In recent times serious concerns have been raised within the profession about banks releasing sums of money to the relatives of deceased persons without checking whether the person claiming the money has any legal authority. When somebody dies then a Grant of Probate (if they left a Will) or Letters of Administration (if they died […]
We are delighted to announce that our Castle Cary Office will be re opening on July 13th 2020. As a result of the Covid-19 emergency the Office has been closed to the public for several weeks although we have had the telephones diverted to Shepton Mallet and in many respects it has been business as […]
As lockdown restrictions ease it is likely that there will be an increase in divorce cases later this year. The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill is proceeding through parliament despite concerns that progress would be held up as a result of Covid-19. The main proposed change is that divorcing couples will be able to file […]
When buying a property with somebody else, the terms of ownership of that property need to be recorded – Joint Tenancy or Tenancy in Common. The majority of married couples elect to hold a property as beneficial joint tenants to recognise the fact that buying the property is a joint commitment. Buying a property as […]
The government has begun the tricky (many would say unenviable) task of gradually trying to release the country from Covid-19 lockdown whilst preventing the “R Rate” creeping back up to 1 or above and the message has changed from “stay at home” to “be alert”. Although it is a sensitive issue, a balance has to […]
In an attempt to prevent large scale evictions of tenants who cannot pay their rent due to losing their jobs or being furloughed, the government has introduced measures to restrict the eviction process during the Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic. The first measure is to extend the amount of notice that landlords must give to tenants. The section […]
Until last week the residential property market was completely stalled due to the Coronavirus lockdown and whilst the immediate future remains uncertain, there are some reasons for positivity. Mortgage products In the early weeks of the crisis some lenders removed products with high loan to value ratio whilst they paused to assess the long term […]
The law in relation to claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 has been developing in recent years with a number of claims having been brought by adult children who were not dependent upon the deceased in any way (due to disability etc). The recent case (Shapton V Seviour) when such […]
Our family department have seen an influx of requests for advice and representation in connection with the breakdown of contact arrangements during the Coronavirus pandemic. Many people require advice upon how they can safely meet the requirement of the lockdown order. Government guidance states that people should leave home for very limited purposes only which […]
Those of you with long memories may remember the BGW baby boom of a few years ago. This now seems about to be repeated! Hannah Phillips, who is a Legal Executive at our Shepton Mallet Office specialising in conveyancing, has informed us of the safe arrival of her baby son Archie (pictured with Hannah) who […]
First and foremost we wish all our clients, professional contacts and others a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2018. We look forward to continuing to provide high quality legal services to our clients both old and new during the coming year.We are hoping for a repeat of last year when the property market fired into […]
We are delighted to report that after several months of planning the Cheddar Office move was finally completed yesterday and we shall open for business in our brand new premises on Monday (31st July). The move went smoothly although we had to close the Office for the day, The phones were diverted to the Shepton Mallet Office and […]
We have recently received a communication from the Land Registry which says that July is “Scams Awareness Month”. Now, admittedly, this is not going to excite public interest in the way that other publicised causes do but it is worth spending a few moments reading this summary of the risks and the action which you […]
We are very pleased to announce that, finally, we are in a position to complete our move to our new premises in Cheddar. You may recall from a previous post that we have secured a large and fully refurbished suite of offices above and behind the Post Office in Cheddar. We have access at ground […]
Once again, the Royal Bath & West Show was very enjoyable and a great success. Apart from a few showers the weather was kind to us again. The newly-restored caravan in the Power Of The Past Arena looked very impressive and, this year, our tent was positioned right next to the main ring which made […]
The unseasonably warm weather may have come to an end but there’s no denying that spring is here. We’re seeing more hours of daylight and we hope that you enjoyed the sunshine today (until the downpour!). The gardeners amongst us are able to get outside for a couple of hours in the evening. The Boat […]
We have previously mentioned the case of Ilott – v – Mitson. For those who are not familiar with the facts this was a case when an adult daughter who was fully competent and independent was awarded £163,000 out of her late mother’s estate. The estate was worth £486,000 and the mother had left it […]
By now our decorations will be up, the gift wrapping begins and our fridges are beginning to bulge with all sorts of festive treats. Amongst the mayhem of Christmas and New Year we hope that you are able to enjoy time spent with loved ones, which we are sure you’ll agree is what Christmas is […]
We are delighted to announce that Vicky Scorse has recently been admitted as a Graduate Member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX). This follows the successful completion of her final examinations following several years of study. Vicky (pictured at her graduation ceremony in September next to fiancé Craig) is based at our Cheddar […]
Exciting changes are happening at our Castle Cary Office. At BGW part of our recruitment strategy is to take on Trainee Solicitors. During the two-year training period our Trainees are carefully mentored and provided with the professional skills and experience that they need to perform as Solicitors in the current, highly demanding, environment. They also […]
Fears of a downturn in the property market post brexit seem to have been greatly exaggerated with most agents telling us that they have buyers knocking on their doors and that they can’t wait for bthe school holidays to finish because September is usually the month when more properties come to market. We at BGW […]
This is a brief summary of an interesting court case decided recently concerning a claim by a former partner in relation to a dispute over a property following the breakdown of a relationship. What was the case about? The case hinged upon the extent to which the judge could infer the existence of an agreement […]
Almost everybody would agree that making a Will is important to ensure that people you trust will deal with the administration of your estate after your death, that your property and assets pass to your loved ones and to avoid stress and uncertainty for all concerned after your death. Some people are tempted to save […]
Once again the Bath and West Show proved to be thoroughly enjoyable and a great success. Apart from Wednesday the weather was good throughout. Large numbers of visitors came through the gates and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the various attractions. Our pitch had been moved slightly from last year so we enjoyed greater footfall and […]
We are very pleased to announce that, this year, as in previous years, we shall be sponsoring the “Power of the Past” section of the Royal Bath and West Show. This gives us a very welcome excuse to get out of the office to meet our clients and professional contacts in a relaxed and informal […]
In recent years it has become increasingly common for executors appointed under a Will to obtain probate and administer the estate themselves to save Solicitors’ costs. There is plenty of information available online and many people take the view that there is no point in paying a Solicitor to do something that they consider that […]
It really is staggering that so many people fail to keep their Wills updated. A recent case in the Central London County Court is yet another example of how much money can be spent on disputes between competing family members where somebody dies without having made proper provision. In this case a Mr Williams lived […]
In an interesting case that came before the High Court recently, a heterosexual couple (Miss Steinfield and Mr Keidan) failed in an attempt to challenge the ban on heterosexual couples entering into a Civil Partnership. Their claim was founded on the basis that it breached their right to a family life under Article 8 of […]
It is hard to believe that, already, we’re only six weeks away from Easter which falls very early this year. In fact there was only just over a week between the end of what was for many “dry January” and the start of Lent! Traditionally, January is the quietest month of the year for […]
Christmas is here again and the BGW offices are looking very festive. All the staff are looking forward to a well deserved break after what has been a busy and productive year. It has been pleasing to see the younger members of our professional team making their mark and establishing their own following. We remain […]
