As promised in the King’s speech in July, this week has seen the publication of this Government’s proposals for reform of the residential rented sector. Much of the content of the new Renters’ Rights Bill is as expected; the introduction of a private rented sector ombudsman system, ‘Awaab’s Law’ to speed up repairs and a Decent Homes Standard for private sector properties etc. Undoubtedly, these fundamental changes to the sector will be the focus for many, and they are undoubtedly issues that landlords need to be aware of.

A discretionary trust is a trust set up by a person (the Settlor) with the intention of giving the appointed trustees the discretion to decide how to distribute their money or assets to named beneficiaries or an identifiable class of beneficiaries.

The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 provides a means by which a person can challenge the reasonableness of the terms of the will of the deceased or the effect of the intestacy rules.

If you are considering pursuing a claim against another party, or you are on the receiving end of a claim, you may not know where to turn or what to do next.

It is well known that a Company is considered its own legal entity. This means that the Company itself is treated as its own ‘person’ in the eyes of the law. This is unlike a sole trader or partnership, where the person(s) in charge of the business is the legal entity. Therefore, when a Company is dissolved, it may look as if this irreversibly concludes matters with that entity.

Anyone who has been keeping an eye on the progress (or lack thereof) of the proposed reform of the private rented sector will be aware that it stalled under the previous Conservative government. In today's Kings Speech we heard that progressing rental reform is something the new Labour government very much want to take forward and the preliminary indications are that this new Bill will be more than just a name change.

The Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (‘TLATA’) gives the Court power to resolve disputes about ownership of a property, or land. These disputes commonly arise between cohabiting couples but may also be between friends and family members.

In a David and Goliath legal showdown, Dark Sky Brewery Ltd (‘DSB’) has emerged victorious in a trade mark battle against spirits giant Campari America LLC (‘Campari’) where the IPO confirmed that beer is not in fact vodka.

You have moved in with your partner who already owns their property and you both decide to complete renovations to your partner’s property at your expense. Unfortunately, things have not worked out and you have separated, and you have moved out.

In a recent High Court case, the Court considered whether a deceased’s wife lost the money left to her in her husband’s Will because she brought a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975 (“the 1975 Act”). 

There continues to be many widely publicised examples of retailers taking legal action to protect their much-loved products against lookalike products circulating in the market and IP lawyers have been eagerly anticipating the judgment on Aldi’s attempt to overturn the judgment made last year. The result? M&S were victorious as Aldi’s appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

In February 2021, residents of Exeter had the briefest of glimpses into life almost 80 years ago, when a large unexploded World War II bomb was found by site workers. In the vicinity were various residential properties and several blocks of halls of residence owned by the University. The plans to make the bomb safe were always going to be risky and, alas, the bomb detonated in quite spectacular fashion, causing damage to properties in the vicinity.