Being able to share ideas and opinions over the internet has many benefits. It enables us to communicate quickly with one another and to relay information easily with the simple click of a button. But what few people realise is that when you post something online which is negative or disparaging – whether via a social media platform, a news outlet, a customer review site or even a special interest forum – you could be falling foul of the rules on defamation and thereby exposing yourself to the risk of being sued for compensation and legal costs.
Did you know that you can be sued for posting something online that is not true or for sharing or endorsing a false post made by someone else? Did you also know that if you are sued, you could be ordered to pay compensation and legal costs and forced to make a public apology?
If the answer to these questions is ‘no’, then you are not alone, as recent research suggests that nearly 50 per cent of the UK’s 45 million social media users are not aware that they are legally responsible for what they do and say online.
According to the Office for National Statistics, nearly as many children are now born to parents who are not married or in a registered civil partnership as to those who are. But do you have fewer rights where you are born outside of a legally recognised relationship, particularly when one of your parents dies? And what if you have been adopted or co-opted into a blended family? It is not uncommon for households to join forces without formalising the arrangement, so what are your inheritance rights in this scenario?
Homeowners who feel that the boundary at their property is not where it should be, or that a neighbour’s extension goes over an existing boundary line, could go to court to have this dispute determined. This is usually only viable if you have legal expenses insurance, but sometimes an injunction may be needed to stop building work.
According to Dawn Kiddy, a solicitor with Petersfields LLP in Cambridge and Haverhill homeowners will usually be better off using a procedure developed by HM Land Registry to resolve boundary disputes which refers cases to a specialist tribunal. ‘Not only will this prove to be quicker, but it could also be cheaper, and it will mean that official records at HM Land Registry will be updated directly’.
With life expectancy in the UK predicted to rise into the late 80s for men and women by 2030, an increasing number of people are choosing to safeguard their interests by making lasting powers of attorney. These enable a relative or friend to assume control of their affairs should deteriorating mental health mean they can no longer manage things for themselves.
Isolated land that is not regularly inspected can sometimes be appropriated without anyone noticing. Farmland is particularly susceptible, as are remote areas of woodland and scrubland within large rural estates. When this continues for a long period of time, there is a risk that you could receive a claim of adverse possession (also known as squatters’ rights).
Adverse possession also occurs with vacant and derelict properties that have been forgotten about or are awaiting redevelopment. Sometimes patches of garden or an access way have been incorporated into a neighbouring property, either in a deliberate land grab or because of inaccurate plans which suggest the neighbour’s garden extends further than it does.
If you own a house or piece of land which someone else is trying to claim belongs to them, then it is important that you seek urgent legal advice. The rules of adverse possession may mean that you are at risk of losing your property if you do not act quickly enough in challenging the claim.
