This article is going to deal with two very important sides to the issue of inheritance. In the first part, we will take a look at why you need to take legal steps to ensure your will can stand up to any contest, provided that it is fair in the first place. Then we’ll take a look at what you should do if you believe that you haven’t been fairly treated by somebody else’s will. Contested Wills becoming a more common occurrence In the past, especially since these matters usually involved retaining solicitors with high fees, wills were only contested…
The original idea of conservative government was actually that this form of government is supposed to be anchored to a central pillar of cautious spending and attempting to preserve a high standard of living for all. Along the way, however, the Tory party has been straying farther and farther from this path, until it has in effect assumed the persona of a “Sheriff of Nottingham” type of figure, taking from the poor to line the pockets of the rich. This has not only been becoming more notable, but more blatant. They are not even trying very hard to hide this…
Would you ever have thought it was possible to go to prison for smiling too much? Well, if the claims made by “Camilla” on the disability blog known as Ron’s Rants are actually true, then it would appear to be quite possible. In the comment post, Camilla alleges that benefit fraud investigators are conducting a conspiracy against her, fabricating eye-witness testimony that contains numerous factual errors. But what really stands out among the other claims is that the investigators claimed to have seen her smiling. The obvious inference is that if you can smile, you’re obviously not suffering enough to…
During the past 2 or 3 years there has been a massive acceleration in the humanitarian crisis that has forced thousands to flee their homelands. Most recently hitting the headlines have been many reports of refugees on the receiving end of brutality in Europe, tragic reports of people being lost at sea or drowning, and even some refugees and migrants turning against their hosts and committing terrible crimes, including literally mugging people who have come to distribute aid to them. It can be difficult for the average citizen to know what to make of all this. Should we act with…
Divorce always has a major impact on families, even when there is a mutual and amicable decision for a couple to split. When this decision is made in a less friendly manner, especially if it is a one-sided decision, the result can be traumatic for everyone involved. This is why courts treat the matter of child custody seriously, and the way they make their decisions is not always going to fit your expectations. Every family has different circumstances, and the Family Court tries to work out solutions that will be in the best interests of the children (and this is…
It’s no secret that many journalists have willingly hopped into bed with the government to help with the scare-mongering campaign against “benefit fraud”. I’m speaking in metaphor, of course, but it is not entirely beyond the bounds of possibility that it has taken place in a more literal sense! But let’s leave the juicy scandals, gossip and innuendo for the tabloid pages where they belong. The subject of this article is the bizarre image of the so-called “welfare cheat”, which is largely a political construct, far removed from reality. That is not to say there are no corruptions going on;…
An excellent article in the Solicitors Journal, www.solicitorsjournal.com is well worth a read. Litigants in person (LIP’) entitled to expect help from their professional opponents. Guidance was published earlier this summer by the Law Society, in conjunction with the Bar Council and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx), to help solicitors and other professionals deal with LIP’s. There follows a summary of that guidance, that and LIP can quote to his or her solicitor or professional opponent, and complained of the judge if they do not comply with it. Adopt a professional, co-operative, and courteous approach; Take extra care…
Despite the recent scandal in which it was revealed that the government’s hard-line stance on benefits claimants has resulted in more than ten thousand unnecessary deaths, the crackdown still continues. The main targets of the crackdown are those who deliberately commit fraud by claiming money to which they are not entitled to through the use of deception or through the deliberate concealment of information. As is always the case, many innocent people are also caught out by the detection procedures, and tragically some of them are even prosecuted and wrongfully convicted. Wrongful conviction can occur when a person is innocent…
For a long time now, the UK has been particularly cagey on matters related to marriage and divorce between British nationals and foreign spouses. Their concern is that a sizeable number of these marriages turn out to be bogus, entered into only for the purpose of allowing somebody to enter and work in the UK and obtain privileges that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. Entry into the EEA and EU compounded these concerns greatly because of the tremendous freedoms that are supposed to be granted by mandate. Like many other areas of law at the moment, there is a…
Surely it is only a matter of time before politicians come to their senses and finally implement no-fault divorces in the UK. This is one area where we are dragging behind other countries, and frankly it is an embarrassment to our legal system. Judges and lawyers are well aware of this problem but our hands are tied until legislators get around to actually revising the laws so that we get a fairer system. While we are waiting for that day, we must act within the bounds of the written law, whether we agree with it or not. Here at Hylton-Potts,…
