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At present divorcing couples need to demonstrate that their marriage has irretrievably broken down and are forced to blame each other for that by providing evidence of a ‘fact’ that their spouse has behaved unreasonably, has committed adultery or deserted them, unless they prove that they have lived apart for two years with the other’s consent or five years without that consent. The Government announced in 2018 that, subject to consultation, it was its intention to reform the legal requirement for divorce, shifting the focus from blame to support adults better to focus on...

On-line divorce - Figures from the Ministry of Justice show that more than 23,000 applications were made online from when Divorce Online was launched in April 2018 to the end of 2018. The festive holiday period can be an extremely stressful time for relationships so it should probably come as no surprise that between Christmas Eve 2018 and New Year’s Day 2019 455 online divorce applications were made with 13 couples starting their divorce process on Christmas Day.  Stalking - On 15th March 2019 the Stalking Protection Act 2019 received Royal Assent. It provides protection from t...

We here at Capron & Helliwell understand that every penny matters, especially when investing in second properties. Before looking into estate agents and viewing potential properties, make sure you know the impact of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) on your budget. Standard SDLT is normally due only from property purchases (but not sales you will be please to know) over £125,000. - at 1% of the property value with the percentage increasing based on property value brackets set by HM Revenue & Customs. This is still the case where you are selling your main residence and buying a new m...

An article published in the Eastern Daily Press on 1st January 2019 has highlighted the number of estates which are unclaimed. According to the article, there are 78 estates with Norfolk and Waveney connections which are unclaimed (and many more throughout the country). This figure shows just how important it is to make a will. Many estates are likely to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, and perhaps even more. If someone dies without having made a will, the person is said to die ‘intestate’ and there is a hierarchy of family members who are able to claim the estate. If ...