Our mother died and our stepfather got all my his possessions. He has now passed away and our older sister has claimed everything. We were wondering if we were entitled to anything of our mother’s estate. When she died she never left a will as far as we know.

If you mother had moveable property – i.e. money, a bank account, insurance policy, a car, any assets other than a house (called heritable property), then you may have a claim. However, assuming she was married to your stepfather, then in the absence of a will, he would take the first share of estate as spouse’s prior rights, and often this uses up the whole estate. But if not, then you and your siblings as a group would be entitled to a third of the moveable property between you. if you know who the lawyer is who wound up your mother’s estate, seek information on how the estate was divided up.

Is it legal for the mother of a child to refuse to put the father’s name on the birth lines or to give him the father’s surname?

The unmarried mother that has the child and is looking after it can give him or her the surname she chooses and does not require to register the father’s details. If you can prove you are biologically the father and can offer something to benefit the child’s life you are entitled to apply to court for parental rights – contact or access to you and me. If you had been registered as father on the birth certificate you would have these rights automatically.

I live in an end-terrace and applied for planning permission for an extension I was intending. It was refused. I have discovered that if ground cannot be used for reasonably beneficial purposes in its existing state and cannot be rendered capable of use by development, the owner can serve a purchase notice on the planning authority requiring the purchase of the land’s interest. Does this mean I could get money for the land?

I doubt it. Those provisions, which are rarely used, are for bits of land left over when major construction or development has taken place –roads, airports and the like. The garden of an established residential terrace of houses is unlikely to fall into the category.

I’m an unemployed single parent of two boys. Their dad and I split up but remain friends. He sees them regularly at my home and even stays overnight on the couch from time to time. However, I recently moved house and a neighbour asked me if my partner was enjoying his new home. I am worried the DWP might get the wrong impression and I would get into trouble with my benefits.

Whether your neighbour is being polite or trying to get information to report on you, it is important that you don’t inadvertently slip into a cohabitation situation – wherever your ex is sleeping in the house. Perhaps best to speak to the DWP to check what the exact rules are and keep a record of when he stays.