CONSTRUCTIVE TRUSTS AND THE HOMEMAKER

To what extent, following the decisions in Stack v Dowden and Abbott v Abbott, may a claimant acquire beneficial ownership in the family home under a constructive trust relying purely on domestic contributions as homemaker? The writers examine this question against the background of single and joint ownership cases and suggest that, in the light of recent judicial pronouncements, the criteria for establishing a common intention constructive trust enunciated by Lord Bridge in Lloyds Bank plc v Rosset may have been eroded so as to allow for a much broader inquiry of the claimant’s contributions to support a constructive trust. In particular, it is submitted that this may allow the English courts to consider the same factors for both establishing and quantifying the claimant’s interest in the property which, in turn, may pave the way for a closer assimilation between single and joint ownership cases in this field