Legal News

This is often the first, and perhaps most obvious, question for anyone who is going through or considering a separation or divorce. This leads to other important questions such as: how will property be divided and how will arrangements for children be decided.

With legal services so readily available over the internet and conveyancing factory firms tied in to several of the national and regional chains of estate agents, prospective clients of ours often ask whether they would benefit from being represented by a firm local to where they live or the property they are hoping to buy or sell.

Some said that a Conservative majority would present a real boost to the economy and confidence to the property market. Those same commentators said that a Labour majority might not have quite the same impact on property prices but that under a Jeremy Corbyn led Government first time buyers would get more help. Another hung Parliament was not seen as good news at all. Other commentators were less confident as they felt neither of the major parties had a coherent housing strategy for the future.

We at Gardner Croft LLP are pleased to help and advise any clients in East or North Kent who might have been affected by a solicitors' or licensed conveyancers' practice closing down.

The government has recently confirmed plans to reform the current divorce laws to introduce the legal process of a no-fault divorce. What does this mean?

850,000 people are estimated to be living with dementia in the UK. Dementia is the biggest health threat facing society today and there are currently no effective treatments to slow, prevent or cure it. Sadly, one in three of us will be affected by dementia in some way.

Whether you are a remainer, a leaver or an inbetweener you have probably been peeking out from that safe place behind the sofa like me, watching what’s been going on in Parliament and the EU and trying to work out what is going to happen and whether you can make plans for the future.

Any owner of a building will know that sooner or later that building will need repairs.

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) for your property and affairs would allow you to appoint attorneys to make a range of decisions including the buying and selling of your house and other assets and operating bank and building society accounts.

Following the recent Employment Appeal Tribunal decision confirming that the Employment Tribunal had been entitled to hold that Uber drivers are workers (see previous article here), the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) has decided that Deliveroo riders are not workers.

One of the hardest things following the death of a relative can be the realisation that they have made no provision for their family and dependents or that the provision they have made is simply inadequate for one or more of them.

Following the article we published in June 2017 where we discussed the impact of a recent Court decision and calls for a no-fault divorce that followed that decision, there have been some developments in that case.

Most of us will consider at some point making a Lasting Power of Attorney.

A BBC Panorama programme aired on 4th July 2017 has revealed further evidence of the “hushing up” of sexual abuse by well respected institutions.

If one person to a marriage commences divorce proceedings, it does not always follow that the other person within the marriage will agree to the divorce.

When someone is involved in a serious accident, the injuries they sustain are often self evident. Some injuries are less obvious however.

Escalating ground rents on new flats has been a hot topic of conversation in legal circles for some time and has recently become a topic in the media with Nationwide announcing that it will not provide mortgages on certain properties.

I suspect your answer to that question depends on whether you are a teacher or not.

From April 2017, a new Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB) has been introduced which, for those who qualify, will mean that the amount of money that you can leave in your Will, before paying Inheritance tax, has increased and will increase further over the next few years. From 2020-2021 couples who qualify will have a maximum of £1,000,000 that they can leave, before paying Inheritance Tax.

So your boss wants you to do something you think is illegal...

If you are an employer, it is certainly worthwhile spending some time thinking about whether you view those that work for your business as a “resource” or as a “liability”.

Depending on how exciting your usual reading material is you may have come across a lot of excitement being generated about the so-called ‘gig economy’.

Many employment contracts contain a probation period but what does that actually mean? From the perspective of an employment lawyer the answer under the law of England and Wales is in many cases – not a lot. There is no statutory effect whatsoever; a probation period is a purely contractual matter. It has whatever effect the parties agree it has but does not affect the statutory position between the parties.

Did you know that about two-thirds of the population do not have a Will?

Did you know that about two thirds of the population do not have a Will? It is easy to put off making a Will as people do not like to think about death.

Instructing an Estate Agent to value and market your property for sale may seem like the first thing you should do when you decide its time to sell your house or flat.

Invitations, flowers, name places, last minute alterations to outfits and the tweaking of ties...............

They record all sorts of information about how you use your computer and what you look at with it.

I run a small building company and while I’m still getting a lot of people wanting me to carry out building work, I am finding it is harder to get payment.

“I am owed about £20,000 by a limited company. I have just heard that they have gone into liquidation. Will I get my money back?”