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Those who have suffered sexual abuse are entitled to expect that the perpetrator will be punished by the criminal courts – but they may also be due compensation. In one case, a junior member of a religious organisation who was raped by one of its...
Adoption of children outside their natural families is always a last resort and will only be permitted if nothing else will do. The Court of Appeal made that point in coming to the aid of a couple whose son was taken from their care when he was just two...
Road accidents which have lifelong consequences frequently occur in the blink of an eye and that can make it very difficult to ascertain who was to blame. However, as a High Court case showed, experienced lawyers are adept at cutting such gordian knots and...
If you are involved in a dispute with your builder, taking sound legal advice is by far the best means of ensuring that matters do not get out of hand. One householder who failed to take that sensible course found himself embroiled in costly legal...
Co-ownership of land by family members can be intensely problematic if they do not see eye to eye as to the use to which it should be put. A High Court case on point focused on a naturalist's ambition to 'rewild' farmland he and his brother had jointly...
New rules surrounding the payment of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on profits made on the sale of a residential property are now just weeks away. Taking effect on 6 April 2020, the changes will reduce the amount of time individuals have to pay their CGT bill and...
Accidents are always unexpected, but some are more so than others. In one case, a businessman who was struck on the head by a falling rugby post whilst watching his son play in a junior game received substantial compensation for his injuries. The man, aged...
It is hardly surprising that confidential or privileged documents which have or may have been illegitimately obtained cannot be used in evidence. However, as the High Court made clear in the context of a big money divorce case , that rule does not apply...
Victims of serious accidents often believe that they face a long wait before receiving just compensation – but the wheels of justice can move surprisingly quickly. In one case, it took little more than a year to achieve a seven-figure settlement for a...
Letting your land stand vacant, going to rack and ruin, inevitably carries the risk that a squatter will obtain title to it. A woman who inherited a small but strategic strip of land from her builder father came within an ace of suffering that fate. The...
Accident victims who suffer head injuries often have no memory of how they came to grief and, in the absence of other witnesses, that can create obvious difficulties in claiming compensation. However, as a High Court case showed, overcoming such problems is...
There is a general principle that a person may leave their estate to anyone they wish, but legislation exists – the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 – to allow people dependent on a deceased person to claim against the...
The Government is warning people to be on alert for fraudsters posing as court bailiffs and enforcement officers on the telephone. After claiming to be County Court bailiffs, High Court Enforcement Officers (HCEOs) or Certificated Enforcement Agents (CEAs),...
Cyclists almost always come off worst in collisions with motor vehicles, but they at least have the comfort of knowing that specialist lawyers are there to ensure they are fairly compensated. In a case on point, a man who suffered catastrophic injuries when...
Race discrimination may not be intentional, but it can be deeply hurtful and, with the right legal advice, victims can both express their disgust and secure compensation. In a striking case on point , a Sikh couple who were rejected as potential adopters...
Slips and trips can have devastating consequences and, if you are a victim of such an accident and believe someone else was to blame, you should seek legal advice without delay. A mother who did just that after slipping on the damp floor of a supermarket...
Couples can sometimes be tempted to enter into property transactions together without taking legal advice, on the basis that the love and trust between them will last forever. However, a High Court ruling strikingly showed how misguided such assumptions can...
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) may appear a very big battalion indeed but, with the right legal advice, individuals can succeed in overturning their decisions. Exactly that happened in a case concerning a couple who lost over £6 million in a disastrous...
Public authorities are under a duty to protect mentally ill people for whom they bear responsibility from foreseeable risks of injury. In a case on point, a schizophrenia sufferer who was gravely injured in a fall from a first-floor window after being...
What exactly is a will? The High Court addressed that fundamental issue in resolving a bitter family dispute in respect of where a much-loved son and husband should be buried. Following the man's death from cancer, his mother insisted that he should be...
Road accidents occur in seconds but have consequences that often last a lifetime. That was certainly so in the case of a young woman who received seven-figure compensation after being struck down by a hit-and-run motorist. A few days before Christmas, the...
One of the hardest tasks that family judges have to undertake is to remove children from the care of parents who are incapable of looking after them. However, as one case showed , adoption of children outside their natural families is only ever a last...
Allowing people to occupy your property on the basis of a handshake is an invitation to misunderstandings and costly dispute. The point was proved by a case in which the trustee of an agricultural estate found himself in court after he informally permitted a...
Accident victims who exercise their right to seek compensation often face claims that they are malingering or over-egging their injuries. However, as a High Court decision showed, judges require firm evidence before finding such serious allegations proved. ...
If you have been deceived by a salesman into paying too much for dodgy goods, you should see a lawyer right away. The disappointed buyer of a crash-damaged Ferrari sports car who did just that was awarded his money back by a judge. The buyer was attracted...
Local councils are responsible for maintaining many miles of highways, pavements and other public roads, and when hazards arise, they can be liable to pay compensation for any injuries that result. Figures obtained following a freedom of information request...
Can a purchaser of a property be said to 'own' it after contracts are exchanged but before the transaction is completed? The Court of Appeal's answer to that fundamental question delivered a substantial Capital Gains Tax (CGT) saving to an off-plan flat...
Cyclists are amongst the most vulnerable of road users but, if they suffer accidents that are not their fault, specialist lawyers are always there to ensure that they are fairly compensated. In one case, a woman who was gravely injured when a van driver...
The trouble with informally agreeing with your loved ones what is to happen to your assets after you are gone is that you may not have considered all eventualities, and disputes can arise as to what has and has not been promised. Exactly that lay at the root...
English judges are respected around the world – but they are not the sole arbiters of fairness and the decisions of foreign courts must be respected. A family judge made that point in shutting the door on divorce tourism and refusing a Russian...
Accidents may strike anywhere, at any time, and can have lifelong consequences. In a case on point, a pub customer who suffered a severe ankle fracture when a bar stool collapsed underneath him secured almost £200,000 in compensation. Although the...
One secret of a happy life is to get on well with your neighbours and taking legal advice is often the best way of defusing rows before they get out of hand. The point was resoundingly made by a case in which escalating boundary and right of way disputes...
Child abuse is a scourge on society, and with the right legal advice, victims can secure just compensation for the frequently dire impact it has on their lives. In one case, a young man who was repeatedly molested by a neighbour when he was very young was...
The legal position of 'cryptoassets' – those which exist in electronic form and are held on distributed ledgers, bitcoins being the best-known example – has not been certain in the past. However, a recent legal statement by the Chancellor of the...
If you have been injured at work and feel that your employer was to blame, there are very good reasons why you should consult a solicitor immediately. A teacher who failed to take that sensible course after he was assaulted by a group of pupils jeopardised...
Failing to take professional advice and keep accurate accounts is like holding a red rag up to the HM Revenue and Customs bull. In a case on point, an international businessman who claimed to keep details of his income and expenditure 'in his brain' was...
Litigation can be long and bitter, but it is the prime objective of the justice system to eventually bring it to a satisfactory end. In a case on point, the High Court came to the aid of a husband in drawing a line under his divorce . The case concerned a...
A horse rider has secured compensation for the injuries she suffered when she fell from her horse after the animal was frightened by the sound of two motorbikes revving their engines. The woman was on her way back to the yard with her stepson when a...
For a Will to be valid, the testator (the one making the Will) must be ‘of sound mind’ at the time of making and signing the Will. This means that they must be capable of understanding and approving of the contents and effects of the Will. With...
Defects in workplace equipment can cause devastating injuries and employers should take careful note of a High Court case in which a nurse secured six-figure compensation after an office chair collapsed underneath him. The nurse, who worked in a...
Landowners who neglect or fail to make use of their properties put themselves at risk of losing them to squatters. In a recent case on this subject, a woman faced a neighbour's claim that he was entitled to her field, having cut the grass for years. The...
Personal injury lawyers confront tragedy on a daily basis but are often left in awe of the courage displayed by severely injured accident victims. That was certainly so in one case concerning a young man who fought his way back to independence after...
Establishing a company to act as an intermediary between yourself and the clients to whom you provide your services can have substantial tax advantages. As a case involving a broadcast journalist showed, however, such arrangements are pointless if the...
Amidst the emotional and financial destruction that can arise from divorce, keeping a sense of proportion is crucial. The Court of Appeal made that point in lamenting a former couple's expenditure of more than £500,000 in legal costs fighting over an...
Allowing your will to become out of date stores up trouble for your loved ones. That was strikingly so in one case in which a successful businessman suffered a stroke before he could make a new will taking account of his changed financial and personal...
Restaurants that fail to meet food hygiene standards not only put their reputations in jeopardy but also expose themselves to compensation claims by their clients. In one case, a woman who suffered severe food poisoning after eating out at an Indian...
It is well established that employers can be held legally responsible for the misdeeds of their employees, but what about the misdeeds of self-employed subcontractors? The High Court addressed that tricky issue in a guideline case concerning a bricklayer who...
Millions of people who invest their pension pots in annuities can ultimately rely on the law to guarantee their financial security. In a case on point, the High Court overruled financial regulators and refused to sanction the transfer of about 370,000...
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,...
