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Wills – validity

February 2025 | Wills, probate and administration

This was an unusual and tragic case in which a will written on cardboard food packaging was declared a valid will. T wrote it before taking his own life in May 2021, leaving five surviving sisters. T’s assets were modest and include a three-bedroom house, bank accounts, cash, jewellery and a large pottery collection. A …

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HMLR – PG8

February 2025 | Conveyancing

HMLR has updated PG8 (execution of deeds) by adding a new section 2.7 to give guidance where a deed has been executed by either a partnership or a limited partnership. This is a helpful section, which reads: ‘2.7 Partnerships 2.7.1 Partnerships A deed cannot be executed in the name of a partnership governed by the …

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HMLR – PG19

February 2025 | Conveyancing

HMLR has updated PG19 (notices and restrictions). Section 3.7.3 has been amended to provide customers with clarification on the evidence required when a right to manage company has been appointed and an application is made to cancel a restriction relating to the management functions in a lease and now includes the following: ‘Cancelling a landlord/management …

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EAT – extending time

February 2025 | Employment

A case which will interest employment practitioners everywhere is one where the EAT had to consider an application for an extension of time to lodge an appeal. A firm of solicitors acting for the claimants requesting an appeal lodged documents via e-filing but not the ETs full written reasons. The firm then had some written …

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EAT – unlawful deductions

February 2025 | Employment

The EAT has heard an appeal against a ruling that a claim of unlawful deduction was made out of time. The case summary states: ‘Jurisdictional / time points The Employment Tribunal (“ET”) dismissed the claimant’s claims for notice pay and holiday pay on the basis that it did not have jurisdiction as the claim form …

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HMLR – portal enhancement

February 2025 | Conveyancing

Practitioners may be pleased to note that HMLR has enhanced the portal by increasing correspondence available. Until recently, customers were limited to viewing items for review such as requisitions sent to them, information-only items which needed no action, and confirmation of requisitions that have been resolved. Note that now portal users are also able to …

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Divorce – void or voidable?

February 2025 | Family

In an unfortunate coupling of a drafting ambiguity and a coding error, the President of the Family Court has concluded that 79 divorces were voidable rather than void. The consequences of a divorce being declared void would have been significant, eg a remarried party would have committed bigamy. In the case of a voidable divorce, …

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Children – cross-sex hormone treatment

February 2025 | Family

A 16-year-old biological female (C) started to identify as male in 2020 aged 12 and now wished to commence cross-hormone treatment. M applied for a s8 prohibited steps order and a ‘best interests’ declaration under the court’s inherent jurisdiction. She then asked for an adjournment pending a six-month assessment of C by a private gender …

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