Personal Law

A cross-party group of MPs has warned that cohabiting couples may have to wait for several years before legal reforms are implemented to better protect their rights. Joanne Grey Associate Solicitor in our family law team provides an update. The MPs have urged the government to reconsider its timetable and speed things up. Unlike married couples, cohabitants have very few legal protections if their relationship breaks down. This can cause great hardship and…

High Street retail giants WH Smith, M&S and Argos are among more than 200 employers named by the government for failing to pay their lowest paid staff the minimum wage.  Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment & HR provides an update. The 202 employers were found to have failed to pay their workers almost £5 million in a clear breach of National Minimum Wage (NMW) law, leaving around 63,000 workers…

There has been a surge in the number of renters seeking assistance with no-fault evictions, suggesting that landlords are rushing to move people out before new legislation comes into effect. Laura Murphy, Paralegal in our Dispute Resolution team provides an update. According to Citizens Advice, nearly 2,000 individuals sought help with section 21 evictions in May, the highest number recorded in a single month and a 25% increase since May…

Parliament has approved a Bill to ensure victims of domestic abuse can receive financial support for their children without contact with their abuser. Shannon Bateson, Solicitor in our family law team provides an update. The new law will allow the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to intervene on behalf of parents where abuse is evident, using its powers to collect and make payments. This set-up, called Collect and Pay, is already used by…

A technologist has won his victimisation claim after being ‘named and shamed’ by his line manager without a proper investigation. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. The case involved Mr N Chowdhury, who had been a senior critical care technologist at Barts Health NHS Trust since 2001.  In 2021, Chowdhury was involved in a confrontation with a colleague, Mr Patelca, who complained that Chowdhury had…

The Employment Tribunal has ruled that an employee was unfairly dismissed in what amounted to a fait accompli during an inadequate redundancy consultation. Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment & HR reports on this recent case. The case involved Mrs R Khamar, who was made redundant by PIE Pharma after 22 years of service. PIE Pharma said it had to make redundancies in the packaging department because it was adversely…

A former animal keeper has won a claim of unfair dismissal even though she broke company safety rules. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. Morna Gunn was employed at Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre, which houses a variety of domestic and wild animals such as short claw otters and Scottish wildcats that could pose a risk to visitors. Control measures were in place in the park, including…

The government has unveiled a series of employment law reforms aimed at boosting the economy and reducing costs for businesses. Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment & HR provides an update. The measures include changes to the Working Time Regulations 1998, the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE), and non-compete clauses. The measures are set out in the policy paper ‘Smarter Regulation to Grow the Economy’, published by…

The High Court has corrected an error made when changing a trust fund because it would have led to significant inheritance tax liability. Stephanie Johnson Senior Associate Solicitor reports on this recent case. The declaration of trust had been executed in 1992 in respect of a life insurance policy held by the settlor. It identified “possible beneficiaries”, including any children or grandchildren of the settlor, and certain “immediate beneficiaries” (Kate, Adam,…

A team leader with controller of site safety status who nearly caused a rail accident was unfairly dismissed because the delay in dealing with his case took too long and was “wholly unreasonable”. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. That was the decision of the Employment Tribunal in a case involving Network Rail Infrastructure (NRI) and Mr C Boxall. Boxall, who worked as a lubrication…