Taxis To be a cabby is a cumbersome role when considering all the superfluous laws and restrictions that go with the job. Since the time of Queen Anne, the humble Hackney carriage has attracted the…

Mince Pies at Christmas During the Interregnum (the period between the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649 and the arrival of his son Charles II in London on 29 May 1660) Oliver Cromwell saw fit to introduce a…

The ‘Welshman in Chester’ folklore Dating right the way back to the rebellion of Owen Glendower in Wales in 1403, it was the Earl of Chester – the future Henry V – who ordered all…

It is an offence to be drunk and in charge of cattle in England and WalesBy virtue of the Licensing Act 1872, s12, it is an offence for any person in England and Wales to…

What are Lasting Powers of Attorney and why do I need them?LPAs are the documents that enable another person or people (the Attorneys) to make decisions on behalf of an individual (the donor) when that…

As an Estate Planning Solicitor, I have spent my career working both in city centre law firms and firms concentrated on agricultural farming communities. Between both ends of the spectrum, the one question I am…

The Mental Capacity Act 2005, the overriding Presumption of Capacity & the role of third parties

Sadly, because of the aging population, this seems to be becoming a scenario solicitors and GPs are fast becoming more accustomed to identifying – usually within the first meeting with new clients. Capacity vs Instructions…

Prior to Lasting Powers of Attorney coming into Force on the 1 October 2007, a donor (the person granting the power to attorneys to manage their affairs) granted an attorney permission to manage their financial…

Many people expect a Will is unnecessary to their estate for many reasons, such as perhaps they believe that because they own assets jointly with another person; or they are married, their estate will go…