8-May-2018 The Times recently reported on the story of Zara Pawley who was left £40,000 short after her solicitors were tricked into sending the balance from a house sale to fraudsters. According to Zara, although she had previously provided her bank details in person to the solicitor, the firm was later fooled by a message […]

7-May-2018 The complexities of Inheritance tax: and where to get help Last week the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) launched a review of inheritance tax, asking both professionals and taxpayers themselves to submit views by June 8th. The Scoping Document can be found here. A record £5.2 billion of inheritance tax was paid to the […]

1-May-2018 With a myriad of conveyancing services to choose from, it can be confusing to know which to choose and whether there is really much difference between them all. With cheap deals and incentives to lure them in, too many people are tempted by bargain basement prices rather than choosing an experienced, trusted advisor for […]

20-April-2018 Breens Solicitors Ltd in Southport, and Waterloo has secured the Law Society’s legal practice quality mark for practice management and client care, Lexcel, for the 20th consecutive year. The Law Society developed the Lexcel standard to award those firms which demonstrate high client care and business management standards an additional accreditation. To gain and […]

11-April-2018 From 1st April, Landlords renting energy inefficient properties have been liable for large fines, thanks to new legislation. In addition, they may have to pay thousands towards the cost of implementing energy saving measures. Rented property that cannot meet a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E or higher will need to be […]

14-February-2018 If you made a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) or an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) application in the last five years, you may be due a partial refund. Why am I due a refund? The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) charged £110 for making a LPA. The Ministry of Justice – which […]

22-November-2017 The Chancellor, Philip Hammond has abolished Stamp duty for first-time buyers in today’s budget. First-time buyers purchasing a property up to £300k will no Stamp Duty. Those buying properties worth up to £500k will only pay duty on the amount above £300k. It is a move estimated to take 80% of first-time buyers out […]

18-October-2017 Currently UK law requires that for a Will to be valid, it must be in writing, signed by the person making the Will and witnessed by two people. Until 2006 the law in Queensland, Australia mirrored these requirements – but at that point a change was made, allowing less formal types of documents to […]

17-October-2017 The Government is considering whether people could pay less stamp duty on purchases of energy efficient homes, as part of its ‘Clean Growth Strategy’ published last week. When questioned, Claire Perry, Minister of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, made a statement in the House of Commons on Thursday 12th in which she […]

15-August-2017 Saving for your first deposit while renting can be difficult – even with the help of Government-backed schemes such as the Help to Buy ISA and Lifetime ISA (LISA). With soaring houses, getting a foot on the housing ladder is becoming increasingly tough. It is therefore unsurprising that some tenants have turned to alterative […]

4-August-2017 A group of new-build home owners is planning legal action against developers and solicitors for the mis-selling of leasehold properties. Housing developers accused of mis-selling new properties are braced for legal action after locking buyers into leases with spiraling ground rent charges. The Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, this week announced plans to prevent homebuilders […]

31-July-2017 An innovative trial in North Wales has revealed a new weapon in fighting dementia, toddlers. Following a successful experiment in a North Wales day care centre, councils and retirement home owners in England and Wales are experimenting with sharing care for the very young and the very old. Amazing results Six pre-school children joined […]

29-June-2017 Record-breaking receipts from Inheritance Tax (IHT) boost treasury coffers. HMRC collected £5.1bn from Inheritance Tax bills over the last 12 months, records show. This is the first time that inheritance tax bills have broken through the £5bn barrier within a single year. Why are Inheritance Tax bills rising? Once the reserve of the super-rich, […]

20-June-2017 The Green Deal which was shelved in 2015 has now returned and homeowners will once again be able to finance energy efficient improvements with a fixed-term loan on attractive terms. The original Green Deal was launched by the Government in 2013 with loans available for home improvements that made properties more energy efficient. These […]

30-May-2017 The death of popular Blue Peter presenter, John Noakes, is a timely reminder of the devastating effect of dementia. Noakes was a stalwart of children’s television in the 70s and 80s. During his 12 years on Blue Peter, he climbed Nelson’s Column without a safety net and completed a record-breaking free-fall parachute jump. But […]

26-May-2017 Some families struggling to cope with the death of a loved one will be hit by a 55% tax on death-in-service payments intended to help support the surviving partner. Many workplace pension schemes include a death-in-service clause which , if an employee dies, will allow the surviving partner to take a lump sum. This […]

24-May-2017 An expert on social care believes the Tories’ care proposals could leave Local Authorities millions in debt. Luke Clements, Professor of Law and Social Justice at Leeds University, believes that Councils will have to demand extra funding from the Treasury to cover the cost of allowing care fees to be deferred until death. Professor […]

7-April-2017 With climbing house prices and more stringent mortgage criteria, it’s no wonder that more children than ever before are having to rely on the bank of Mum and Dad – or the bank of Granddad and Grandma. According to the Social Mobility Commission, over 30% of first time buyers are dependent on gifts from […]

27-March-2017 Last week the Supreme Court ruled against a daughter who challenged her mother’s right to leave her entire estate to animal charities. The case concerned Heather Ilott who took action after her mother, who had died in 2004, left the majority of her £486,000 estate to three animal charities. The daughter had been estranged […]

22-March-2017 The death of a loved one can often lead to financial hardship for their partner and family, particularly if there are young children to support. It may therefore come as a surprise that the Government plans to introduce yet further measures that will hit those already struggling to cope with their loss. Widowed Parent’s […]