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The government launched its flagship home ownership scheme in 2013. The “Help to Buy” schemes include  Help to Buy Shared Ownership  and  Help to Buy Equity Loan s to help hard-working people take steps to buy their own house. The  Help to Buy ISA  pays first-time buyers a government bonus. For example, if a first time buyer saves £200 a month, then the government will add £50, up to a maximum of £3,000, boosting the ISA savings of £12,000 to £15,000. Since the scheme’s launch, £8.27 billion has been lent in Help to Buy loans and over 150,000 properties have been bought. Help-to-buy can be a good option if a person is keen to buy a new-build property from one of the house builders registered with the HCA (Homes and Communities Agency). In order to complete the purchase, the government will provide a 20% equity loan (40% in London). Unlike the government bonuses paid into Help to Buy and Lifetime ISAs (which can be used to save up a deposit for ...

In a controversial ruling, the Supreme Court has ruled that a woman who claims her 40 year marriage is “wretchedly unhappy, loveless and broken down” cannot divorce her husband until they have been separated for a full five years. Tini Owens started divorce proceedings after moving out of the family home in 2015, following a period of escalating tension in the relationship exacerbated when Mrs Owens had an affair. She said that her husband, Hugh Owens, had behaved unreasonably and that she could not reasonably be expected to stay married. Mr Owens refused to agree to a divorce, denying Mrs Owens’ allegations in respect of his behavior and stating that if their marriage had broken down it was because she had had an affair or “was bored”. Two years ago, a Family Court judge rejected Mrs Owens’ allegations and refused to grant her a divorce. The trial judge felt that Mrs Owens had failed to prove that her husband had behaved in such a way as to entitle her to divorce him unde...