Solicitors Blog | Allan Janes

What Can My Family Do if The Value of my Property Falls After My Death?

November 24th 2023 | wills and probate

In today’s climate property values are falling and interest rates are rising meaning fewer properties are being sold. Throw in the added complication of mass delays in obtaining a Grant of Probate ) there are a number of executors that will end up selling properties for less than the value read more...

Can I Change My Spouse’s Will After Their Death?

November 17th 2023 | estate planning

In short the answer is no, you cannot rewrite someone’s Will after they have died. Whilst you cannot change a Will following someone’s death, you might be able to vary the tax treatment of a gift and subsequently your entitlement from a Will after someone has died. Read on to read more...

Can Employers Ban Tattoos?

September 29th 2023 | employment

Tattoos can be a grey area and polarise opinions. However, are employers allowed to judge an individual based on their tattoos, or would this be deemed discrimination? Are there any laws governing this? Legally, there are currently no employment laws that govern tattoos in the workplace. This means that an read more...

Shah v HMRC: How The Court's Approach The Domicile Status Of Long-Term UK Residents

August 22nd 2023 | wills and probate

A recent ruling in the First-tier Tax Tribunal has provided a useful reminder of the factors the courts will take into consideration when determining an individual’s domicile status. The case involved an appeal against HMRC’s decision that the taxpayer, Mr Shah, was domiciled in England and Wales at the time read more...

Why Has My Lasting Power of Attorney Application Been Rejected?

July 31st 2023 | powers of attorney

New data issued by the Freedom of Information (FOI) has revealed that almost 130,000 lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) applications have been rejected in the last 5 years due to mistakes, with over 29,000 of these coming in the last year alone. We have previously covered LPAs in this blog read more...

Wills: When Should You Get a Capacity Assessment?

June 19th 2023 | wills and probate

It is important to know that for a will to be valid, the testator, i.e., the person making it must have sufficient mental capacity. “Testamentary capacity” is the legal term used when describing an individual’s legal and mental ability to make or alter a valid will. In the absence of read more...

What Happens To The Ownership In Property Once A Co-Owner Has Died?

May 16th 2023 | wills and probate

There are two ways in which you can jointly own a property: as tenants in common, or as joint tenants. How you hold your joint property affects how to deal with it after one co-owner dies. Tenants in Common As tenants in common, co-owners own specific shares of the property. read more...

Executing Real Estate Documents – The Key Differences Between a Contract and a Deed

April 4th 2023 | commercial property

There are two forms of written agreement you need to be aware of, namely simple contracts and deeds. This article explores executing documents in real estate. Difference between a contract and a deed Most commonly documents will be executed as simple contracts. A simple contract does not usually need to read more...

Japanese Knotweed: Seller Faces £200,000 Court Bill After Denying The Intrusive Plant Was Growing In The Garden

February 7th 2023 | residential property

Jonathan Downing, a furniture designer bought his three-bedroom house in South London for £700,000 in August 2018 from Jeremy Henderson. However, his dream home soon became a nightmare when he discovered Japanese knotweed canes behind the shed. The invasive plant is notorious for its propensity to spread and damage the read more...

Signs Your Tenant May Be Facing Financial Hardship

January 23rd 2023 | commercial property

It is important for Landlords to spot the warning signs when a commercial tenant is facing financial difficulties to help them minimise their losses. Tenants are often reluctant to let their landlord know if there are issues, but there are some common signs which might indicate a problem. Paying rent read more...

LAW BREAKING IN OUR FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS FILMS?? - Read on to find out which of our most beloved Christmas characters have been taking the law into their own hands!

December 22nd 2022 | social

ELF After Buddy is wrongly assumed to be a department store Christmas elf, he ends up pretending to not only work there, but even sleeping in the shop. Here he has committed the relatively serious crimes of trespassing, fraud and potentially burglary. During his fake employment, he peeps over the read more...

2022 Autumn Statement: national minimum wage increases announced for April 2023

December 15th 2022 | employment

On 17 November 2022, Jeremy Hunt announced that the UK Government, in its Autumn Statement has accepted the Low Pay Commission’s proposed increases to the national living wage (NLW) and national minimum (NMW) rates from April 2023. About the National Minimum Wage (NMW) The national minimum wage (NMW) is a read more...

The Great Resignation - How Your Firm Can Combat The Storm Of Resignations

October 31st 2022 | employment

What is the Great Resignation? The great resignation has hit the UK, but just what is the ever-growing employee movement? It is an ongoing economic trend in which more and more employees are resigning from their jobs. Experts considered the development to be a knock-on effect of the pandemic as read more...

UK Stamp Duty Cut: All you need to know about the biggest tax reductions since 1972

October 10th 2022 | residential property

What is stamp duty? Stamp Duty Land Tax is a levy on home and land purchases. It is a cost that buyers must pay if the transaction value exceeds a certain amount. This tax applies to both freehold and leasehold properties – whether you’re buying outright or with a mortgage. read more...

Free no obligation chat

Whatever your query, our expert team of solicitors are on hand to help. We are always pleased to have an initial chat over the phone to discuss your situation. From there we can either provide you with straight forward advice if your query is simple, or we can arrange an appointment to discuss it further if this is required. In either case, we are always happy to assist, so please feel free to call us at any time.