Boundary Disputes
Butterworths SolicitorsWhen you purchase a Property, Land or both. The area in which you own is marked with a boundary line. This boundary line is visible within your title plan which is held by HM Land registry. Some boundaries are marked clearly by the presence of walls, fences, hedges or a tree line. However…
Japanese Knotweed Invasive Plant which Can Cause You Problems Legally
Japanese knotweed which was first introduced into the UK from Japan in the 1850s as an ornamental garden plant is now the Environment Agency’s number one invasive plant species. Although a large proportion of the UK population are aware of the plant many are unaware of the legal ramifications they could face if the plant…
What is Conveyancing?
What is Conveyancing? Conveyancing is the legal term used to describe the legal and administrative work that is required to be carried out when transferring a property from one party to another. How long can the conveyancing process take? The process can take between 8 and 12 weeks from the date of instruction, but in…
Joint Tenancy, Tenants in Common
When multiple people own property or Land, this is known as being co-owners. There are two different types of Co-owners: Joint Tenants and; Tenants in Common Joint Tenancy In a Joint Tenancy, each person has a unified share in the property. Therefore, under a Joint Tenancy, each and all the co-owners are equally entitled to…
What is a Trust Will?
In this article, we will be discussing the different types of Trusts that can be applied when you are looking at putting your affairs in order. When is it a good idea to set up a Trust? Trusts can be used for Care Home Fee future planning, estate and tax planning and to protect your…
Do you really need a Will?
What will happen if you don’t have a will? If you have any assets and pass away without having a legally binding will in place, your assets will be divided by way of intestacy rules. These Intestacy rules, otherwise known as the law of descent and distribution. These laws decide how your assets…
Planning for your later years
Ian Watters Financial AdviserLife, as we all know, seems to spin along faster and faster as we go along, and at the same time, our awareness of some of life’s challenges that might lay ahead comes ever closer into focus. There are many things we know we should do but often put off. Saving for retirement, whether via…
Signing a Will during the Pandemic
Many have been concerned about their health during the coronavirus pandemic. This has led to an influx in particularly vulnerable people making Wills and codicils. Whilst it’s easy to rush to put pen to paper it would be wise to ensure that a prospective Will meets all the legal requirements. There are no immediate plans…
Video witnessed Wills to be legalised
Wills can soon be witnessed over Skype or Zoom as the government overhauls probate legislation as a result of COVID-19. A new statutory instrument will allow Wills to be witnessed remotely here in England and Wales. These new rules will come into force this September. The Wills Act of 1837 currently requires two witnesses to…
Is Equity Release dangerous?
In the 1980s and early 1990s, there was a period where sadly many people were ‘hurt’ by Equity Release, in particular by “sellers” who withdrew money from people’s homes and invested it into longer term investments in the presumption that the interest rates which at that time were between 15 and 17% would continue forever!…
Paying off an Interest Only Mortgage when close to retirement
Many people in the UK have mortgages that were arranged on an Interest Only basis many years ago. Lenders are sending letters to their customers explaining that it is their responsibility to repay the mortgage by the end of the agreed term.You may be one of these and unsure how you will do this, especially…
Is Equity Release a popular lending option?
Lewis WalkerWe are going to take a very brief look at answering the question, is Equity Release a popular lending option? What is Equity Release? Equity Release is a relatively new product to the financial market, and it has been rebranded as ‘Lifetime Mortgage’ over the last few years. ‘Home reversion plans’ still exist as a…
Planning for your later years
Life, as we all know, seems to spin along faster and faster as we go along, and at the same time, our awareness of some of life’s challenges that might lay ahead comes ever closer into focus. There are many things we know we should do but often put off. Saving for retirement, whether via…
Frequently asked equity release questions
What is a lifetime mortgage? A lifetime mortgage is a way to release tax-free equity from your home. As it is simply a loan against the value of your home, you retain the ownership. Once you clear any other charges against your home usually through equity, you can spend the money however you like. Are…
