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The Court of Appeal has made an important decision in a divorce case in which the main argument was over the availability of future income to fund maintenance payments in divorce settlements. The couple involved are both accountants and the husband is at the peak of a very successful career, being the finance director of a public company. They have combined assets exceeding £16 million. Their marriage lasted more than 20 years and they have one child. The wife was awarded just over half of their combined assets and the husband...

In 2017, 205,293 dwellings in England were left empty for six months or more. With the housing shortage never far from the news agenda, steps to bring unoccupied houses back into use are being taken by the Government. Under the Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Bill, houses which are empty for more than two years will pay twice the usual rate of council tax. There are, however, exemptions where there are legitimate reasons for properties being unoccupied, such as when the property is genuinely on...

If you are facing menacing demands for money, you should take legal advice straight away. In a recent case, the High Court came to the aid of a wealthy married businessman who claimed to have been subjected to blackmail following a brief affair with a work contact. After meeting the woman in a work context, the businessman went for a drink with her. That broke her employer's rules in respect of customer relations and she was suspended from her job. The businessman supported her through the disciplinary process and their...

Financial pressure can easily lead the unwary into the arms of unscrupulous lenders. One High Court case, in which numerous borrowers found themselves in legal limbo, shows how unwise it is to enter into such transactions without professional advice. A businessman had, through his company, operated as what he described as a 'lender of last resort', offering high-interest loans to those in financial difficulties. Many of the loans were secured by way of mortgages on borrowers' homes. In fact, neither the businessman nor his company was properly licensed to lend...