Long Covid sufferer held to be disabled despite regular gym sessions
May 19th 2023A tribunal has ruled that a long Covid sufferer could be classified as disabled despite being able to run a side business and attend regular sessions at the gym. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. The case involved Mr S Bradley who brought an unfair dismissal claim against Cultureshift Communications. Before the claim could proceed in full, it was necessary to determine whether Bradley’s symptoms…
Mediation before court action to be mandatory for separating couples
April 28th 2023Separating couples will be obliged to try mediation before being allowed to go to court to settle disputes over financial and child custody arrangements. Joanne Grey Associate Solicitor in our family law team provides an update. The government announcement is part of a major shake-up of the family justice system. The proposals will see mediation become mandatory in all suitable low-level family court cases excluding those that include allegations or a history of…
Mother’s health must stabilise before she returns abducted son
April 13th 2023The Court of Appeal has overturned a decision that a mother must return her abducted son to Australia. It ruled that her mental health must be given time to stabilise before any order is made. Shannon Bateson, Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. The case involved a 31-year-old British woman and her six-year-old son. The father was Australian. They began a relationship in 2015 and lived together…
Woman loses discrimination claim based on her marital status
March 27th 2023The Employment Appeal Tribunal has overturned a decision that a woman was discriminated against because of her marital status. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. The case involved Mr Graham Ellis and Ms K Bacon, who had both worked for Advanced Fire Solutions Ltd (AFS). Bacon joined AFS Ltd as a bookkeeper in 2005. She later married Mr J Bacon, who was the company’s managing…
Court rejects man’s late attempt to inherit his brother’s estate
March 20th 2023The High Court has rejected a man’s claim that he was entitled to inherit his brother’s estate instead of the brother’s wife. Stephanie Johnson Senior Associate Solicitor reports on this recent case. The issue arose because in September 2002, the deceased had executed a will bequeathing his whole estate to his brother. However, following his marriage in 2010, he had instructed solicitors to draft a new will, but before executing it…
Divorce settlement to be reviewed due to husband’s non-disclosure
March 13th 2023A divorce settlement is to be re-examined by the Family Court because of the husband’s fraudulent non-disclosure of his assets. Julian Nelson, Director in our Family Law Team reports on this recent case. The couple had settled by consent during their divorce in 2010. However, it was subsequently found that the husband had misrepresented his assets, in particular the value of his company. The 2010 order was set aside and, following a…
HR discriminated by taking female’s complaint more seriously than male’s
March 9th 2023A factory worker has won his claim of sex discrimination after his dispute with a female co-worker was not handled in an equal manner by HR. Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment & HR reports on this recent case. Michal Swaciak worked as a team leader production line operative for Rowse Honey from September 2012. In May 2020, a member of his team, Agata Kulaga, was in line for a…
Father committed to prison for failing to return abducted children
March 6th 2023A father has lost his appeal against a decision to commit him to prison for continually breaching orders requiring him to return his abducted children to their mother. Joanne Grey Associate Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. The father was born in Libya; the mother in Malta. They moved to the UK in 2002 and became British citizens. They had three children: a daughter aged 22, who was…
Employability advisor was discriminated against because of disability
February 27th 2023An employability advisor was unfairly dismissed on the grounds of disability discrimination after requesting a suitable work chair. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. That was the verdict of the Employment Tribunal in a case involving Justin Griffiths and Dimensions Training Solutions (DTS). Mr Griffiths’ role was to advise the company on correct practices when making adjustments for employees with disabilities. Griffiths had several ailments…
Maintenance payment methods to be made safer for abuse survivors
February 23rd 2023The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is to clamp down on domestic abuse by providing a safer system for maintenance payments. Joanne Grey Associate Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. Survivors of abuse will be given the choice to allow the CMS to collect and make payments on their behalf – without the consent of an abusive ex-partner. This will prevent perpetrators from using child maintenance as a…
