The 2024 Autumn Budget introduced significant reforms to Inheritance Tax (IHT), particularly relating to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR). These changes, scheduled to take effect on 6 April 2026, represent a shift from the previously uncapped regime and could materially impact succession and estate planning. This note highlights the main legislative … Continued
Family Law Insights
Jessica Palmer, Head of our Family Law team, is a Resolution trained family mediator, registered with the Family Mediation Council. What is mediation? Mediation is a voluntary process during which an independent mediator assists couples to discuss and agree arrangements for children and finances following separation. It is designed to assist couples to reach their … Continued
The law in the UK relating to surrogacy is outdated. As the law stands, the surrogate can change her mind about surrendering her parental rights to the intended parents at any point, up until the Court grants a Parental Order. Although this rarely happens in practice, it can understandably be a huge concern for the … Continued
A Parental Order will extinguish a surrogate’s legal parentage and grant legal parentage to the intended parents. Without a Parental Order in place, the surrogate will continue to be the child’s legal mother, and the intended parents will not be recognised by the law as being the child’s legal parents. An application will need to … Continued
Surrogacy is becoming an increasingly common way to conceive a child. Over the last decade, the number of people having a child via surrogacy has grown by almost four times. If you are considering having a child via surrogacy then it is important that you know your legal rights. What is surrogacy? Surrogacy is when … Continued
As a family lawyer, two issues have struck a chord with me in recent years in relation to the challenges faced by some women on the family law journey. The first is pension inequality and secondly (and often connected) is how menopause is insufficiently considered by lawyers, courts and more generally. Some time ago, I … Continued
Farhana Shahzady, family partner in our Baker Street office, outlines some of the options for funding your family case We know that the issue of costs and how to fund your case can cause a lot of stress at a time when there is already matrimonial or family breakdown and conflict. Often parties are usually … Continued
Rebecca Meehan, solicitor in our family team, reflects on how the changes to divorce legislation, whilst welcome, risk leaving financial matters between separating spouses unresolved if parties are not fully appraised of their options. It has been widely reported and echoed by many of our clients that the no fault divorce changes are welcome and … Continued
Whilst the approach of the court in respect of spousal maintenance payments has no doubt hardened over the past few years, a common question that still arises frequently is whether any such spousal maintenance payments cease if the party receiving those payments begins to cohabit with a new partner. For those paying spousal maintenance, it … Continued
Going through a divorce is undoubtedly a difficult time, not least because of the daunting legal fees involved. Many people have insufficient savings and income to meet their monthly legal bills, and funding via legal aid is now very rare in family law proceedings. We will always be frank with you at the outset about … Continued
