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When a construction dispute arises and a pay less notice is issued, the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 requires that the notice should specify the sum considered to be due and the basis on which that sum is calculated. In a recent...
Many wills contain clauses which alter the distribution of assets in the event of changing circumstances, such as the death of one of the beneficiaries under the will before the person making it. When drafting such clauses, it is essential that they are...
If you have a legitimate legal complaint, any delay in consulting a solicitor is highly likely to benefit the wrongdoer. A man whose home was taken from him by fraud, but who delayed over 20 years before taking legal action, found that out to his cost. The...
UK and EU trade marks are a highly effective means of protecting your brand – but they are subject to territorial limits. The High Court made that point in ruling that it had no power to entertain infringement proceedings brought by British airline...
A woman who fell and twisted her ankle as she left a car park has succeeded in her claim for compensation. In such cases, it is sometimes difficult to ascertain exactly who owns the premises and who is responsible for maintaining them so they do not pose a...
The High Court has dismissed a claim by the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) seeking to overturn a decision of the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) that Deliveroo riders are self-employed, not workers within the meaning of Section 296(1)...
The Government has taken steps to halt the 'Tier 1 Investor' visa scheme after it became clear that it was being used to launder the proceeds of criminal activity and tax evasion. The scheme allowed wealthy individuals to enter the UK and obtain indefinite...
The law relating to the division of family assets on divorce varies widely across the world and the UK is generally regarded as one of the fairer jurisdictions for such financial arrangements in that the assets tend to be divided more equally than in many...
Consumers have a right to expect that the goods they purchase are of satisfactory quality and do not expose them to risk of injury, as was illustrated by a case in which a homeowner won the right to compensation after a furniture unit came apart and fell on...
Childbirth is a happy event but, if things go wrong and your child is left disabled, you should seek legal advice right away. In a recent case, an 11-year-old girl who was struck blind due to clinical negligence following her premature birth won the right to...
Can a building which incorporates parts of structures previously on the same site be described as 'new'? In upholding an enforcement notice that required total demolition of three residential buildings, constructed in breach of planning control, the Court...
Is compensation paid to individuals whose businesses have failed due to mis-selling of financial products subject to Income Tax? In a decision that will disappoint many victims of bank wrongdoing, the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) has answered that question in...
When employees are working 'out of the office', their employer remains responsible for making sure that their working conditions are reasonably safe, and in that context having a safety policy alone is not enough...it must be taken seriously. A recent case...
Inheritance Tax (IHT) is not only payable on the value of the estate of a deceased person, but can also be levied on 'transfers of value' from the deceased's estate in the seven (exceptionally 14) years prior to their death. But what counts as a transfer of...
One of the more interesting aspects of the new Technology Strategy document published by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is that it specifically identifies Artificial Intelligence as a data protection risk to individuals and concludes that it...
You might think that where the boundaries of property lie should be clear, but boundary disputes are a fruitful source of argument in the courts. A recent case arose when, between contracts being exchanged on a property and the completion of its purchase, a...
There is a widespread belief that every UK company director has to file a tax return. Indeed, the Government's own website suggests that being a company director alone means you should register for self-assessment and file a tax return annually. However,...
One of the most tragic effects of serious head injuries can be that victims lose the ability to make rational decisions and can be intensely vulnerable to exploitation by others. However, a case in which a crash victim won seven-figure compensation showed...
It is a mark of a civilised society that anyone who suffers a wrong at the hands of state authorities is entitled to compensation. In a case on point, a prisoner whose release was considerably delayed when the Parole Board was stricken by staff shortages ...
In a landmark judgment, the Court of Appeal has confirmed that individual managers can be held personally liable for dismissal in whistleblowing claims ( Timis and Another v Osipov and Another ). The case concerned the former CEO of an oil exploration...
For those whose loved ones die as a result of clinical negligence, achieving closure can be as important as obtaining just compensation. That was certainly so in one case in which a woman succeeded in proving that her father's death was avoidable and was...
The psychological scars borne by road accident victims can be just as serious as their physical injuries and they are equally worthy of compensation. In a case on point, an aspiring ski instructor who has been left with a fear of mountain roads after a...
The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) exists to deal with complaints between financial service businesses (such as banks, insurance brokers, and loan and mortgage providers) and their customers – some of which are also businesses. Access to the FOS is...
It may sound overcautious to say so, but it is always worth taking legal advice before entering into any significant arrangement, even when it is with a trusted member of the family. Failing to do so has proved to be an expensive lesson for a woman who has...
The health and safety obligations placed upon employers are onerous and failing to meet them in full can have grave consequences. The point was proved by a case in which a haulage company was found liable to pay very substantial damages to a lorry driver who...
