Recent Posts
Irwin Mitchell
Some ground rules on ground rent
For first-time buyers, knowledge is key. A recent BBC article quoted one first-time buyers as saying “If I could go back in time I...
19/03/19
Irwin Mitchell
Undue influence and a blow for the traditionalists
An interesting undue influence case is reported in the Telegraph this week. Three sisters have successfully challenged their late...
13/03/19
Irwin Mitchell
A rather taxing time bomb
Making Tax Digital (MTD) is the government's flagship project to bring tax compliance into the twenty-first century. Starting with the...
08/03/19
Irwin Mitchell
Pass (on) the pension...
The importance of writing and regularly updating your will has been reiterated by private client lawyers since time immemorial. However...
07/03/19
Irwin Mitchell
Widow can inherit despite helping husband travel to Dignitas
The High Court handed down a ground-breaking judgment this week, in the first case to deal with whether someone who assists a terminally...
25/02/19
Irwin Mitchell
Death and Taxes
When the Conservative party introduced the new Residential Nil Rate Band (RNRB) in 2017, many people believed that their homes would...
25/02/19
Irwin Mitchell
Choupette Lagerfeld: The cat that got the cream
Following the death of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld on Tuesday, attention has quickly turned to his beloved Birman cat, Choupette....
21/02/19/Passle/55fad68c3d94740998208cb3/SearchServiceImages/2019-02-15-16-41-05-893-5c66eba1abdfe80e282c0816.jpg)
Irwin Mitchell
Granddaughter awarded £110,000 from grandmother’s estate after giving up ballet career
From will, trust and estates disputes associate Heather Roberts. The London County Court this week handed down judgment in a case brought...
15/02/19/Passle/55fad68c3d94740998208cb3/SearchServiceImages/2019-02-08-11-27-18-018-5c5d6796abdfe8039885b09d.jpg)
Irwin Mitchell
Financial abuse claims on the rise
Find the latest on will, trusts and estates disputes news from associate Heather Roberts, based in our Manchester office, below. Another...
08/02/19
Irwin Mitchell
Should auld acquaintance (and former cohabitees) be forgotten? Lessons from Scotland on cohabitee rights
Ethan Axelrod, a trainee solicitor in our London team looks at what lessons we can learn from Scotland on reforming the law for...
08/02/19/Passle/55fad68c3d94740998208cb3/SearchServiceImages/2019-02-06-11-28-53-793-5c5ac4f5989b6f16148dba09.jpg)
Irwin Mitchell
NHS to trial smart meters to measure dementia care
In a bid to cut down on hospital visits and improve patient care, the NHS is trialling smart meter technology in the homes of dementia...
06/02/19
Irwin Mitchell
Act in haste, repent at (Her Majesty's) leisure (perhaps?)
An interesting and rather extraordinary story is reported in The Times today. Dianne De Marzo's claim to a share in a property in Abbey...
30/01/19
Irwin Mitchell
Financial abuse: new year, same risk?
As we begin a new year, it is worth reminding ourselves to be ever-vigilant of financial abuse as my colleague Ethan Axelrod, a trainee...
14/01/19
Irwin Mitchell
Richest man to divorce
After 25 years, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie are set to divorce. In a joint statement the pair said "After a long...
14/01/19
Irwin Mitchell
Happy 2019: Celebrating 100 years of women in law
As we wave goodbye to 2018, the year that marked the 100th anniversary of some women given the vote, we enter another special centenary...
08/01/19
Irwin Mitchell
Compare the market, if you can
From 6 December 2018 law firms are required to publish their costs for obtaining probate and administering estates on their websites. The...
19/12/18
Irwin Mitchell
Give the gift that keeps on giving – are you in the 54% of the population without a will?
At this time of year we are finalising our Christmas wish lists including the latest gadgets, clothes and confectionaries. I have very...
06/12/18
Irwin Mitchell
Write the right will: The perils of clauses
For those who think that will drafting is a relatively straightforward job, this recent example in the High Court just goes to showy how...
26/11/18
Irwin Mitchell
Probate fees: the real tax on death
Inheritance tax (IHT) and how to avoid it is often in the news. Only recently much comment was made about how the late Bruce Forsyth...
13/11/18
Irwin Mitchell
Old McDonald had a farm… and everyone started fighting over it
Yet another dispute involving a family farm hits the headlines. My colleague Heather Roberts, an associate in our Manchester office has...
13/11/18
Irwin Mitchell
Inheritance laws in Tunisia - why are women still waiting for equality?
To mark International Women’s Day this year, men and women in Tunisia took to the streets in the country’s capital to demand equal...
12/11/18
Irwin Mitchell
Are you one of millions who has underestimated the cost of future care?
We don't always like to think about what our later life future holds, but whilst we are all now living longer, that does not necessarily...
09/11/18
Irwin Mitchell
Adoption applications are falling - but why?
A recent statistic shows that adoption applications by heterosexual couples has fallen 36% in the past four years. And it is thought...
08/11/18
Irwin Mitchell
Do I have to fund my legal fees on divorce?
It is a common misconception that if you either cannot fund your legal costs or do not have the 'cash flow' to do so, there are no...
06/11/18
Irwin Mitchell
Pension Pot Tax Shock
With the advent of auto enrolment in 2012, more Britons than ever before are contributing to a pension scheme. We all know that we...
06/11/18
Irwin Mitchell
Are your expectations for retirement savings and the cost of future care realistic?
Whilst we are all now living longer, that does not necessarily equate to a healthy life expectancy. It is important not to ignore the...
02/11/18
Irwin Mitchell
My costs: Did I win or not?
An important question of costs was considered on appeal in the case of Griffin v Higgs & Ors [2018] last month. This was a will dispute...
02/11/18
Irwin Mitchell
Giving it all away: lifetime gifting to avoid IHT
When the term "tax planning" is banded about in the press and on social media, many people imagine complex and expensive schemes...
31/10/18
Irwin Mitchell
Asian Divorce: Digging for Gold
As a specialist in this area, I am often asked to advise on the issue of jewellery and dowry. Here is my summary and some top tips....
31/10/18
Irwin Mitchell
Ashes To Ashes - A judge has to rule
A case involving a dispute about ashes and who should be allowed to attend a cremation has been widely reported in the media. TV comedian...
24/10/18