Worker was discriminated against after revealing mental ill-health
January 11th 2024A worker whose contract was cancelled within hours of her revealing her mental ill-health was discriminated against on the grounds of disability. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. That was the ruling of the Employment Tribunal in the case of Ms Zalejska and Cameo Consultancy (Recruitment) Limited. Ms Zalejska was appointed to a 12-week assignment at Principal Medical, based at Banbury Cross Health Centre. The…
Government announces ground rent reforms to benefit leaseholders
January 8th 2024The Government has announced proposals to cut ground rents to help homeowners in leasehold properties. Elizabeth Crouch Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of Residential Property provides an update. Housing Secretary Michael Gove has launched a consultation that will set out options including capping ground rents at a so called “peppercorn” rate for existing leaseholders, freezing ground rents at current levels and capping the ground rents at a percentage of the property…
Corporate insolvencies increase by more than 60% in two years
January 3rd 2024The number of corporate insolvencies has increased by more than 60% over the last two years, according to the latest figures from the Insolvency Service. Carly Davies, our Debt Control Manager provides an update. They increased by 17.6% in October 2023 to a total of 2,315 compared to September’s total of 1,969, and increased by 18.5% compared to October 2022’s figure of 1,954. The increase was 64.2% from October 2021’s total of…
Separated couple granted parental rights in surrogacy case
December 18th 2023A couple who separated after having twins through surrogacy have been granted parental rights despite a delay in making their application. Joanne Grey Senior Associate Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. When the couple were in a relationship, the woman was told she would be unable to conceive. The twins were born through surrogacy by the woman’s sister by artificial insemination using the man’s gametes. The couple separated…
UK Business Confidence Survey 2023: Insights from Cartmell Shepherd
December 11th 2023Cartmell Shepherd’s most recent research reveals that a third (35%) of businesses maintain a positive outlook towards the future. This is a slight increase from last year’s 34%, but still less than the 48% recorded in 2021. The survey, carried out in partnership with the UK200Group across the country, also found that 14% of businesses hold a bleak outlook, a significant decrease from the 23% reported in 2022. In retrospect,…
National Living Wage to rise by more than a pound an hour
December 7th 2023The National Living Wage is to rise by £1.02 an hour from next April, increasing the average worker’s pay by £1,800 a year. Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment & HR provides an update. The boost from £10.42 to £11.44 an hour is the biggest increase in the National Living Wage in more than a decade. Eligibility for the new rate will also be extended by reducing the age threshold…
Company loses first attempt to recover £200k ‘paid by mistake’
November 30th 2023A company has failed in its first attempt to recover £200,000 that it claims was paid to a contractor by mistake. Selina Gonzalez Solicitor in our dispute resolution team reports on this recent case. The case involved Bonvilston Vale Ltd v Amser Building Ltd. Bonvilston had hired Amser for a development project. On several occasions, Bonvilston indicated that it would not pay some of the invoices, but later made the requested payment. In…
Court declines to return child to mother in cross border dispute
November 27th 2023The Family Court has refused to return a five-year old girl to her mother in Germany, even though it accepted that she had been habitually resident there before her father took her to England. Shannon Bateson, Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. The case involved a Polish couple who had met and started a relationship while living in England. Their daughter was born in England in 2018.…
Proposed ban on no-fault eviction of tenants postponed indefinitely
November 22nd 2023The government has announced that it is postponing its proposed ban on no-fault ‘Section 21’ evictions. Laura Murphy, Paralegal in our Dispute Resolution team provides an update. Ministers say the indefinite delay is needed until the court system has been reformed and updated. The ban would have been one of the central proposals in the Renters Reform Bill, which was part of the Conservative 2019 election manifesto. However, Housing Secretary…
New measures to tackle parents who refuse to pay child maintenance
November 15th 2023The Government is planning new measures to deal with parents who refuse to pay child maintenance. Amy Fallows Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of our Family Law team reports. Those who fail to meet their obligations will face accelerated sanctions following the introduction of powers to speed up enforcement action and other reforms to make the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) fairer. A consultation is now taking place on the use of liability orders…
