With the general election coming up in a few short days, many questions have arisen regarding how it will affect already proposed laws. While a good majority of those that were in question have since been passed (all of which will be discussed briefly below), there are still a few that have not been as successful. But what does that all mean in terms of the nearing election on June 8? 

Successful bills

This month we are considering a form of land ownership, leasehold, that has been described as a “murky corner of residential property”, and perhaps more worryingly if you own one, “a national scandal which dwarfs PPI”. With recent stories about homeowners having ground rents that double every 10 years and an all-party Parliamentary Group reporting on reforms in April 2017, even stronger language has been used by MPs describing leasehold houses as a “national con”. 

What are key features of freehold and leasehold titles?

When we are passionate about our careers we naturally look into ways of improving our practice. Continuing professional development is a process which encourages that improvement and is widely recognised as an integral part of professional progression. Through continuing professional development we can advance, refine and reflect on the work that we do, encouraging more effective practice and greater rewards in the future. It is a self-directed and ongoing process which allows the individual to become empowered to take charge of their career and steer it in the direction they want it to go.

Have you ever wished you could remember all the new names, faces, numbers, addresses, images and tasks that you come across every day of your life? Imagine the time saved and embarrassing moments spared if you could remember every detail of every day. Unfortunately, experts agree that a perfect photographic memory is a thing of fiction. This is not to say that you cannot allow yourself to have a brilliant memory, it just means that, like all things worth achieving, having a good memory will take a bit of practice.

Fortunately for us, people have been practicing methods for improving their memories since classical times, so we have a good 2,000 years of experience to guide us. These years of exploration have proven that in order to grow a good memory we need to create the right conditions, just like growing good vegetables! You can do this by practicing the following:

ILSPA’s Legal Secretary Jobs Board specialises in Legal Secretary jobs throughout the UK. The aim of the Jobs Board is to bring legal recruiters and top-quality candidates together, helping them to achieve their goals. ILSPA’s Members and Students are prime candidates for Legal Secretary and PA roles, as they have the knowledge, skills or experience employers are looking for. 

Whether you are new to the Jobs Board or are an existing candidate, it is vitally important that your profile contains up-to-date information. If certain information is missing, you may be prevented from securing employment or appearing within our candidate database for recruiters to search.

This month we are examining the impact of a recent Court of Appeal decision on the divorce petition of Mrs Tini Owens. The Court of Appeal have, in refusing Mrs Owens’ divorce petition, buried the possibility of a couple divorcing on a no fault basis.

England and Wales, unlike many other legal jurisdictions, require one party in a divorce to prove the other was at “fault”. When couples apply for a divorce, they must prove that the marriage has “irretrievably broken down” (Matrimonial Causes Act 1973). To show this breakdown, a party has to give one of five reasons: 

•    adultery
•    unreasonable behaviour
•    desertion 
•    separation of two years with consent
•    separation of five years without consent

Roman Law is the legal system invented by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago. Having undergone the process of transformation and reinterpretation, Roman Law continues to influence legal thinking and legal practice to this day.

England has not adopted Roman Law as the other countries in Europe have. In England, ancient Roman texts were never considered as rules having the force of law. However, Roman Law was taught at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and had a considerable influence on the development of certain areas of law. Some substantive rules, and more importantly, concepts of reasoning based on the Roman legal tradition, influenced the English legal system.

As we progress through the technological age, different elements of our daily lives progress with it. Procedures that were once traditional and mechanical have become modified, reconstructed and updated, and processes that took days, even weeks, can happen in a matter of seconds. The world of employment has not been immune to this evolution and continues to be significantly affected by the ongoing expansion of the modern age. It is important that we, as members of the 21st century, keep up to date with any changes in communication that may affect us so that we don’t miss any valuable opportunities. Professionals seeking employment, making connections, initiating introductions and carrying out referrals is nothing new in business. However, with the advent of social networking, the methods we use to make these connections has changed. LinkedIn is a website that is part of that change.

If you are currently studying the Legal Secretaries Diploma course and have studied the Wills, Probate and Administration module, you will be familiar with the fact that inheritance tax is not currently payable on estates below the “nil rate band”. The nil rate band (NRB) is currently set at £325,000, meaning that for any estate over this figure, tax is payable on the difference at the rate of 40%. 

However, as of 6 April 2017, a change to this law has come into effect.

How Making a Small Change Can Make a Big Difference

Changing landscape

Gone are the days of the 1-to-1 or 1-to-3 ratio of Secretaries to Fee Earners. We’re now more likely to see 1-to-7 or even 1-to-10, and barely a week goes by without a firm announcing the centralisation of support resources, or support restructuring. 

The role of support services is constantly changing, as is often seen in drives for efficiency of back office support, specialist support teams, lower cost locations, outsourcing, in-sourcing, near-shoring … there’s a lot of change!