In a bid to tackle reducing fatalities and serious injuries caused by driving offences, the Government proposes to reduce the legal limit for drink driving. This change would be the first in nearly 60 years, with drivers
If you are acting as a Personal Representative (PR) of an estate, you have a legal obligation to identify all assets and liabilities of the deceased’s estate. An Asset Search will aid you in establishing any financial
There are two ways a child can be removed from a parent or guardian without the need for a Court Order. This is through the parent or guardian signing a Section 20 Agreement, or through the police
Divorce Day is upon us once again. This is the day when family law teams around the UK receive their highest amount of calls, and usually falls on the first working Monday of each year. For 2026,
Investing in buy to let property can be one of the most rewarding ways to build long-term wealth. Whether you are a first-time investor or an experienced landlord expanding your property portfolio, navigating the legal side of
Selling a home is one of life’s biggest financial and emotional milestones. Whether you are moving to a new area, downsizing, upsizing, or restructuring your property portfolio, the legal side of a house sale can be complex
Investing in a buy to let property can be a lucrative and rewarding opportunity. However, the legal side of buy to let purchases and sales is often more complex than standard residential property transactions. This is where
If you are in need of ‘transfer of equity solicitors near me’, the specialist team at Johnson Astills is perfectly placed to help. Whether you need to transfer equity following separation from a spouse, to add a
Transferring property ownership is a significant legal and financial transaction. Whether you are buying or selling a home, transferring property as part of a divorce, gifting property to a family member, or dealing with an estate after
When social services have serious concerns about a child’s safety or a parent’s ability to meet their needs, the Court may consider a residential parenting assessment. This involves the parent and their baby or young child staying
From 17th November 2025, the fees for obtaining copies of Grants of Representation which are; a Grant of Probate, Grant of Letters of Administration with Will Annexed or Letters of Administration has increased from £1.50 per copy
The detail of a section 47 investigation is set out in s.47 Children Act 1989. It applies when the Local Authority/Children’s Social Services have received a referral which has been made to them by any person who
Property ownership does not always remain static. Life events, such as marriage, divorce, and financial planning, often necessitate a change in who officially owns a residential property. This legal process is known as a transfer of equity.
Buying or selling a property is one of the biggest financial decisions most people make, and with that comes a fair amount of paperwork, processes, and, inevitably, costs. Increasingly, homebuyers and sellers are choosing fixed price conveyancing
Buying and selling property can be stressful, even for the most seasoned property developer or homeowner. That is where experienced conveyancing lawyers like ours at Johnson Astill come in. We have the expertise and experience you need
Embarking on a buy-to-let property investment journey is an exciting step towards building what will hopefully become a lucrative property portfolio. However, the legal landscape for buy-to-let properties is significantly more complex than a standard residential purchase.
Buying or selling a property is one of the biggest financial decisions most of us will ever make. Whether you are taking your first step onto the property ladder, moving home to accommodate a growing family, or
The Ministry of Justice could come under pressure to fund and accelerate the expansion of ‘Pathfinder Courts’, following an independent review of the murder of 10 year old Sara Sharif, published by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review,
Using a mobile phone or any handheld device while driving is one of the most common road traffic offences prosecuted in the UK today. What may seem like a quick glance at a message or a brief
The Government has faced increasing pressure to confirm its plans for reform of its cohabitation law, to strengthen the rights and protections offered to those in cohabiting relationships. More people are living together without marrying. There are
When a Local Authority issues Care Proceedings, the Court must ensure that all parties can participate effectively in the process. One crucial consideration is whether a parent has the mental capacity to understand, engage with and instruct
The week commencing the 10th November 2025 has been designated Good Divorce Week by Resolution, an organisation comprising family lawyers committed to resolving family law matters as amicably as possible. Whilst not all of our Family Solicitors
When people make a Will, they do this to ensure that their estate passes to their chosen beneficiaries. Something that is often not considered is what would happen to a person’s estate if all of their nominated
A person who lacks litigation capacity will be allocated a case worker on behalf of the Official Solicitor to act as their Litigation Friend in Court Proceedings. The Official Solicitor acts as a last resort representative for
Halloween often sees the rise in anti-social behaviour crimes, with people out ‘trick or treating’. But this year Halloween falls on Friday 31st October 2025, with the spooky occasion falling on a Friday, police are expecting a
Domestic abuse can have a significant impact on every part of family life, including when Children’s Services become involved. Many parents worry that asking for help will mean that their children are taken away, but in most
When a property is owned by two or more people, it can be owned in two different ways – joint tenants or tenants in common. The way in which you own your property can determine how it
When the family Court deals with care proceedings, the main question is whether a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, ‘significant harm’. This term comes from the Children Act 1989, which sets out the legal
An Emergency Protection Order (EPO) is a time limited protective order for emergency situations where there is a reasonable cause to believe that a child is likely to suffer significant harm. The three grounds on which an
The Property Information form, known as the TA6 form, is a detailed questionnaire about the sale property that sellers are required to complete and return to their solicitor / conveyancer. The form is designed to give the
Now that the football season is back in full swing, the police continue to take action over disruptive fans at football, with ongoing arrests and continued applications for football banning orders. What is a Football Banning Order?
Every child involved in court proceedings deserves to be safe. However, new evidence published on 21st October 2025 shows that assuming it is always in the best interest of a child to have the involvement of both
When Care Proceedings begin, one of the biggest concerns for parents and families can be how much contact they will have with their child. The law recognises how important these relationships are and contact arrangements must be
Under current legislation in England and Wales, divorce does not revoke your Will. Once the divorce or civil partnership dissolution is finalised, your Will remains valid, but your ex-spouse is treated as having died during your lifetime.
Care Proceedings are issued by the local authority when they have concerns about the welfare of a child. The court process is intended to conclude after 26 weeks, and the Family Court must then decide what arrangements
The protection of your human rights is vital in all aspects of the law. It is natural to wonder how these rights are maintained in Care Proceedings for parents, especially where the Local Authority are applying for
The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (MLR 2017) came into force in June 2017. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has developed Anti-Money Laundering (AML) guidance for the legal sector to
On 16th July 2025, the Home Office unveiled a £53million landmark package aimed squarely at the most dangerous domestic abuse perpetrators across England and Wales. The goal of the package is to tackle domestic abuse at its source,
If social services are involved with your family, you may be asked to take part in a Parenting Assessment. This is a detailed process where professionals look at how well you meet your child’s needs and whether
On the 2nd July 2025, the Supreme Court delivered a judgement in relation to the case of Standish -v- Standish [2025] UKSC 26. This case had been closely watched by family law solicitors, including our experts at Johnson
Under current legislation, if you have prepared a Will and then subsequently get married, or enter a civil partnership then this automatically revokes (cancels) your existing Will. There is an exception if the Will is drafted in
When social services become involved with families it can be frightening and overwhelming. Many parents worry that ‘social services want to take my children away’ but the reality is the law requires local authorities to assist and
Involvement with social services can be very difficult for families and many people wish to escape so that they do not need to deal with any intervention or scrutiny from social workers and other professionals. If the
At Johnson Astills we appreciate that selling a property can involve a lot of paperwork and a lot of questions that you may be unsure of. We have put together this brief guide to assist you with this process.
Since the launch of the new scheme in April 2025, financial remedy cases with limited means can be dealt with quicker. The details of this procedure are set out within Practice Direction 36ZH and supplement the Family
The Drive Partnership is a partnership between Respect, Safelives and Social Finance. Respect: a membership organisation leading the development of safe and effective work with perpetrators, male victims, and young people using violence in their close relationships. Safelives: is
If you are a parent going through Care Proceedings, drug testing might be something that the Court asks you to do. One newer test you might hear about is called Patch Testing. It is important to understand
What is Agricultural Property Relief (APR)? APR is a type of IHT relief which reduces the amount of tax that farmers and landowners must pay when farmland is passed down to their next generation. What is Business
When you have a child ‘parental responsibility’ refers to all the rights, duties, powers responsibilities and authority which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and their property. The term focuses
If the Local Authority have concerns about a parent’s ability to care for a child, they may request or complete an assessment of that parent’s ability for care for them. The concerns may arise from an injury
