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The introduction of the new VAT domestic reverse charge for construction services , originally due this October, has been postponed until October 2020. The extended timeframe comes after businesses in the construction sector raised concerns that they would...
A recent case involving a catastrophically injured cyclist whose legal team overcame numerous hurdles to secure him a just settlement illustrates the importance of having specialist support during such proceedings. The man was in his 20s when a car knocked...
In a case illustrating the importance of candour regarding financial circumstances in divorce proceedings, a husband who failed to disclose the true extent of his wealth to family judges was subsequently ordered to pay his ex-wife a seven-figure lump sum,...
Investors using the popular online financial investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) may not have heard that the 'loyalty bonuses' they receive from HL have been deemed by the Upper Tribunal (UT) to be taxable income in the hands of the recipients and...
In a recent property case that will have a bearing on all contractual matters, the High Court ruled that a footer automatically appended to an email amounted to a legal signature and led to a contract for the sale of land being formed. A couple who owned...
Many parents of children who are born disabled care for them alone without any support. However, as a High Court case showed, looking into the exact circumstances surrounding the birth to see if there are grounds for pursuing a personal injury claim is a...
New homes built in the grounds of existing residences make a valuable contribution to meeting burgeoning housing demand. However, as a decision of the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) showed , restrictions lurking in antique title deeds can stand in the way of...
If you have suffered an accident at work and you believe that your employer was to blame, you should seek legal advice right away. A florist's assistant who did just that after he fell while carrying a heavy glass vase has secured the right to substantial...
Few employees would say no if offered shares in the companies for which they work. However, as an important decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) showed, accepting such offers can in some circumstances involve the sacrifice of employment rights. ...
The idea that you cannot achieve compensation for road accident injuries if you were in any way to blame for what happened is simply wrong. This point was made by the case of a vulnerable pedestrian who was hit by a car as he crossed the road when the...
Shareholder disagreements as to the direction a company should take are generally fought out behind closed doors. However, as a High Court case concerning the future of a troubled pharmaceuticals company showed, judges are always there to act as umpires...
If a loved one upon whom you depend financially fails to make reasonable provision for you in his or her will, judges have the power to put that right. However, there are time limits that apply to such proceedings and that is why it is vital to consult a...
Patent protection is a valuable privilege that is only afforded to ideas and products that are genuinely novel and inventive. In a case on point, the High Court declared invalid two patents in respect of plastic food packaging on the basis that the central...
If injuries result from a public authority's failure to match up to its legal duties, it is only right that compensation is paid. The High Court made that point in ruling that a failure to properly maintain a street lamp was, in part, the cause of an...
Record employment levels mean strong demand for office space, but the need for more new homes is perhaps even more pressing. A case concerning proposals to convert an office block into 114 flats highlighted the difficulty of balancing those requirements. ...
Family judges are always absolutely focused on the welfare of children and will not shrink from grasping nettles to give them the best chance of leading fulfilled and happy lives. That was certainly so in one case in which a judge ordered that a baby boy be...
Despite the best efforts of the NHS, it is inevitable that medical mistakes are sometimes made and, when they are, it is important to ensure that victims are fairly compensated. One such case, brought on behalf of a nine-year-old boy left gravely disabled...
People have all sorts of reasons for choosing not to eat meat, and that prompted an Employment Tribunal (ET) to rule that vegetarianism is a lifestyle choice, rather than a philosophical belief protected under the Equality Act 2010 . The case concerned a...
Responses to a report from the Civil Justice Council (CJC) setting out proposed measures to better support and protect vulnerable witnesses and parties in civil proceedings are due to be considered following public consultation. The CJC wants to ensure 'a...
Trust deeds can be an effective means of managing family wealth and minimising tax liabilities but, as a High Court decision strikingly showed , any mistakes in their drafting can have serious repercussions for generations to come. The case concerned a...
No amount of money can ever fully compensate those whose lives are wrecked by road accidents – but an award in damages can at least ensure that victims are cared for as well as they possibly can be. In a good example of that happening, a little boy who...
It may seem obvious that no one can own a wild animal. However, in a novel case of interest to property professionals – and anglers – the High Court has ruled that there are nevertheless property rights in wild fish held in captivity in a...
If you are facing an investigation by the tax authorities, your very first step should be to seek professional advice. One taxpayer who sadly chose not to take that course, instead burying his head in the sand, narrowly escaped a six-figure back-tax bill. ...
Building sites can be dangerous places and it is obviously right that those who suffer injury due to their employers' failure to take appropriate precautions should be fully compensated. In one recent case, a worker who sustained grave head injuries when he...
Flat tenants in certain circumstances have the right to band together and acquire the freehold of the blocks in which they live. However, as a High Court decision showed , the process of doing so is replete with legal pitfalls and those who fail to take...
