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…
Inheritance TV show highlights real life issues over making a Will
October 25th 2023The Channel 5 TV series, Inheritance, has been gripping audiences with its dramatic story of a family at loggerheads over a Will. Selina Gonzalez Solicitor in our dispute resolution team reports on the case featured in the show. The show features two sisters and a brother who expected to inherit their father’s estate, only to find that he had changed his will without telling them and left everything to his new wife. They…
Employer failed to make reasonable adjustments for disabled worker
October 23rd 2023The Employment Tribunal has ruled that an employer discriminated against a disabled worker by failing to make reasonable adjustments for him. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. The case involved Mr R Poniatowski who worked as a quality control technologist for Wealmoor Limited between 2017 and 2020. In May 2019, he was signed off because of back pain and depression. He was absent for nine…
New law gives workers more control over working patterns
October 12th 2023A new law is set to give millions of workers more control over their working hours and employment patterns. Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment & HR provides an update. The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill, which received the Royal Assent in September, is designed to help people on atypical contracts – including those on zero hours contracts. It introduces a right for workers to request a more predictable…
Divorcing wife unable to force sale of matrimonial home
September 4th 2023A wife has been refused an interim order for the sale of the matrimonial home as part of her divorce proceedings. Shannon Bateson, Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. The Family Court said it didn’t have the power to make such an order. The wife had applied under the Married Women’s Property Act 1882 for an interim order for the sale of, and vacant possession of, the home…
Tougher child maintenance sanctions for parents who fail to pay
August 11th 2023New regulations are being introduced to impose tougher child maintenance sanctions sanctions on parents who fail to pay child maintenance. Joanne Grey Associate Solicitor in our family law team provides an update. The government says the Child Support (Enforcement) Act will see families paid faster as it gives the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) the power to use a liability order to reclaim unpaid child maintenance instead of applying to court and…
High Court dismisses claim alleging forgery of father’s Will
August 4th 2023The High Court has settled a dispute between four siblings over the validity of their father’s Will. Stephanie Johnson, Senior Associate Solicitor, reports on this recent case. The court heard that the father had died on 11 September 2016. He had four children: the claimant and her three siblings (S1, S2 and S3). In a will found after his death, the father left his estate to his first wife, who…
Sexual harassment victim, aged 19, made to feel it was inevitable
August 2nd 2023A 19-year-old sales assistant was made to feel it was inevitable that she would be subjected to sexual harassment from a work colleague. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. The Employment Tribunal hearing the case was critical of the way management at the company dealt with the incidents. All names were anonymised so none of the participants were identified. The tribunal found that Ms D…
Cohabiting couples face long wait for legal protection, MPs warn
July 27th 2023A 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…
WH Smith, M&S and Argos named for not paying staff minimum wage
July 25th 2023High 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…
