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It is a sad fact that divorcing couples frequently try to hide assets from each other, but such manoeuvrings rarely succeed and can have very unfortunate consequences. In one recent case, a husband's dishonest attempt to evade his commitments to his ex-wife and children ended up depleting most of the former couple's combined wealth. The husband, a finance professional, claimed to be mired in debt as a result of his involvement in a housing development scheme that went horribly wrong. On the basis that she had pursued a 'fruitless search...

Building work on private homes is very often carried out on an informal basis without clear contractual terms in place. However, one High Court case vividly shows that such an approach can create uncertainty and fertile ground for costly dispute. Such difficulties are best avoided by entering into a formal contract for any substantial amount of work to be done. A couple instructed a building firm to carry out various renovation and improvement works on their home. A disagreement arose as to the sums due to the firm and it...

Building work on private homes is very often carried out on an informal basis without clear contractual terms in place. However, one High Court case vividly shows that such an approach can create uncertainty and fertile ground for costly dispute. Such difficulties are best avoided by entering into a formal contract for any substantial amount of work to be done. A couple instructed a building firm to carry out various renovation and improvement works on their home. A disagreement arose as to the sums due to the firm and it...

Beneficiaries are frequently unsatisfied with the actions (or often, the lack of action) of the executors of estates or administrators of family trusts, and the animosities that can arise are compounded if the beneficiaries feel they are being kept in the dark as regards the administration of the trust or estate. Where a discretionary trust is set up, the trustees have the right to administer the assets of the trust in a discretionary fashion, which can lead to claims of unfairness and bias from those who feel that they are...