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What Happens to Jointly Owned Property When Someone Dies?
The death of a loved one can raise many practical and legal questions, particularly when property is involved. One of the most common is: "what happens to a jointly owned property when one of the owners dies?" The answer depends largely on how the property was owned...
Digital Assets in Estate Planning: What Happens to Cryptocurrency and Online Assets When You Die?
Our lives are increasingly digital, and our estates are no exception. Cryptocurrencies, online investment accounts, digital wallets, cloud storage, social media profiles, domain names and even valuable digital artwork may all need to be considered when making or...
McElroy v McElroy: Can You Challenge Probate After an Estate Has Been Distributed?
A will challenge may appear legally compelling, but it can still fail if it is brought too late to achieve a useful remedy. That is the central practical message from McElroy v McElroy [2023] EWHC 109 (Ch), a decision that highlights the importance of acting promptly...
Hiding Assets in Divorce: Material Non-Disclosure and How to Challenge It
A financial settlement on divorce depends on both parties providing an honest and complete picture of their finances. The duty of full and frank financial disclosure sits at the heart of financial remedy proceedings. Where one party breaches that duty by concealing...
Can You Get Divorced Without Going to Court?
For many people, the thought of getting divorced immediately brings to mind lengthy court hearings, expensive legal battles and months of uncertainty. In reality, that is not how most divorces in England and Wales are resolved. Since the introduction of no-fault...
How Do Courts Decide Who a Child Lives With? Child Custody Explained
One of the most common questions parents ask following separation is: "who will get custody of the children?" Many people assume that decisions are based on which parent earns more or who has been the child's primary caregiver. In reality, the legal position is more...
Can I Make My Ex Sell the Family Home? A Guide for England and Wales
One of the biggest concerns following separation or divorce is what happens to the family home. For many couples, it is their largest asset, and deciding whether it should be sold can become a major source of conflict. If your former partner refuses to sell, you may...
Keeping Employment Contracts Compliant and In Line with Recent Changes
What Employers Need to Change After the Employment Rights Act The changes being implemented as part of the Employment Rights Act 2025 are the largest overhaul of UK employment law in a generation. The Act achieved Royal Assent on 18 December 2025 and is being rolled...
How to Win Even When You Lose: A Landlord and Tenant Case Study
In litigation things are rarely as clear cut as they first seem. The outcome that appears on the court order and the outcome the parties actually walk away with can be very different things. A recent case that our dispute resolution team handled illustrates this well....
Voluntary vs Statutory Lease Extensions: What Is the Difference?
Lease extensions are a familiar issue for flat owners, particularly where the remaining term is approaching, or has fallen below, 80 years. A shorter lease can affect the value of a property, the ability to sell it, and access to mortgage finance. There are two main...
Are cohabiting couples finally getting legal protection?
For decades, family lawyers have flagged a glaring gap in English and Welsh law: cohabiting couples — the fastest-growing family type in the UK — have almost no financial rights if their relationship ends. That may be about to change. On 5 June 2026, the Ministry of...
K v K: A Reminder of the Importance of Finality in Financial Settlement Agreements
A recent decision in K v K provides a useful reminder of the courts' approach to applications seeking to set aside financial consent orders following a Financial Dispute Resolution (FDR) hearing. In financial remedy proceedings, settlements reached at FDR are intended...
Right to Manage in 2026: What Has Changed for Leaseholders?
The Right to Manage has given leaseholders the means to take control of their building for more than twenty years. However, updates to those rights in the last few years are important for leaseholders to understand. We have previously provided information on how this...
Started a New Business This Year? Here Are the Main Documents You Need
If you have just started a new business, the first few months have likely been a blur. You are building your customer base, potentially hiring new staff, and trying to keep up with the admin side of running a company. Legal paperwork rarely makes the top of your to-do...
The Matrimonial Home on Separation: What Are Your Options?
When a relationship breaks down, one of the most significant and often most emotionally difficult issues is what happens to the family home. For many couples, the matrimonial home is the most valuable asset they own. Decisions about the property therefore need to be...
Questionnaires in Financial Remedy Proceedings: What They Are For — and Why It Is Easy to Lose Sight of What Really Matters
Financial remedy proceedings are, by their nature, intrusive. Parties are required to provide detailed financial disclosure, produce supporting documents and explain decisions relating to income, property, savings, debts and spending. For many people, the process can...
How Long Does Divorce Take in England and Wales in 2026?
If you’re considering divorce, one of the first questions is usually how long the process will take. In England and Wales, there is now a structured timetable under the no-fault divorce system. While there is a minimum timeframe, most divorces take longer in practice,...
Habitual Residence vs Domicile: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters
If your family situation involves more than one country, you may hear terms like habitual residence and domicile used in legal discussions. They sound similar, but they mean very different things. Understanding the distinction can be important, as it may affect where...
The Bank of Mum and Dad: What Happens to Family Financial Help in a Divorce?
For many first-time buyers in the UK, getting onto the property ladder would not be possible without some financial help from family, even when buying a home with their partner. Whether it is a contribution to a deposit, a lump sum to cover costs during financial...
The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet: What Landlords Need to Do Before 31st May
If you own a rental property, ensure you understand the new Renters’ Rights Act 2025 obligations coming into force at the end of this month. As part of these updates, the government has issued a guidance document, the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, that...
Child Maintenance Calculations: How It Works in England & Wales
When parents separate, one of the immediate concerns is how their children will be financially supported going forward. Child maintenance is designed to ensure that a child’s day-to-day needs continue to be met, but the way it is calculated, and sometimes challenged,...
Social Media and Divorce: Why Your Online Activity Matters
Social media has become an increasingly influential factor in family law disputes. What might seem like a harmless post - a holiday photo, a social update, or a passing comment - can take on a very different significance in the context of divorce proceedings. Courts...
When Will a Court Determine That a Child Should Have No Contact with a Parent?
Orders for no contact between a child and a parent are rare and will only be made in exceptional circumstances. The court must be satisfied that any form of contact would be harmful to the child’s welfare, whether emotionally, psychologically, or physically. In some...
Owning a Property as Joint Tenants or Tenants in Common – Why the Definition Matters
Deciding to buy a property with a partner, friend, or family member is a significant step and a huge financial commitment, tying you to the other party or parties. Alongside the exciting elements of choosing the location and finding the perfect home, there are other...
Grandparents’ Contact Rights: Maintaining Relationships After Separation
Grandparents often play a central role in a child’s life, offering stability, care and emotional support. When family relationships break down, particularly following separation or divorce, that connection can sometimes be disrupted or lost altogether. For many...
What UK Landlords & Tenants Need to Know About the Renters’ Rights Act (Renters Reform Act) Changes in 2026
The long-awaited overhaul of the private rented sector is finally here. The Renters’ Rights Act (previously referred to as the Renters Reform Act) represents one of the most significant shifts in landlord–tenant law in decades. Coming into force on 1 May 2026, the new...
When 18 Is Not the End: Dependent Adult Children in Financial Remedy Proceedings
In England and Wales, a child turning 18 does not automatically bring financial responsibility to an end in divorce proceedings. While 18 marks legal adulthood, the family court can still take into account ongoing financial dependency, particularly where a child...
Section 7 Reports in Children Act Proceedings – What Clients Need to Know
What Is a Section 7 Report Under the Children Act 1989? If you are involved in child arrangements proceedings under the Children Act 1989, the court may order a Section 7 report. This is a welfare report prepared to help the court decide what arrangements are in your...
National Conveyancing Month at Rose & Rose Solicitors
National Conveyancing Month is here, running from 1st – 31st March 2026. The annual initiative, and this year an extension of the former National Conveyancing Week, is designed to raise awareness surrounding the role of conveyancers in the property transaction...
Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989: Who Is It Really For?
Not every child support dispute is solved by the Child Maintenance Service. Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989 tends to surface in a particular type of case. The parents were never married. One parent earns very well. The child’s needs go beyond basic monthly...