Recent Posts

2023: A Bumpy Ride Ahead For The Rural Business Community?
The start of a new year often heralds the breaking of a new dawn and fresh hope for the year ahead. Many people cast away their worries...
20/03/23
National Conveyancing Week - Understanding Main Residence
As part of the first ever National Conveyancing Week, of which Irwin Mitchell is a proud sponsor, we will be releasing a series of...
20/03/23
Budget 2023 - Rural IHT
There are well publicised changes to personal taxation due from the start of the new tax year in April, many of them are Stealth Taxes...
16/03/23
Budget 2023 – Personal Tax
The focus on a "back to work Budget", to aid growth in the economy, means the major tax changes were about businesses and pension...
15/03/23
New Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules: What You Need to Know
On 9th March the Government published a statement of changes to the Immigration Rules with a number of important and far-reaching...
10/03/23
Brexit And Football: What's Immigration Got To Do With It?
The end of January once again saw the completion of the UK’s annual football transfer window and we all watched with trepidation to see...
08/03/23
Kaur V Estate Of Karnail Singh & Ors – Widow Awarded 50% Of £1.9m Estate After It Was Left Solely To The Male Line
On 14 February 2023 Mr Justice Peel handed down the judgment in Kaur v Singh in which Mrs Kaur, the widow of Karnail Singh, who had been...
03/03/23
Management Of Elderly Or Vulnerable Clients’ Property: What To Do During The Winter Months
The Elderly & Vulnerable Team at Irwin Mitchell often assist clients with the management of their property and finances as their Attorney...
01/03/23
I Killed My Wife; Do I Still Get My Share Of Her Estate?
The general rule in England and Wales is that upon the death of your husband or wife (if they pre-decease you) their estate will pass in...
24/02/23
Planning For Capital Gains In The Light Of Upcoming Cuts To Annual Exempt Amounts
After four Chancellors in a year and myriad of U-turns in tax policy, you could be forgiven for missing that the Finance Act 2023...
22/02/23
Presley Estate Dispute: an English Law Perspective
Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of singer Elvis Presley, died earlier this year at the age of 54. Lisa Marie inherited money from her...
20/02/23
Executor Charging Clauses – Common Pitfalls
This article was cowritten with Holly Challenger (Parklane Plowden Chambers). Being an executor or trustee is a thankless task. Full...
20/02/23
Surrogacy And Consent – When Things Go Wrong
Surrogacy is increasingly becoming recognised as a viable pathway to parenthood, but what exactly is a surrogacy arrangement and how does...
17/02/23
Burial Disputes: The Current Law And How It May Change
The Law Commission have recently announced, in December 2022, that “the rules and regulations that cover the disposal of a person’s body...
10/02/23
High Risk Half-Term Activities: Considering the issue of Capacity, Wills and LPAs
With half-term week approaching, we can expect to see many people attempting to banish those January blues by taking a well-earned...
09/02/23
Don’t Delay When Bringing A Probate Claim: McElroy v McElroy [2023] EWHC 109 (Ch)
This recent case considers circumstances in which a delayed probate action may be challenged. In this case, the Claimant (the Deceased’s...
09/02/23
An Inheritance Tax Lesson From Dot Cotton
It is many years since I have watched Eastenders but I understand this week, the character Sonia Fowler received a £196,000 inheritance...
07/02/23
Spousal Maintenance And The Cost-Of-Living Crisis
With inflation at a 40 year high, the cost-of-living crisis is impacting families everywhere. As experienced family lawyers, we know that...
02/02/23
Abolishing Leasehold – is this the answer?
This weekend, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, declared that in this parliament, perhaps even...
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Will 2023 Be A Record Year For Divorce?
It’s been predicted that there will be an influx of new divorce applications this January. There is often a post-Christmas spike in...
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Anything But Court
It was recently reported that the family court backlog had reached 110,000 cases. With the number of unresolved cases increasing, it’s...
20/01/23
Consent To End Of Life Care
The BBC reported last week that Mr Stowell is suing his late mother's care home in Hull for placing his mother on end of life care...
18/01/23
What’s the Difference Between Tax Evasion and Tax Avoidance?
Taxes – no-one likes paying more than they have to but ultimately, we all acknowledge that they’re a necessity for our current lives. We...
17/01/23
UK Tier 1 Visa Route Is Reviewed Amid Corruption And Organised Crime Risk
The UK Parliament’s statement made on 12 January 2023 regarding the findings of the “Tier 1 (Investor) route: Review of operation between...
17/01/23
Five Common Mediation Myths
Over recent years most clients have become aware of family mediation and know that it involves a negotiation between two individuals with...
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What Happens at Family Mediation?
This week is Family Mediation Week which aims to raise awareness of family mediation and of the benefits it can bring to separating...
16/01/23
Accusations Of Domestic Abuse - Advice To Help You Navigate Your Way Through The Family Court System
Many of us look forward to the holiday season: It is a time to come together and celebrate with family and friends. Sadly, Christmas can...
06/01/23
Will the Cost of Living Crisis Have an Impact on Probate Disputes?
With the current cost of living crisis in England and Wales, just being alive is getting more costly. This consequently, may place a...
04/01/23
Domestic Abuse – How Family Lawyers Can Help Victims Or Potential Victims Over The Festive Season
While most of us are looking forward to the holidays, the season can be a stressful and worrying time for many. Factors such as financial...
07/12/22
The Pitfalls Of Giving Gifts As An Attorney Or Deputy
Christmas time has long been recognised as the season of giving. It is when most of us lean towards generosity rather than frugality and...
06/12/22