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It is a common misapprehension that if you live with someone long enough, your relationship transforms into a ‘common law marriage’ and you acquire the same legal rights over each other’s property and assets as a married couple. However, under UK law, you can only acquire such rights if you marry or enter into a civil partnership.

‘Unmarried couples have far fewer legal protections and rights than married couples,’ says Julia Korona, solicitor at Petersfields LLP.

You could be forgiven for thinking that if you own the freehold or leasehold of a property, you are entitled to do what you want with it as long as you abide by planning laws. Some properties, however, are subject to covenants which can sometimes hamper your plans for your land – even if you have planning permission. 

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as common-law marriage and if you are not married and your live-in partner dies, you have no automatic legal right to inherit your loved one’s estate unless they made this clear in their will.

Nick Timmings, a partner at solicitors Petersfields LLP, outlines the common inheritance disputes that can arise when a cohabitee dies, and your options for resolving such a dispute.

Social media has become a breeding ground for all manner of trolls who throw about wild accusations on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, review sites and more. Sometimes comments are completely untrue and can be extremely damaging.

But what can you do if someone publishes something untrue about you in writing, or spreads lies about you by word of mouth. Dawn Kiddy, a solicitor in the dispute resolution team with Petersfields LLP, explains defamation and outlines how you can use the law to protect your reputation if someone is spreading hurtful lies about you.

Building work in the house next door is often a nuisance, with seemingly endless noise, dust, and workmen coming and going. Usually, such disruption ends without any lasting harm, but sometimes the work can adversely affect your property.

Dawn Kiddy at Petersfields LLP in Cambridge and Haverhill outlines your options if a neighbour’s building work causes damage to your property, and she explains how a dispute resolution solicitor can help you get redress.

Once thought of as a device only for the rich and famous, trust funds are now routinely used by ordinary families to protect assets for loved ones in a tax-efficient manner.

Although useful, trust funds can be complex mechanisms and disputes can and do occur about how they are run or about who benefits from them. Nick Timmings at Petersfields LLP in Cambridge and Haverhill outlines what a trust fund is, how disputes over trust funds can emerge and how a solicitor can help you resolve them.