Issue: April 2025

Court and tribunal fees – update

April 2025 | Professional

The MoJ has issued an update on the increases to selected court and tribunal fees which come into effect on 8 April 2025. The majority of the 171 fees in scope will be increased by 3.2% to reflect the change in CPI between March 2023 and March 2024, with a small number of fees increased …

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Source of funds/wealth – reminder

April 2025 | Conduct, practice and risk management

The SRA has imposed the maximum fine that it can impose on recognised bodies of £25,000 for AML failings. The firm acted for a non-domestic politically exposed person (PEP) and their associated companies across 36 matters. The matters consisted of residential property purchase transactions, refinancing and reassignment work. The SRA’s report reminds us that: ‘2.3 …

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Guidance – information sharing; children

April 2025 | Family

Many years since its first and only edition was published, HMCTS has issued updated guidance on sharing information outside of family court proceedings. It is aimed at lawyers and anyone else participating in family proceedings concerning children. It covers what may be shared about a case and when; who can share information; and when permission …

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LeO – SDLT spotlight

April 2025 | Tax - SDLT

A slightly different tax story – LeO has recently released an article aimed at helping firms to deal with complaints from clients who were not able to complete their purchase before the change to SDLT rates coming into effect on 1 April 2025. All property firms should read it but some interesting comments from LeO …

Law Society – TA6

April 2025 | Conveyancing

Property practitioners will no doubt have noticed the Law Society’s announcement which suggests that the ill-fated 5th edition of the Property Information Form (TA6) is now dead in the water. The Law Society announced that the TA6 (5th edition) will be replaced with: TA6 (6th edition); an optional material information form (the name of this …

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Practice – court fees

April 2025 | Family

Increased court fees came into effect on 1 April 2025 to account for changes to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Fees that have increased include the following under the Family Proceedings Fees Order 2008: application for a divorce, nullity or dissolution of CP is now £612 (up from £593); application for matrimonial or civil partnership …

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Deputies – family care payments

April 2025 | Wills, probate and administration

The OPG has issued new guidance on its approach to family care payments (gratuitous care payments for informal care) made by a deputy in England and Wales on behalf of P. The guidance only applies to deputies appointed by the court under a finance and property order. The OPG acknowledges that such payments can be …

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HMLR – registering an easement

April 2025 | Conveyancing

This is something that property practitioners must do fairly regularly, and they will no doubt refer to HMLR PG62 (easements) when they do so. But note that HMLR has also produced two other useful resources: Blog – Explaining easements – making the correct applications This contains an important reminder: ‘Whether your application involves a transfer …

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Care orders – discharge

April 2025 | Family

Discharging care orders would not be good for the welfare of the children, the family court decided. It was for the applicant to show on balance that discharging the orders would be beneficial to the child. M applied for care orders in respect of S (a teen) and P (primary school age) to be discharged …

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Deputies – property; jurisdiction

April 2025 | Wills, probate and administration

A professional deputy (Irwin Mitchell Trust Corporation) sought authority for the purchase of two properties in India on behalf of P, and to make lifetime gifts to her parents and siblings from her funds. P, now 14, suffered serious birth injuries and was left permanently brain damaged. Born in the UK, P and her family …

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