In March’s roundup, we look at new research suggesting a steep increase in UK house prices over the next four years, a new report highlighting how much the Legal Aid Agency has spent on cases not heard in court and suggestions that the internet will continue to play an increasingly important role in divorce cases.
UK house prices ‘to climb 20% over next four years’
House prices in the UK are set to soar over the next four years, new research from BNP Paribas Real Estate has predicted. According to the global property adviser, the average price of a home will stand at £236,691 by the end of 2019, which represents a 20% climb over the space of four years.
The research has shown that by the end of this year alone the average cost of a house in the UK will have risen by 4.7% to reach £206,314, pushing the average price of a property above the £200,000 mark for the first time.
It is anticipated that most growth will be seen in the south of England, where the economies are more service sector-dominated, while growth will not be as fast in regions more closely associated with the oil and petrochemical sectors.
Adrian Owen, Head of Residential at BNP Paribas Estate, said: “Regions with a greater economic contribution from the service sector will see stronger price growth, particularly where there is still a degree of catch-up following the financial crisis.”
Blackstone would be delighted to act for you in any property transaction. Please get in touch with one of our property experts today.
Report: Legal Aid Agency spends £93m on cases that did not go to trial
A new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) has shown that the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has spent over £93 million funding defence counsel cases that were not ultimately heard in court. Entitled ‘Efficiency in the Criminal Justice System’, the report revealed that, since 2010-11, around two-thirds of cases did not progress as expected.
It was shown that the LAA provided funding of £93.3 million to represent defendants whose cases were never heard in court, not including guilty pleas. Costs include payments for police officers and expert witnesses who spent a day waiting around to give evidence.
The NAO concluded that there is a real need for the justice system to ensure it is delivering value for money.
Online ‘playing increasingly important role’ in divorce cases
The internet is playing an increasingly important role in divorce, and cases will continue to be digitised, it has been claimed. Speaking at the Family Law Bar Association annual dinner, Sir James Munby, President of the Family Division of the High Court of England and Wales, said online divorce and online probate will likely lead the way in this regard.
Sir James explained that plans to implement this digitisation could take place as early as 2017. He said such moves would aim to streamline and simplify systems.
On the idea of a paperless court, he said it is a “vision not of some distant future but of what has to be, and I believe can be, achieved over the next four years of the court’s modernisation programme”.
However, at Blackstone we remain a personable team, we utilise online services for back office and appropriate communication but also value face to face meetings where our clients build a relationship with our team.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice on any individual circumstances.
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