Cook Taylor Woodhouse has been named Regional Conveyancing firm of the year for London and South East at the Law Firm Services National Conference and Conveyancing Awards for 2017. This is a great achievement and a good reflection of our staff’s continuous hard work and commitment.

A former Senior Judge recently shared his view on the risks surrounding Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) and the need for the public to be aware of them. During a radio interview for BBC Radio 4, Denzil Lush stated that due to the ‘devastating effect’ it can have on family relationships, he would never choose […]

Inheritance tax is often named as one of the UK’s most hated taxes. While there are a number of ways to reduce your eventual tax bill, many people are unaware of business property relief. Business property relief allows relief from inheritance tax at a rate of 50% or 100% on certain business assets. You can […]

Property ownership comes in two main forms in the UK: freehold and leasehold. The freeholder owns the land on which the property is built. As a result they are entirely responsible for the property, covering everything from paying for repairs to arranging buildings insurance on the structure. Things are slightly different with leasehold ownership. As […]

Even as recently as the 1970s, women could be refused a mortgage without a male guarantor. Compare that to research from Simple Landlords Insurance (SLI) that women now account for 40% of landlords. SLI surveyed more than 400 male and female landlords and 500 tenants from across the UK for their Women In Property report. […]

The age at which first-time buyers buy their first property is much higher than they ever dreamt of when growing up. In fact, there are some buyers only just getting their foot on the property ladder as they approach their forties and beyond. Research from My Home Move looked into the aspirations of 1,000 first-time […]

Planning your Will may be the last thing on your mind as you’re packing your shorts and sun cream, but accidents and injuries happen when we least expect them. Of course, the chances of dying or sustaining a severe injury on holiday are slim, but if you have a Will in place it’s one less […]

When you are looking for a new place to call home, there’s likely to be a range of factors that you’ll be on the look-out for. Top-rated schools and good transport links might be at the top of your priority list, with nearby convenience stores and leafy parks coming closely behind. One thing you probably […]

When it comes to sorting out a Will, there’s an awful lot of jargon to try to make sense of. Here are some of the most common terms you’ll come across, and what they really mean. Assets: These are the valuable items you own and cover your possessions, property, cash, etc. Attestation: This is the […]

Often when someone is left a property by a deceased relative, they will want to sell it quickly. This may be for emotional reasons, but there are also financial concerns to take into account too – maintenance costs can quickly mount up. Given these difficult circumstances, what do you need to consider when selling a […]