Until the recent publicity afforded by television shows on the subject, many people might not have realised that ‘heir tracing’ companies exist, let alone that they research ‘promising’ estates by looking at public records and then...
A police civilian worker who was shot during a firearms safety demonstration has won a six-figure sum in compensation. Keith Tilbury, 56, a 999 control room operator at the Thames Valley Police Headquarters in Oxfordshire, was attending a demonstration by a...
Following an evaluation of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 , the Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced earlier this year that it would be introducing a card alert scheme designed to give licensing authorities which choose to adopt it a new...
It is a cardinal rule in court proceedings in the UK that both parties to a disagreement must have a fair chance to state their side of the argument. This is particularly important in family cases, which are often complex and invariably emotionally charged. ...
On average, in December 2008, businesses paid their bills 23.54 days after they were due. In December 2009 this figure had improved to an average of 20.88 days after the due date of the invoice. The impact of good credit control can’t be felt...
In a recent case, the courts had to consider the legality of a commercial arrangement undertaken by a bank with a company, the effect of which was to allow the company to ‘stand in its shoes’ with regard to a commercial lease. At issue was...
The Government has announced that victims of thalidomide, a drug that was prescribed to pregnant women in the 1950s and ‘60s, will share a £20 million compensation package to assist with their health needs as they get older. Thalidomide was...
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has handed down a far-reaching judgment in the long-running case of Coleman v Attridge Law , which concerns the interpretation of the EU Equal Treatment Framework Directive and its impact on disability legislation in the...
A man who suffered severe brain damage when he slipped and fell on an uneven public road in North London has received an interim payment of £75,000. Kyle Bullock, 33, was walking with friends down a steep and poorly maintained road when the accident...
Mayo Wynne Baxter's Clinical Negligence Team are running a free drop-in surgery for people needing advice on medical negligence claims, on Wednesday 28 April, at their offices in Dyke Road, Brighton. The clinic will run from 9.00am to 5.00pm and members...
Employers are reminded that the Government’s new ‘fit note’ regime is due to replace the current system, whereby doctors issue hand-written sick notes, from 6 April 2010. Under the new system, a doctor will provide a patient who is off...
If you enter into a business contract in good faith and it subsequently transpires that the contract was incorrectly authorised or otherwise invalid from the perspective of the other party’s internal regulations, where do you stand? Two recent cases...
Getting your tax right can sometimes be complex and it is often the case that when HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigate a taxpayer, they find that there are irregularities. When these result in an underpayment of tax, HMRC will normally levy interest...
Under the Children Act 1989 , a court may only make a care order or a supervision order if it is satisfied that the child concerned is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm. In a recent case, the Court of Appeal overturned the decision of a...
A gardener who developed a deadly asbestos-related disease has won £205,000 in compensation from his former employers. Mr Gaffney, 57, worked for the University of Liverpool during the 1980s looking after the grounds. He used to take his lunch breaks...
With many companies suffering from the effects of the recession, business owners looking for an exit are thick on the ground. One problem those in this situation face is that if their business is in a fairly weak financial position, it is difficult to take a...
In the case of Shah v First West Yorkshire Limited an Employment Tribunal (ET) has held that an employee who was signed off sick during a pre-arranged holiday period should be allowed to carry over that period of leave to the following holiday year, when...
Retaining records after a person has died is essential in order to be able to demonstrate the amount of Inheritance Tax (IHT) ‘nil rate band’ that is available on the death of a surviving spouse or civil partner. It might easily be thought that...
Recent allegations of bullying within 10 Downing Street have raised the profile of a subject which receives relatively little coverage outside the employment tribunals, in spite of widespread prevalence in the workplace. Workplace bullying is not only...
The parents of an independent school pupil have lost their appeal against a judge’s decision to dismiss their claim that their son’s expulsion from the school amounted to a breach of contract and warranted injunctive relief and the payment of...
An experienced scaffolder who sustained severe injuries in a 40-foot fall has won a £90,000 compensation settlement. Trevor Cox, 43, had worked as a scaffolder for 20 years and had never had an accident before. He had just started dismantling...
Mayo Wynne Baxter are providing free legal advice and support to the organisers the World’s Biggest Pub Quiz which will attempt to beat the Guinness World Record for the largest multi-venue quiz on Thursday March 25, 2010. The event is the...
It is common for a contract to be written so that if one party to it becomes insolvent the contract ceases, but when the contract relates to the creation of something of value to both parties and this is jointly owned, the situation can become more...
If a landlord has concealed or misrepresented facts, it can be ordered to pay a departing commercial tenant compensation for any damages or loss sustained by the tenant that arise as a result of having to quit the premises. The legislation bringing this...
Family break-up is always complicated and when there is a property involved, things can get very complex indeed. In principle, when a couple are cohabiting (not married or in a civil partnership) the property belongs as of right to whoever is shown on the...
