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Families risking family home to pay school fees (17 February 2014)

Date: 17/02/2014

Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Families risking family home to pay school fees

Parents desperate to educate their children privately are allowing independent schools take a charge on their homes to make sure they can afford to pay school fees.

A Daily Mail investigation has revealed that independent schools are offering desperate parents a deferred fee arrangement to cover their children’s school fees – which may put their home at risk.

The arrangement enables parents to keep their children in private education if they cannot afford the fees – but it means that the fees will eventually be paid when the family home is sold.

A legal charge would enable the school to claim the money owed in some circumstances, including if families failed to pay school fees on time. In such cases, families might have to see their home to repay the monies owed.

Reporters found that deferred payments and legal charges on property had become “common practice” among private sector schools – including some of the UK’s top boarding schools.

Independent school Millfield said that it had a charge on one property currently being marketed for sale at £1.3 million. Fees at Millfield cost more than £30,000 per year.

The Bursar of Millfield, Mark Suddaby, told the Daily Mail that in the last five years the school had not had to take a family to court to recover any monies owed as a result of a charge on property.

Mr Suddaby said:

“We understand that school fees are a major financial commitment for parents and that financial situations can change. Taking a charge on homes is the last resort.”

A governor at the school added that a charge was only taken on a family when parents “were in real difficulty” paying their children’s school fees at Millfield.

The Independent Schools Bursars Association said that it was not known how common the practice of independent schools taking a charge on the property of parents had become

The Daily Mail also reports that fees at independent schools have more than doubled since 2000 – the number of pupils attending independent schools fell by around 6,000 between 2009 and 2012.

Duncan Lewis Family Solicitors

Duncan Lewis family and childcare law solicitors can advise on issues such as divorce and ancillary payments, child contact and residence, child abduction by a parent, co-habiting couples and the law and family mediation –including advising on financial support for children’s education after divorce or judicial separation.

Duncan Lewis is also a leading Legal Aid solicitors – and the Duncan Lewis housing team can advise on debt and mortgage repossession.

For expert legal advice on family and childcare matters, contact Duncan Lewis family solicitors on 020 7923 4020.