There’s been a lot of coverage in the news recently about ‘PPI’ (the English abbreviation for Payment Protection Insurance). It has been described as one of the biggest financial scandals in the UK history, but unlike some of the other recent scandals to make the news, this does not concern the super-rich but potentially anyone who has ever had a loan, credit card or mortgage, or has bought anything on credit.

Claims management companies in the UK are regulated by the Ministry of Justice under the Compensation Act 2006, covering personal injury (such as road traffic accidents or accidents at work) and financial compensation claims (such as Payment Protection Insurance).

These are tough times for many, with the global economy in the grips of a deep recession, inflation and unemployment at unwelcome levels and more and more people caught up in a spiralling trap of debt – loans, credit cards and mortgages that they are now struggling to repay on top of the cost of everyday living.   

One of the most enduring and widespread myths in English law is the perception of the ‘common law marriage’, whereby if a couple live together, then after a certain period of time – probably the most common perception is seven years, but two and four are also popular (and mistaken) beliefs – they will acquire similar rights to those of a married couple.

It is believed that there are more than two million unmarried couples in England and Wales, meaning over four million people are potentially unaware of just how exposed their situation is.