Joanna Connolly Solicitors Blog
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Discover insights and opinions on the latest legal developments, legislation and policies. Joanna Connolly Solicitors is an established law firm with a commitment to providing exceptional service, specializing in the areas of Consumer Credit, defending County Court Money Claims, Insolvency, and Contentious Probate.
Joanna Connolly Solicitors Blog
1y ago
The FCA expects lenders to learn the lessons from good and poor practice during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic to help borrowers during the cost-of-living squeeze.
The FCA acted quickly during the pandemic to put in place guidance that led to more than five million payment deferrals for mortgage and credit customers. This was followed by guidance on tailored support.
In a report published today, the FCA found examples of firms delivering good outcomes for customers – but others must do a lot better to support borrowers in financial difficulty.
Just 30% of firms (15 out of 50) it ..read more
Joanna Connolly Solicitors Blog
1y ago
We are very pleased to announce that Michele Henderson is joining us next month to head our Wills and Probate department.
Michele is a private client lawyer and full member of the prestigious Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) with wide ranging professional experience gained with law firms in Cheshire as well as Lexcel accredited Liverpool City Centre Law firm.
A warm, friendly and compassionate person Michele takes time to explain matters to clients in a clear and sympathetic manner.
Outside of the office, she is examiner for various examining boards on wills and succession and ..read more
Joanna Connolly Solicitors Blog
1y ago
The post Queen Elizabeth II 1926 – 2022 appeared first on Joanna Connolly Solicitors ..read more
Joanna Connolly Solicitors Blog
1y ago
Administrators ordered to disclose documents they created after testator’s death
In a dispute over the estate of deceased businessman Vladimir Alekseyevich Scherbakov, the England and Wales High Court (EWHC) has upheld an order requiring the interim administrators of his estate to disclose attendance notes and internal emails with a bearing on the estate assets and the contentious probate claim. Scherbakov’s ex-wife challenged the order on the grounds that the requested documents were not contemporaneous, having come into existence only after the estate administrators began their investigation ..read more
Joanna Connolly Solicitors Blog
1y ago
EWCA grants wife deceived by husband’s non-disclosure chance to revise consent order
Thursday, 16 February 2023
Julia Goddard-Watts (the appellant) has won the first stage of her appeal against an England and Wales Family Court (EWFC) judgment that left her with less than 10 per cent of the assets from her 14-year marriage to businessman James Goddard-Watts (the respondent).
The appellant had accepted this division of the assets, keeping the family home while her husband retained his business interests, in a consent order when they divorced in 2010. This order gave her GBP7.6 milli ..read more
Joanna Connolly Solicitors Blog
1y ago
In respect of the case in question we were approached by a prospective Client who had been sued by PRA Group (UK) Limited in April 2022, and in respect of an alleged credit agreement which PRA said the Defendant had entered into with Barclays Bank UK PLC in December 2016. The principal sum claimed by PRA from the Defendant was in excess of £10,000
The Defendant had initially chosen to represent himself as a litigant in person and had, indeed, filed at Court a one sentence Defence to the Claim, merely stating ‘The plaintiff is required to provide proof of contract between the Claimant and the D ..read more
Joanna Connolly Solicitors Blog
1y ago
This is based on a real life case study and highlights the importance of having a Lasting Power of Attorney in place.
Mrs T, a widow in her eighties, was in the process of selling her large family home so that she could buy a smaller, more manageable property. Solicitors were acting on the sale and a buyer was soon found.
Within a very short period of time, Mrs T lost her mental capacity, so could not sign the paperwork to sell the house. The buyer gave up and bought another property. Then Mrs T deteriorated physically as well as mentally and was rushed to hospital for tests. Next she became f ..read more
Joanna Connolly Solicitors Blog
1y ago
CONTENTIOUS ESTATES: Executor jailed for forging letter of wishes
A man has received a five-year jail sentence for forging a letter of wishes that purported to have been written by a friend who appointed him her executor. After the woman’s death, he handed the letter to solicitors dealing with her estate, hoping to convince them that it made him sole executor and main beneficiary of her will, which would otherwise have left over GBP2 million to an air ambulance charity. The court decided the testatrix did not have mental capacity when the letter was said to have been signed by her.
Third Secto ..read more
Joanna Connolly Solicitors Blog
1y ago
Property Protection Trust Wills
By considering the family home as part of a planning exercise for the future, couples who are either married or living together as partners, can sever the joint tenancy of their family home and set up Property Protection Trusts in their Wills.
What is a Property Protection Trust?
A Property Protection Trust gives a person’s share in the property by Will to his or her own children, other family members or chosen beneficiaries. This is to prevent the share in the property passing to the other joint owner who could then re-marry, or make a new Will, in favour of hi ..read more
Joanna Connolly Solicitors Blog
1y ago
Married people
Did you know that if your spouse dies without a Will, you may not inherit the entire estate. It is irrelevant how long you have been married – the rules are set in stone and can be harsh.
For example, if the estate, excluding the personal possessions is valued at £570K the spouse will only be automatically entitled to the sum of £420K. This is all very well if the children are your own but what if it is a second marriage and they don’t approve of you? Do this leave you with enough? i
Worse still, if you don’t own your home as joint tenants you do not automatically inherit the ma ..read more