Latest Legal News

Like many pieces of tax legislation, the 'additional threshold' (AT) for Inheritance Tax (IHT) – which, in simple terms, limits the potential IHT charge on high-value residential properties – is a lot more complicated than it looks at first...

Commercial moneylending is, with good reason, heavily regulated to ensure that unfair advantage is not taken of vulnerable borrowers. In one case that made that clear, two men who provided over £750,000 in finance to taxi drivers without any legal...

With the general election hogging the headlines, the passing of the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 , which received Royal Assent on 27 April 2017, went almost unreported. Although the date on which the Act will come into force has not yet been...

The police do a tough job in tough conditions but their conduct is expected to meet very high standards. In one case that proves the point, an autistic man who was badly bitten by an out-of-control police dog has won substantial compensation. The German...

Exactly when notice of termination takes effect can impact on an employee's entitlement to certain benefits or employment rights. In a recent case, the Court of Appeal ruled that, in the absence of an express term in the employee's contract, notice of...

The effects of breathing in asbestos can be insidious and can take decades to develop – but that should in no way discourage victims from taking legal action. As an example of what can be achieved, the widow of a businessman who died of cancer more...

An interesting use of the law relating to the sale of goods helped a couple whose all-inclusive holiday was ruined by gastroenteritis claim compensation from travel group First Choice recently. They claimed damages under the Supply of Goods and Services...

In October 2016, the Prime Minister commissioned Matthew Taylor, a former policy chief to Tony Blair, to look at how employment practices need to change in order to keep pace with modern business needs. The Review, entitled 'Good Work', has now been...

The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 gives tenants of qualifying premises the right to have the landlord's management functions transferred to a right to manage (RTM) company so that they can take responsibility for managing their premises. The...

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 – often referred to as the 'Whistleblowing' Act – inserted provisions into the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA) in order to protect employees from unfair treatment for reasonably raising, in a...

We all rely on being treated fairly and with respect by officials and their agents, and on them carrying out their duties without inflicting physical harm on us. When they fail in this, determined action can bring compensation for the injuries suffered, as...

Taking legal advice when borrowing for any purpose is important, as a recent case in which a wife faced the possibility of the sale of her home when her husband was made bankrupt shows. When he faced financial difficulties in 2005, the husband raised a...

The Supreme Court has handed down a ruling which means that all married gay couples and civil partners should receive equal pension rights. Under Paragraph 18 of Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010 , employers and pension funds are permitted to exclude...

When a sale of shares in a company is in progress, there are often a large number of threads that have to be tied up and sometimes this leads to unintended consequences. In a recent case, a shareholder had entered into a contractual obligation to a third...

Anyone who gets behind the wheel of a car is driving a potentially lethal weapon and it is only right that damages are payable when negligent motorists wreck lives. In one case, a formerly active pensioner who suffered severe head injuries in a head-on...

Public tendering exercises almost inevitably leave unsuccessful bidders dissatisfied but the courts will only intervene if there is a legal flaw in the process. A consortium behind a failed bid to acquire a government-owned bank found that out when the High...

You can claim tax relief if assets that you have acquired become worthless or loans that you have advanced prove to be irrecoverable. However, in a case that will be required reading for tax professionals, the Upper Tribunal (UT) has ruled that the right...

There are a number of requirements that must be met for a will to be valid and one of these is that the signing of the will must be witnessed by two people who are not beneficiaries. A recent case before the High Court turned on that point. It was brought...

Accident and Emergency department medics work long hours under pressure – but the law still expects them to maintain reasonable levels of competence. The Court of Appeal made that point in guaranteeing substantial compensation to a teenage meningitis...

The Supreme Court has now handed down its judgment in an important case, Essop and Others v Home Office (UK Border Agency) , brought by a group of workers who claimed to have suffered indirect race and/or age discrimination. The Court has ruled that in...

A woman who used to work for a carpet manufacturer has won compensation after being diagnosed with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). She worked as a colour finder and later as a carpet picker for Woodward Grosvenor Co. Ltd in Kidderminster from 1978 until...

The law protects tenants against mistreatment and landlords who ignore their tenants' rights are courting disaster. In one case that strikingly proved the point , a landlord who unlawfully entered his tenant's bedsit and threw out his possessions ended up...

Planning laws are complex and before starting any building work it is always wise to seek professional advice. In one case that proves this point, a couple who almost doubled the size of their country cottage without planning permission were ordered to...

It is astonishing how often disputes over the beneficial ownership of assets become the subject of lengthy court proceedings. In a case decided in March, an argument about the ownership of a property ended up (at huge cost to the loser) in the Court of...

Apportioning responsibility for road traffic accidents is not always straightforward but expert lawyers in the field are well versed in uncovering where the truth lies. In one case, a pedestrian injured on the pavement by a runaway lorry has been guaranteed...