New research from Direct Line Pet Insurance has revealed that as many as 28% of people would consider putting a prenuptial agreement in place to cover custody of their pets in the event that a relationship breaks down. A ‘pet-nuptial’ is a deed of agreement between the parties who set out clearly what will happen…
Having a joint mortgage is a bigger commitment than marriage, according to 40% of British adults. New research by Zoopla also revealed that couples are together for an average of three years, three months and 12 days before they commit to buying a property together. The research found evidence of gender differences when it comes…
A new study has claimed that the UK has one of the highest rates of family instability in the developed world. According to pro-marriage think tank Marriage Foundation, the study shows that three in five (62%) British children born to unmarried parents who are living together experience family breakdown before they hit their teens. In…
There could be a retirement housing gap of 160,000 houses by 2030 if more isn’t done to focus on last time buyers, according to new research by the International Longevity Centre – UK (ILC-UK). The think tank has called on the Government to ensure thousands of new retirement properties are built as a matter of…
The UK Government has published new figures that it says show thousands of children are benefiting from their separated parents working together on child maintenance arrangements. According to the figures, the parents of more than 15,900 children have set up ‘family-based arrangements’ for paying child maintenance after receiving information and support from Child Maintenance Options….
In an interesting story from across the pond, the state of Alaska has apparently passed an amendment to its laws on divorce that will change the way pets are treated when their owners get divorced. The Daily Mail reports that in all other states in the US, pets are treated as property when it comes…
As many as one in three parents are apparently reluctant to leave an inheritance to their married children, because they fear the relationship will end in divorce and ultimately result in assets leaving the immediate family. The study, by Investec Wealth & Investment, found that 12% of parents said their children’s marriages had already broken…
The average price of a property in Scotland in November 2016 was £143,033, according to the latest UK House Price Index. This is an increase of 3.3% on the previous year and an increase of 1.5% when compared to the previous month. Across the whole of the UK, the average house price was £217,928 in…
A recent report by the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Constitution Committee has concluded that the country’s transition to the new Land & Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) was ‘operationally successful’. However, the report goes on to say that it is too early to draw any definitive conclusions on the impact of LBTT rates and bands after…
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed a fall in the number of divorces that took place in England and Wales during 2014. The figures show that: There were 111,169 divorces in 2014, a decrease of 3.1% compared with 2013 and a decline of 27% from a recent peak in…
