Q:    I am a widow with one son and daughter, who are equal beneficiaries of my Will. However, at the start of the Covid pandemic lockdown my son began gambling, and my daughter and I believe he is now an addict. He refuses to discuss it or accept that he has a problem. I am worried that if he does not get help, he will just squander away his inheritance when I die. Is there any way I can protect what I leave him?

Q:    My husband has been having an affair with his secretary for years, but I have just put up with it as I believed he would never leave me because of the children. However, the secretary’s husband has now filed for divorce, and I am worried my husband might go after all. If that happens, I will divorce him. If I do divorce him, should I go for a clean break financial settlement or maintenance?

Q:    I work as a (female) line supervisor and have discovered that a male colleague who does the same job as me is on a higher pay rate. He is roughly the same age as me and has been with the firm only a year longer than me. I have spoken to my department manager, but he said he couldn’t discuss another worker’s pay with me. Could I go to a tribunal and make a claim for equal pay?

Q:    My widowed mum has been diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s. I am her only family and live too far away to help care for her, but thankfully she has a large network of friends locally who are a great support. She has lived in the village all her life but there are no elderly care facilities and Mum is worried the local authority will force her to go into care home too far away for her friends to visit. Could they really do that?

Q:    When my husband and I got divorced I remained a director and shareholder of the family business, though I have never played an active role in the day to day running. Whilst the covid situation badly affected the business it managed to stay afloat. However, my now ex-husband has informed me that the business needs restructuring for the long-term, and as he feels he is too old to do it he has decided to sell out to his stepson. He says as a minority shareholder I have no say in the matter. I asked for proof that the business has been properly valued but he has ignored me. I fear some underhand negotiations that could be doing me out of my fair share of the sale proceeds. Can I do anything?

Q:    I have owned my village home for over 35 years. The house is detached, with a driveway and garage to one side. On the other side of the house is a metre wide footpath and then the hedge to a larger detached house with extensive grounds behind. Last year a developer bought the house next door and applied for planning permission to demolish it to make an access road to 24 houses he is going to build on the land behind. Despite my objections he has got his planning permission. I have spoken to three estate agents who all say it will devalue my house. Can I claim compensation from the developer for devaluation of my property and also nuisance of construction noise and eventual residents’ vehicles passing within 2 metres of my front door?

Q:    Our Labrador was violently sick on a weekend and we took him to an emergency clinic, as per the recorded message on our vet’s out of hours phone. He was prescribed medication, and we took him home. He continued being ill in the night and wouldn’t drink, so we took him back next morning. They took a blood sample and put him on a drip. They later called and said he was vomiting blood, so they needed to operate and open his stomach. We consented but the operation showed nothing wrong. Meanwhile friends told us of a nationwide bug affecting dogs, something the vet never mentioned. Our dog recovered quickly but we ended up with a bill for over £4,000 for treatment and an unnecessary operation. Could we make a claim against the vet?

Q:    My 32-year-old brother was involved in a bad motor accident and sadly died. Like the rest of us, at that age you don’t think about making a Will. He had a good job and owned property so it seems we will have to apply for probate.  He had a girlfriend who lived with him in his house. Please can you advise us what to do?

Q:    I have been approached to sell someone a piece of land I own that is currently classed as green belt. They say they want it to graze ponies, but as there are several small building projects currently starting in the area, on what also was previously green belt, I am suspicious. If I sell the land, could I somehow claw back more money if planning permission for development is granted in the future?

Q.     We lost my aunt to covid at Christmas. She left a homemade will appointing my mother as her sole executor and beneficiary. Due to her ill health, I assisted my mother in administering the estate. Unfortunately, before she could benefit from the estate, my mother also passed away. My aunt owned a property which must now be sold, but who can deal with my aunt’s estate now that my mother has passed away?