Each guide here covers a major event that changes who owns a property, or how it's treated for tax and means-testing purposes, beyond the more commonly covered topics of buying, selling and inheriting.
Which situation applies to you
These guides don't cover every aspect of owning property — they focus on major legal and financial events that most property owners will face at some point, but that general property guides rarely cover in enough depth to be useful when you're actually in the situation.
- Separating from a partner: If you jointly own a property and are separating, the Divorce, Separation and Your Mortgage guide covers what a financial order can and can't achieve, why a Mesher order keeps both parties tied to a property for years, and why a legal settlement doesn't automatically change who is liable for the mortgage.
- Thinking about giving a property to a family member: The Gifting Property to Family guide covers the Inheritance Tax 7-year rule, the reservation of benefit trap (which applies when a donor continues to live in the gifted property), and the capital gains tax consequences that arise at the point of transfer.
- Buying jointly and wanting to protect individual shares: Joint Tenants vs Tenants in Common is a genuinely important distinction for unmarried couples. Joint tenancy means survivorship — your share passes to your co-owner on death, automatically, regardless of what your will says. Tenants in common works differently and allows you to specify the percentage each person holds.
- Parents helping with a deposit: The Bank of Mum and Dad guide covers how lenders treat gifted versus loaned deposits — and why a parental contribution structured as a loan can reduce the amount the buyer can borrow.
What these guides don't do
These guides explain the legal and tax concepts involved in each scenario in plain language. They do not provide legal advice. In separation, gifting, and care funding situations in particular, the stakes are high enough that a solicitor familiar with the specific rules in your part of the UK is essential. Scotland and Northern Ireland have distinct legal frameworks for both family law and means-tested care funding assessment — the guides note where this matters, but the differences are significant enough that local professional advice is genuinely important.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from the inheritance and probate content elsewhere on the site?
Our inherited property guides cover what happens after someone has died and left property behind. This hub covers events that happen during someone's lifetime, separating from a partner, gifting property while still alive, or needing care, each with its own distinct legal and tax mechanics.
Do these guides apply across the whole UK?
Mostly they focus on England and Wales, with care funding rules in particular differing in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Each guide notes where this matters; check the specific rules for your nation before relying on a figure like a means-test threshold.
About the author
✓ Editorially reviewed — all Poqet guides are checked for factual accuracy before publication and updated when UK rates or legislation change. Editorial Policy