The latest episode of our FAQ series sees our expert solicitors asked what rights tenants in common have when it comes to forcing the other to sell.

Q: Six years ago, my friend and I invested in a property as "tenants in common". When we bought the house, we both agreed that we would hold on the property for at least five years, and then look at selling it. 

In the intervening years, I have got married, while my friend has left the UK and is working abroad. I’m now looking for the exit strategy that we discussed, but he wants to continue owning the property.

What are our rights? Can tenants in common force a sale? Or is there a way I can make him sell his share to me so that my spouse and I can own it and live in it as our family home? More...

The Welsh Assembly Government has set a deadline for claims for the refund of care home fees paid between 1st April 2003 and 31st July 2013 to be made. The deadline is 31st July 2014.

Any person who has been contributing to the costs of care home fees from either their income (including state pension or other benefits), or savings, between the above mentioned dates may be entitled to a full or partial reimbursement. The law says that if the primary reason for being in a care home is because you have a health care need rather than social care needs, the full cost of your care and accommodation should be paid by the NHS.

In Wales, Health Boards are regularly being forced to repay millions of pounds to care home residents and/or their families. Howells Solicitors have acted for some of these families and recovered huge amounts of wrongly paid fees.

For further information on the services provided by Howells Solicitors, check out our specialist elderly client solicitors. More...

The latest in our FAQ series concerns a girlfriend who is worried that her partner is in over his head over an interest-only mortgage.

Q: Two and a half years ago, my boyfriend bought a flat using an interest-only mortgage. However, he could only really afford the house because he was consistently getting good bonuses at work. A year into his mortgage, the bonuses started drying up and since then he’s been overspending and using credit card debts to pay for his mortgage costs.

However, because there’s not enough money coming in he has missed two credit card payments. He’s reassured me that his situation will change in six months when his fixed rate deal expires and he can increase his interest-only mortgage and pay off his debts.

Am I worrying over nothing?

A: No you are not. I think your boyfriend may have underestimated how much the mortgage market has changed over the last year or two. The criteria that must be fulfilled to get a loan is now much stricter. More...

Laith Khatib, private client specialist solicitor at Howells Solicitors, was recently invited by the editor of the London Gazette to write an article for the first official public record and the newspaper of the Crown. 

In the article, entitled ‘DIY Probate: The Dos and Don’t’s, Laith explains the potential pitfalls of do-it-yourself probate are and what anyone considering DIY probate should know before they commit to this important duty.

Some of the aspects that Laith said should be considered included:

•    The deceased’s financial affairs
•    The length of time before the estate should be distributed
•    Whether to distribute the estate if it may be contested
•    Whether to carry out bankruptcy searches
•    What to do about probate if there is no willMore...

After being named as one of the UK's top three large conveyancing companies in the Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year 2013 Awards, Howells Solicitors has continued its impressive 2014 with a number of accolades and industry achievements.

This year, the leading Welsh legal practice has:

• Been named as the UK Family Law Firm of the Year by Corporate LiveWire.
• Announced a new office in Bridgend which is to open in the summer of 2014.
• Recruited and promoted more than 20 legal professionals across South Wales.
• Been named by Chambers and The Legal 500.
• Had individual solicitors also named by Chambers and The Legal 500.
• Completed the first Help To Buy Wales house purchase.
• Maintained membership of the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme.
• Introduced Howells' Employment Law Packages (HELP) to provide employment law advice and guidance for employers.
• Worked closely with the University of South Wales to help law undergraduates and provide pro-bono legal advice via University drop-in clinics.
• Provided pro-bono legal advice for Welsh charities and organisations supporting individuals overcoming addictions and adversity.More...