by 291 to 241 to back the much-debated bill, which had already been rejected three times by the Senate, France’s equivalent of the House of Lords. The bill allows for assisted dying in circumstances where there […]
Prenups for the next generation: Could reform reshape the protection of family wealth?
Victoria Cannon, partner and head of family law at Hugh James, considers whether the government’s proposals to make certain nuptial agreements legally binding could transform prenups from a family law precaution into a central part of succession planning and family governance. The government’s proposals to make certain nuptial agreements legally binding could transform prenups […]