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The Supreme Court judges' decision to prevent a wife from divorcing her husband, which was made 'without enthusiasm', is expected to lead to calls for a rapid change in the law. The case arose after a wife's application for a divorce was opposed by her husband on the basis that the marriage had not irretrievably broken down. Slightly more than 1 in 1,000 divorce applications lead to a contested hearing on that ground. Under the law, there is an automatic right to a divorce only under a limited number of...

When the Finance Act 2006 came into force, it introduced a ten-year charge on discretionary trusts containing 'relevant property'. Most discretionary trusts that were started after 21 March 2006, other than those covered by specific exemptions, will carry a ten-year charge. If the relevant return (IHT 100) is not submitted to HM Revenue and Customs in time, penalties and interest are payable. The latest figures show that 75 per cent of all trusts had not filed the relevant return by the end of October 2017, which was the deadline for avoiding...

Construction works on neighbouring properties can make your life a misery but, with the right legal advice, you may be able to do something about them. In a case on point, the High Court came to the aid of a woman whose rental property was deprived of light after builders embarked on a project next door. The woman did not challenge planning permission that her neighbours had obtained for the construction of a new home on their land. However, as work began, gantries, scaffolding and covered conveyor belts were erected...

When an estate is to be administered, an application for probate must first be made if the deceased left a will. Once probate is granted, the process can begin. However, the mere granting of probate does not mean that all is said and done on the matter, as a will can be contested. Normally, wills are contested on the grounds that the person making the will was mentally incapable or under the 'undue influence' of someone else, or that the will is invalid for some other reason (such as being...