If you are experiencing difficulties with a family matter, such as issues relating to a potential divorce and the associated financial aspects or issues concerning your children, you may be considering court proceedings. Before you can make an application to the court in relation to a family issue you must attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM). There are exemptions available and these can be discussed with you if necessary.

A concern for a property owner with vacant land and buildings is the possibility of third parties taking up residency on that land or within a building. If a squatter is not removed quickly, they could acquire legal ownership by virtue of occupation for a period of time. This is known as ‘adverse possession’ or more commonly, ‘squatter’s rights’.

You may remember that we reported on the case Agoreyo v London Borough of Lambeth where the High Court held that the suspension of a teacher to allow for a misconduct investigation was not a neutral act and amounted to a breach of the implied term of mutual trust and confidence. This case was appealed to the Court of Appeal which has overturned the decision.

The planning process is a long and complicated one, which may not always produce the result the client desires. If a planning application isn’t filed correctly, or there are objections to the plan then it can be thwarted at the first hurdle. So, if your planning application has been refused, how can you challenge that decision, and what can you do to make the process easier?

As if landlords didn’t have enough paperwork to worry about, as of the 1st April 2018, things got even more complicated. The minimum ratings for Energy Performance Certificates (which have been mandatory for some time) got a lot tougher, and now any rental property must achieve at least an ‘E’ rating for it to be rented out. Whereas before this only applied to new tenancies, now, it covers existing rental agreements too.

Bitcoin is the most well-known type of cryptographic currency which came into existence in 2009, following the global market crash. Throughout recent years Bitcoin has exploded in its popularity. Despite this, there has been a grey cloud pending over Bitcoin and its validity. Is Bitcoin a new form of currency that is part of the dark online underworld? Or is this simply a combination of currency and technology in an ever-evolving technological world? To help answer these questions, it is important to understand some of the key terminologies and exactly how Bitcoin operates.

To prepare for the First Appointment in financial remedy proceedings, each party must file with the Court and serve the other party a questionnaire in respect of their financial disclosure (Form E). When completing Form E, the parties have an obligation to the Court to give full, frank and clear disclosure. The duty is ongoing and includes a duty to disclose any material change in financial circumstances.

Aside from being gazumped, one of the worst fears of a party to a property transaction is the other side getting cold feet and pulling out at the last moment without a good reason.

Whether you are married or in a cohabiting relationship, if you jointly own a property then there are steps that your spouse or partner can take to force the sale of your home.

Our final journey is one we all make alone, but it’s up to every individual to make sure those left behind are fully aware of the last wishes of the deceased. That includes how to deal with the body, whether that means cremation or burial.

The breakdown of a marriage in any family is upsetting, but within a farming family a divorce can be particularly difficult to resolve.

Many commercial businesses are taking corporate social responsibility (CSR) more seriously and in a more strategic way, recognising increased public expectations on the private sector to demonstrate a strong commitment to the communities they operate in.