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New rules which came into effect on 1 January 2017 will see professionals who deliberately aid clients to evade (not avoid, which is legal) tax saddled with penalties of the higher of £3,000 or 100 per cent of the tax they helped their client evade. 'Tax-geared' deterrents for professional firms have been in place for many years in the USA. The new UK tax evasion penalties will apply if the adviser provides advice, planning or other professional services that facilitate tax evasion, including transferring funds offshore for a tax-evading client....

Disputes between neighbours can be agonising, both emotionally and financially, but taking advice at an early stage can swiftly draw the sting. In one case where matters were allowed to get out of hand, a pensioner was left at risk of losing his home after being ordered to pay in the region of £140,000 in damages and legal costs. The man had got on well with his neighbours until he carried out excavation works on his land and erected a fence. He did so without consulting his neighbours. There was...

Probate fees, which rose sharply only three years ago, are about to rise again. Under the present scheme an application for probate by an individual costs £215 and by a solicitor £155, but from May 2017 a new tariff is being introduced which will see the probate fee for estates of more than £2 million rise to £20,000 or more. The new scheme has been decided upon by the Government after a 2016 consultation produced a majority of more than 90 per cent against the proposal to link the cost of...

The problem of making family financial settlements or court rulings in divorce 'stick' is well known. Following an extensive consultation process, the Law Commission has made proposals designed to improve the situation for those affected when payments are not being made as they should. As well as simplifications in the law and procedures, the Commission is proposing: increasing the obligations on the debtor to make an honest and early disclosure of their financial circumstances (including allowing the court to require information from third parties) and giving the...