Rush to beat HIPs deadline creates dip in house prices

The rush to beat the deadline for extending Home Information Packs (HIPs) to homes of all sizes saw a surge in the number of small properties being put up for sale in November and early December. .....>>>>>.....

Restaurant owners can keep £10m left to them in friend’s will

The owners of a Chinese restaurant have been told they can inherit £10m left to them by a friend in her will. Golda Bechal died in 2004 aged 88. She made a will in 1994 leaving nearly all her estate to her best friends, Kim Sing Man and his wife Bee Lian Man, who run a restaurant in Essex. .....>>>>>.....

Don’t risk your money – get the law on your side this year

Each year thousands of well meaning people create heartache for themselves and their families at the same time as throwing away large amounts of money unnecessarily. Yet a few simple New Year resolutions could provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones.....>>>>>.....

Woman fails to win a share of home where she lived with former partner

A woman has failed to win a share in the home in which she lived with her former partner for 15 years. The couple were not married but the court accepted that they had effectively lived together at the property as husband and wife. The man owned the house before they met. However, she then moved in and lived there until their relationship broke up 15 years later. .....>>>>>.....

New Year prompts surge in divorce inquiries

The New Year is traditionally a time when people take stock of their lives and look to make a fresh start. Sadly, for many married couples who have been experiencing difficulties in their relationships, it can be a time when they decide the only way forward is for them to separate .....>>>>>.....

Children’s names changed to protect them from abduction

A mother has won the right to change her children’s surnames to reduce the risk of them being abducted by their father. The family court was told that after the couple separated, the father wanted his two children to spend half the year with him in Mexico .....>>>>>.....

Teenager paralysed in drink drive accident awarded £6.5m

A woman has been awarded £6.5m compensation by the High Court for injuries caused by a hit and run driver. Nikki Buckley was still a teenager when she was hit by a car which mounted the pavement near her home in the West Midlands in 2002. .....>>>>>....