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You might think that something as seemingly simple as buying a pitch for a caravan is straightforward enough to do yourself, but a recent example shows why no sensible person would consider entering into a property transaction without employing a specialist lawyer. A man who went ahead and paid £3,000 for a caravan pitch entirely wasted his money because he failed to appreciate that contracts for the sale of land must comply with strict rules. The pitch had, at least in theory, changed hands twice before the man bought it....

After a ghastly year for flight delays, with British Airways suffering two major IT failures, Ryanair's problems with aircrew rotas and air traffic control disputes, a recent report reveals that nearly £400 million in claims could have been made for travel disruption or delay in the 11 months to November 2017. Popular destinations such as Malaga and Dublin led the way in terms of delays. Domestic flights to Edinburgh and Glasgow also showed elevated delay and cancellation rates. The amount of compensation delayed passengers are entitled to depends on both the...

When a person is excluded from the will of someone on whom they were 'dependent', the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 provides that the dependent person can apply for 'reasonable financial provision' to be made for their maintenance out of the deceased's estate. It may be thought that this is purely about the money side of a will and the relationship that preceded it, but a decision of the Court of Appeal shows that the law is more subtly shaded than it may appear. The case involved an...

The automatic penalties attaching to late filing of tax returns have long been an unpopular issue for taxpayers. The system involves fixed penalties for missing deadlines and these are rigorously applied. Filing a tax return online just seconds after the deadline of 31 January will bring an automatic £100 penalty. The harshness of the regime has caused the Government to announce a rethink of its operation. Especially in point is the requirement for quarterly filing for businesses and some individuals under the 'making tax digital' proposals, which are due to be...