Article Category: Insight & Opinion

In any industry it is essential to keep up to date with developments and advising on divorce issues, such as the division of assets, is no different. This month we have seen the introduction of a new form of divorce petition and we all remain watching the case of Owens and Owens, in the London… Read more »

Following the cases of Mezey and Gogay, we are all aware that suspension from duty of a qualified professional, such as a teacher, is not considered to be a neutral act. It shouldn’t be used as a ‘knee jerk’ reaction and could ultimately lead to unfair dismissal claims. Does the suspension of a teacher breach… Read more »

Parental responsibility is defined as being all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law a parent has in relation to a child and their property. Who has parental responsibility? Mothers automatically have parental responsibility. Fathers have parental responsibility if they are married to the mother or if they were registered on the… Read more »

A rentcharge or chief rent is an annual sum paid by the owner of a freehold property to a third party. This third person is known as the rent owner. A rentcharge is different to ground rent, a ground rent being rent due on a leasehold property. Rentcharges provide a regular income for owners of… Read more »

Divorce is a daunting prospect. Anxiety is heightened by fear of the unknown and worry for the future. With this is mind, it may help to have an idea of the approach the courts take when considering finances in divorce. What will the courts consider? The Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 helpfully lists the courts’ considerations…. Read more »

The September pay award for teachers and the 2017’s Schools Teachers Pay & Conditions document have now been published. The pay award follows the standard format that we’ve seen in recent years in that increases to the scales at minimum and maximum points of all pay ranges have been given. How that increase is distributed… Read more »

Business Property Relief (BPR) provides relief from inheritance tax on the transfer of relevant business assets. It was established to provide the UK’s SME sector with some protection in the event of the death of the principal shareholder. Its aim was to help companies and beneficiaries to continue trading when faced with an inheritance tax… Read more »

The Office for National Statistics have recently released statistics regarding marital breakdown for the year 2015. Do these figures reflect a need for the law to change and support a no fault divorce system? In total there were 101,055 divorces of opposite sex couples and 22 divorces of same sex couples in 2015. This suggests… Read more »

Angelina Jolie has revealed in this month’s Vanity Fair magazine that the stress of divorce and her split from Brad Pitt caused her physical health problems including Bell’s Palsy. This follows media reports last week which focused on the 2017 Alzheimer’s International Conference in London. The AAIC 2017. The studies presented at the conference confirmed… Read more »

The public sector union, Unison, has won a landmark court victory against the government regarding employment tribunal fees which were introduced back in July 2013. When the Employment Appeal Tribunal Fees Order 2013 came into force individuals were required to pay a fee when they lodged their claim at an Employment Tribunal (subject to limited… Read more »