Elizabeth Pender

To move or not to move…

Current trends and shifting priorities within the property market It seems that following the property market going into deep freeze for 3 months towards the end of March, many of us just can’t wait a moment longer to move house.  So, is now the right time to be moving house? Property website Zoopla reported in…

Housing market to emerge from lockdown

England’s housing market can now begin to emerge from lockdown following the announcement by Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick.  Permission has now been given for estate agents to open, viewings to be carried out in person and for removal firms and solicitors to commence their operations. According to Zoopla, around £82bn of property transactions have been…

Harry Perrin discusses the value of quiet spaces

A little something we thought you might be interested to read during this time of isolation and solitude. Harry Perrin was a member of our Disputes team from 2015 to 2016 before moving to Belfast to join the Financial Times as a legal counsel. Before he became a lawyer, Harry worked in art galleries and…

Can I get divorced during the coronavirus pandemic?

Being quarantined and self-isolating is tough even for happy couples.  But for those contemplating separation or divorce, this period is even more difficult as existing tensions are magnified.  You might think that as everything seems to have ground to a halt during the pandemic that it would not be possible to get divorced, but this…

Minimising inheritance tax with lifetime gifts

Will Inheritance tax apply to me? Many people do not consider themselves to be wealthy enough to be affected by inheritance tax and unfortunately get caught out by life’s final taxation. With over 28,000 estates liable for inheritance tax in 2016-17, it’s worth looking at ways to legally minimise the amount of inheritance tax your…

The different roads to divorce

Many of our family law clients tend to have something in common; the desire to end their marriages and to achieve the best outcome possible. However, the length of time it takes them to reach the decision varies greatly. Some want to divorce as soon as possible, perhaps reacting to a change in their relationship…

Making a Will whilst in self-isolation

In these strange and unprecedented times the Law Society are reporting a huge increase of people understandably either making or updating their wills or setting up a Power of Attorney. Something in the order of a 30% increase on the average. Possibly unsurprising but the process itself is not without its challenges at this difficult…

Moving house in the time of coronavirus

Many property buyers and sellers have been left understandably distressed following last Thursday evening’s government announcement regarding home moving during the coronavirus outbreak.  It was stated that, wherever possible, all property transactions should be ‘paused’, except for those that are contractually obliged to proceed or where it is not possible to reach an agreement to…

5 reasons your DIY Will may be invalid

People often contact us to ask whether a DIY Will, such as the sort that you can buy off the shelf on the high street or online, or even prepare yourself with some online guidance, is actually legally binding and valid. The truth is that it very much depends on a number of factors. The…