Buying a house can be a daunting prospect for anyone, let alone someone who is taking their first step on to the property ladder. We all ask ourselves the same questions: Is this definitely the property I want? Am I paying too much? Can I really afford it? Buying a house or an apartment will…
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Domestic abuse has always been a problem within our society, lurking and often hidden from view, but always there. Unfortunately lock down, job losses and the stress and fear caused by the pandemic have created a huge surge in domestic violence cases in 2020, a trend set to continue in 2021. Unfortunately, Hertfordshire is not…
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We can’t have much Christmas fun this year so we thought an office quiz would be nice. There were cries of protest because our Born at Christmas Quiz was tough. What do you think? Can you identify the people that are described below? A link to the answers can be found at the bottom of…
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Harpenden Colts Old Boys Reserves, sponsored by Bretherton Law, picked up their first ever silverware with a 3-2 victory over Blacksmiths in the Herts Advertiser Intermediate Cup Final. The game was carried forward from the shortened 2019-20 season, brought to an abrupt end by the Covid-19 outbreak. Cheered on by an enthusiastic group of parents,…
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With public health at the front of everyone’s minds it is no surprise that more and more people have been updating their wills, or in many cases drawing up a will for the first time. It has long been the case that a will must be signed by the testator (the person who is making…
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The world is mourning the death of Sir Sean Connery at the age of ninety. Connery’s portrayal of James Bond, the world’s most famous fictional spy, is widely acknowledged to be the best among the six actors who have played the role, and it set the benchmark for the 25 Bond films released so far.…
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As defined in the government website www.gov.uk: applying for the legal right to deal with someone’s property, money and possessions (their `estate’) when they die is called “applying for probate”. Before the next of kin or Executor named in a will can claim or dispose of any of the deceased person’s assets they may have…
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St Albans is a handsome city and an attractive place to live, but few locals would describe the place as being in the country. Recent research by house-moving website Compare My Move takes a different view, placing St Albans second in its ranking of the top 50 Countryside Locations to Re-locate to across England and…
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New research by property consultants Knight Frank predicts that 173,000 new homes could be built as a result of simplified planning rules which the government introduced in August, 2020. The changes permit property developers and owners to bypass elements of planning law, allowing vertical extensions of up to two stories on residential and commercial blocks,…
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The Bank of Mum and Dad (BoMaD) is playing an increasing role in helping people with house purchases. Research by insurance group Legal & General reveals that over the last 12 months 71% of first-time buyers could not have made it onto the housing ladder without financial assistance from family or friends. Were it not…
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