News

The 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.…

The 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…

The 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…

The Government has announced a new set of measures to help small businesses tackle the issue of late payments. Carly Davies, our Debt Control Manager provides an update. The measures will be included in the upcoming Prompt Payment & Cash Flow Review and are designed to improve delivery and enforcement of policies, enabling more small businesses to get paid on time. Late payment of invoices and long payment terms are key issues…

A clause imposed a single liability cap for all claims arising out of a multi-million-pound contract; it did not include multiple caps with a separate limit applying to each claim.  Rob Winder Senior Associate Chartered Legal Executive in our Dispute Resolution team reports on this recent case. That was the decision of the Technology & Construction Court in a dispute involving Drax Energy Solutions Ltd v Wipro Ltd. Wipro provided…

A LEADING legal firm is recruiting local talent by offering a wider range of career pathways into the industry. Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors has welcomed four new members of staff by providing different routes into employment, underlining the legal firm’s commitment to developing and supporting individuals’ legal knowledge and expertise. Joseph Halvorsen, 22, will continue his studies in law while working at Cartmells as an apprentice solicitor, while Sam Fawcett, 23,…

The 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…

The 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…

A 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…

A waste management company has failed to get a court injunction preventing former employees from allegedly copying its business model and setting up as a rival. Mark Aspin Director and Head of Dispute Resolution reports on this recent case. The case involved Waste Managed Ltd. It made allegations of unlawful means conspiracy, misuse of confidential information, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty against former employees who had set up a rival…