Family Finance and Tax, Martin Kaye and David Salter, Sweet & Maxwell £36

Martin Kaye and David Salter's book cleverly consolidates in one publication the ever-widening aspects of family fiscal matters.

The work is aimed at lay people as well as financial and professional advisers. It is divided into nine concise and well-structured chapters with each chapter being further divided into Key Points, Rules in Outline and Rules in Detail. This makes it easy for readers quickly to find the topic and degree of detail on any particular subject they require.

In addition, the book's introduction includes a handy table setting out examples of a variety of individuals in various situations, such as "cohabitee" or "getting married", and suggests the sections of each chapter that may be of interest and use in each circumstance.

For family practitioners, the book serves as a useful reminder of the matters they should be advising clients about when arranging a settlement or any course of action. The initial chapters provide a guide to assessing the financial position of clients and their children at the time of the initial appointment. The later chapters work through the various tax and other financial implications of, for example, spouses getting divorced or cohabitees separating.

The work concentrates on the tax aspects of the family in its widest sense. Care should be taken, therefore, not to regard this book as an all-encompassing guide, but more as a work of reference to be used in conjunction with other detailed texts as and when necessary.

Indeed, Family Finance and Tax, being aware of its own limitations, informs the reader when further detail on these matters should be sought from other sources.

While it is a valuable addition to a family or general practitioner's library, it should not be forgotten that the format and content of the book make it accessible to lay people and other professional financial advisers.