Civil partnerships have been available to same-sex couples since 2004, when the Civil Partnership Act came into force in the UK. The Act gives same-sex couples the same rights and responsibilities as civil marriage, including property rights, exemptions to inheritance tax, social security and pension benefits, and tenancy rights. A formal process similar to divorce…
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Brexit can be accused of many things – stagnation in the economy, a decline in the property market, and a slowdown in investment to name but three. Brexit can also be blamed for important issues which affect the legal profession, as well as having repercussions for the public at large. The government’s plan to suspend…
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Congratulations to the M1 Motorway, which passed 60 years of age on 2nd November, 2019. Many people know that the UK’s first section of motorway was the Preston Bypass in Lancashire, which opened in 1958 and was later incorporated into the M6 motorway. However, the first properly complete motorway was opened a year later as…
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As the beneficiary of this year’s Bretherton Law Quiz we have chosen St Albans Citizens Advice, one of 280 local independent charities making up the Citizens Advice network in England and Wales giving free, confidential information and advice to those with financial, legal, consumer and other problems. Previously known as the Citizens Advice Bureau the…
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Definition: Gazumped – agreeing a house purchase, then finding the property is sold to someone who offers to pay more for it. Here’s some top tips on how to avoid it happening to you. 1. Get a mortgage offer in principle The best position to be in when buying property is to be a cash…
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The topic of digital legacy has been increasingly talked about in recent years and people should consider their digital assets when making a will or Lasting Power of Attorney. Firstly, would your Executor or attorney know about your online banking, your e-mail accounts, online shopping accounts and your social networking presence such as Facebook, Twitter…
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Few people today will be aware of the centuries of history behind the modern commemoration of Halloween on 31st October. As with a number of ancient traditions, the celebration of Halloween has been hijacked by commercial interests, so that these days our shops are awash with fancy dress costumes, ghoulish decorations and themed foods and…
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This is a dilemma that many people face when it comes to residential property. Is it better to rent a property and so avoid the cost and hassle of maintenance, as well as retaining the flexibility of being able to move quickly? Or should you buy your home at the earliest opportunity and start to…
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The imposing frontage of Rothamsted Research is passed by hundreds of drivers every day as they travel along the A1081 in Harpenden. But how many people actually know what goes on behind the walls of the 330 hectare site? Or understand the pioneering work and worldwide benefits that 176 years of agricultural research has brought…
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The London to Paris adventure is a three hundred mile trip which starts at Crystal Palace in London, takes in some of England’s finest country villages on the way to Dover and explores the stunning countryside of rural France before reaching the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It sounds idyllic until you realise that most of…
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