A question that we are often asked is “How do you identify what is a landlord’s fixture and what is a tenant’s fixture?” This becomes particularly important to the parties at the end of a lease. Who the fixtures are attributed to can have a very significant impact on the way they should be treated.

When people think about divorce they think about a difficult, acrimonious process and a painful division of assets, all too often with the attitude that if only the other person would be reasonable everything would be straightforward.

In an effort to reduce the number of divorce cases ending up in court, the government started to encourage divorcing couples to use mediation as the first port of call.

A recent High Court ruling ordered green energy entrepreneur Dale Vince to pay his ex-wife, Kate Vince, over £40 million following their divorce. The judgment requires Mr. Vince to make three payments totalling £43.51 million, with the first due by 30 April 2025. This case highlights several key lessons for family law practitioners:

Family law has undergone a quiet revolution over the last few years with the introduction of the single family court, the introduction of compulsory mediation, and the withdrawal of legal aid for the majority of cases.

If a tenant has not paid a quarter’s rent and the premises is sublet then it is possible for the landlord to serve what is known as Section 6 Notice.

When you ask a surveyor to value or assess a property you need them to tell you the full story. If they don't and the property is not what you thought, due to any number of different defects, then it is likely to be worth less.

Standstill agreements are commonly used in litigation.

A grant of probate is a document which confirms that legal authority has been given to an executor of the deceased’s will.

If you have been left out of a will or are a ‘disappointed beneficiary’ in that you have not received what you expected, you may be able to challenge it using a Larke v Nugus request if the will was drafted by a solicitor. It is important to distinguish this type of challenge from making a claim for financial provision under the Inheritance Act which would proceed on the basis that the will is valid.