Charlotte John

Charlotte John

Charlotte John is a Barrister at Gatehouse Chambers. Charlotte’s practice focuses on Chancery and property litigation and encompasses both traditional...

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She Who Laughs Last? Pets, Perpetuities, and Other Problems with the Last Will and Testament of Taylor A. Swift.

She Who Laughs Last? Pets, Perpetuities, and Other Problems with the Last Will and Testament of Taylor A. Swift.

Taylor Swift's 'Anti-Hero' may be the only pop song to feature a contentious probate dispute. This article considers the drafting problems of Taylor Swift's Will from the perspective of the law of England and Wales.

Bad Behaviour and Broken Bonds: A Comparison of Conduct in 1973 and 1975 Act Claims

Bad Behaviour and Broken Bonds: A Comparison of Conduct in 1973 and 1975 Act Claims

Introduction Fifty years ago, the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (1975 Act) was enacted in an expansion of the court’s statutory powers for financial provision on death.[[1]] Two years earlier, Parliament had enacted the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (MCA 1973) to alter the court’s

Balancing the Books: Equitable Accounting in Trusts of Land Disputes

Balancing the Books: Equitable Accounting in Trusts of Land Disputes

Introduction This article aims to provide the busy family practitioner with a fairly comprehensive guide to the what, where, when, and how of equitable accounting, specifically in the context of trusts of land, to assist you in getting such claims off on the right footing. In the experience of the

Just Deserts? Unjust Enrichment for Family Lawyers

Just Deserts? Unjust Enrichment for Family Lawyers

In the aftermath of many family relationship breakdowns, second only to complaints about bad behaviour, a pervasive sentiment arises: one party believes they have invested or contributed disproportionately to the family economy, family assets or businesses, leading to perceived unfairness. Whilst statute provides a framework within which such considerations can

Are You There ChatGPT? It’s Me, Charlotte – ChatGPT, Generative AI and the Law

Are You There ChatGPT? It’s Me, Charlotte – ChatGPT, Generative AI and the Law

Readers will probably have heard by now of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Many of you will have experimented with it, or one of the other available generative artificial intelligence (AI) models such as Microsoft’s Bing. If you have not yet utilised any of these new technologies, you will very likely

An Unwelcome Guest and a ‘lively controversy’ – Guest v Guest on the Essential Aim of Proprietary Estoppel

An Unwelcome Guest and a ‘lively controversy’ – Guest v Guest on the Essential Aim of Proprietary Estoppel

‘1. “One day my son, all this will be yours”. Spoken by a farmer to his son when in his teens, and repeated for many years thereafter. Relying on that promise of inheritance from his father, the son spends the best part of his working life on the farm, working

Predatory Marriage – The Great Inheritance Scam?

Predatory Marriage – The Great Inheritance Scam?

The term ‘predatory marriage’ is not a legal concept, but rather a convenient descriptor for a marriage entered into in circumstances where one party to the marriage is vulnerable and has been induced to enter into the marriage by the other party who is acting solely for financial gain. The