LATEST NEWS

Monday 19th September has been declared a Bank Holiday by the Government in respect of the funeral for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and Oliver Fisher will be showing respect for the occasion by closing our offices on Monday and reopening on Tuesday 20th September. We are deeply saddened by the news of the death of Her Majesty the Queen. We extend our gratitude to Her Majesty the Queen on behalf of the UK and the vast majority of people around the world for her service as the longest-reigning monarch...

When people die, it is the duty of the administrators of their estates to gather in their assets and distribute them to those entitled to inherit them. As a case concerning the contents of a deceased artist's flat showed, however, that task is by no means always a straightforward one. Following the highly regarded artist's death, the administrator of his estate – his brother – sought possession of the numerous works of art and other potentially valuable items that belonged to him. Many such artefacts were believed to be contained...

Justice that can be accessed only by the super-rich is not justice at all. A High Court judge made that point in noting that financial remedy proceedings in divorce cases are fast heading for Ritz Hotel status – affordable only by the well-heeled few. The case concerned a couple whose 12-year marriage was characterised by ever increasing prosperity and an ever more affluent lifestyle. A construction company of which the husband was a 50 per cent shareholder had been phenomenally successful and the couple's total assets were worth £35,456,884. Taking into...

There is such a thing as a reasonable excuse for failing to file your self-assessment tax return. However, in an unusual case, the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) ruled that a businessman's alleged debilitating fear of making a mistake in his return did not qualify as such. The man's tax affairs had in the past been the subject of a criminal investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). He had been interviewed under caution but, in the event, had not been prosecuted. He nevertheless took the view that HMRC had waged an...