 |
| LATEST LATEST LEGAL NEWS ARCHIVE |
LATEST NEWS & EVENTS Supreme Court to rule on unmarried couples' property rights  A case being heard in the Supreme Court could have a major impact on family law, mediation and relationships in the future. The court will rule on how unmarried couples divide up property after they split in a case that is expected to set an important precedent. Patricia Jones, 56, is challenging a Court of Appeal ruling that gave her ex-partner Leonard Kernott an equal share of the Essex bungalow they bought together. After they separated, Ms Jones paid the mortgage on the property herself for 13 years. The Supreme Court heard that the couple spilt in 1993 after sharing the house in Thundersley for eight years. A High Court judgment initially awarded Ms Jones a 90 per cent stake in the property, but this was overturned by the Court of Appeal. Sir Nicholas Wall, the most senior family judge, described the case last year as a "cautionary tale" for all unmarried couples buying a home together. More recently, he told the Times that the current system of property rights for unmarried couples is unfair, particularly to women. "Women cohabitees, in particular, are severely disadvantaged by being unable to claim maintenance and having their property rights determined by the conventional laws of trusts," he explained. Posted by Paul Stevens 
Related Articles: 17/5/2012 - Discussing death remains taboo as wills and inheritance tax planning suffers 11/5/2012 - Queen's Speech legal reforms welcomed 4/5/2012 - Create Lasting Power of Attorney before it's too late 2/5/2012 - Support for will writing regulation grows 25/4/2012 - Inheritance tax planning could net £450m a year in savings More Individual Legal Services News |
|||
| © 2012 Lamport Bassitt | DEFAULT ZOOM | DISABILITY INFORMATION | LEGAL INFORMATION |