JC Solicitors
Over 80% of England and Wales is registered with the Land Registry. The Register for each piece of land sets out who the legal owner is (who has ‘title’ to the piece of land), the extent of the land and any rights of third parties over the piece of land. The remaining 20% of England and Wales has never been registered, mainly because it has never been sold.
As family solicitors with offices in Chichester and Alton, we understand that couples facing separation and divorce in Hampshire and West Sussex may feel over whelmed and worried about the future. Collaborative law is a structured process that provides parties with an alternative to going to Court and deals with the issues that arise in a constructive and non-confrontational way.
The moneysavingexpert.com founder and Citizens Advice consumer champion has urged people to arrange a Lasting Power of Attorney, explaining how, by planning ahead now, you can save time, money and stress in the long run. Tania Jeffery from JC Solicitors in Chichester and Alton welcomes his appeal.
Speaking on his Martin Lewis Money Show on ITV recently he explained the reasons why, despite being only 42 years old, he already has a Lasting Power of Attorney in place to protect his interests in the event that a sudden accident, illness, disability or his advancing age means that he no longer has the mental capacity to make decisions for himself.
As a private client solicitor I often advise clients regarding estate planning and Wills. During our discussions I need to determine how they own their home to be able to properly advise them as to their options. What I find more often than not is that most of my clients do not know ‘how’ they own their property.
As you may be aware, part of buying a property involves applying for several searches to be carried out on the property.
If you are purchasing with the aid of a mortgage then the searches are compulsory and will be applied for as soon as possible. If you are a cash buyer, it is entirely up to you whether you have all searches carried out, one search or none at all.
Even if you are a cash buyer, a prudent conveyancer will always recommend that you at least have a Local Authority Search carried out. The search provides the planning history of the property and any works that have been carried out under building regulations (for example, new windows, gas or electrical works). It will also confirm if the road is adopted by the Local Authority and whether the property is affected by any adverse matters such as an Enforcement Notice, Traffic Schemes, a Smoke Control Order or a Tree Preservation Order. The search also reveals if the property is affected by radon gas.
Getting married in Chichester, Alton or the surrounding areas this year? Will a pre-nuptual agreement be part of your wedding planning? If you think pre-nuptual agreements are just for the rich and famous, then think again. Whilst you’re planning your lives together, a pre-nup can be a beneficial legal document when settling your finances should the marriage break down in the future.
Historically, pre-nuptial agreements (also referred to as pre-marital agreements) have often been thought of as a contract for the rich and famous. We will all be familiar with celebrity divorces where the press have highlighted both the existence and non – existence of pre-nuptial agreements. As a result of this, prior to the last decade, the presence of a pre-nuptial agreement would only tend to enter the headlines if it was (a) a very public divorce of a rich and famous couple and (b) geographically tended arise from outside of the UK jurisdiction.
