What is Parental Responsibility and how can you get it? As a grandparent you do not have Parental Responsibility (PR) for your grandchild. PR means ‘all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and the authority which, by law, a parent has in relation to the child and his property.’ The child’s mother and most fathers would…
CAN I CHANGE MY CHILD’S SURNAME? A parent is able to change a child’s surname by a change of name deed providing all those with Parental Responsibility consent to the name change. A change of name deed is a legal document which commits a person to the action set out in the document. By…
What being an Executor of a Will involves Do you know what it means to be the Executor of a Will? Many of us are named as an Executor by a family member or a close friend, but what are your responsibilities? What does an Executor do? The person named in a Will as an…
A Separation Agreement is a document drawn up when you want to stop living together as a couple, setting out the arrangements you wish to make regarding finances, property and /or any children. Some couples may not be legally able to get divorced if they have not been married the required 12 months or, alternatively,…
Unmarried couples do not have the same rights as those couples who are married. Therefore their rights in relation to the property they share are guided by general principles of property law. When considering whether, for example, a former partner has an interest in a property bought in the sole name of the other partner…
Losing a loved one can be a particularly difficult time for those left behind. Knowing the practical steps to take can help ease the burden. Registering the death is usually undertaken by a member of the deceased’s immediate family. A medical certificate stating the cause of death will be issued by either the doctor looking…
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets you (the ‘donor’) choose trusted people (‘attorneys’) to make financial decisions or health and care decisions on your behalf. LPAs were introduced by the Mental Capacity Act (MCA)2005 and replaced the old Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs) from 1 October 2007. An LPA…
What is a child arrangement order? This is an order which is usually made in court disputes between parents (called ‘private law disputes’.) If parents split up and cannot agree how to sort out living and contact arrangements for their children, then they can apply to the court for a Child Arrangements Order. Such an…