Woman fails to overturn mother’s Will that benefited estranged sister
January 24th 2023A woman has failed to overturn her mother’s Will, after claiming it left too much to her estranged sister. Peter Stafford, Managing Director and Head of Business Services reports on this recent case. The mother was 78 years old when she died. She had always been close to one of her daughters but was estranged from the other. In 2012, she made a Will that left her entire estate to…
Contract terms didn’t prevent damages claim over mouldy meat
January 20th 2023A food storage company could not use a trade body’s general terms as a way of avoiding a compensation claim from a customer as they had not been incorporated into their contract. Selina Gonzalez Solicitor in our dispute resolution team reports on this recent case. The case involved Scotbeef Ltd and D&S Storage Ltd (In Liquidation). In 2017, Scotbeef arranged for some of its meat to be stored by D&S. There was no…
Landlord can’t recover cost of serving ground rent notice
January 17th 2023The Court of Appeal has ruled that a landlord’s costs of preparing and serving a notice requiring payment of ground rent could not be recovered from the tenant as part of an administration charge. Natalie Tatton Solicitor in our dispute team provides an update. The case involved Avon Ground Rents Ltd and Philipp Stampfer Avon held the freehold to two blocks of flats. The tenant, Mr Stampfer, held a long lease of…
Father ordered to pay into housing fund for son and former partner
January 13th 2023A father has been ordered to contribute to a fund to buy a home for his son and former partner, and to pay their rent until he had paid his share of the fund in full. Shannon Bateson, Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. The parents had cohabited but never married. They separated in 2018, after which the mother sought financial provision for their seven-year-old son. In…
Review to help small businesses tackle late payment problems
January 9th 2023The government has announced a comprehensive review into tackling late payments for small businesses. It has also urged large companies to pay their suppliers promptly. Carly Davies, our Debt Control Manager provides an update. Ministers say they’re concerned that small businesses routinely spend significant time and resources chasing late payments from businesses they supply. This can lead to cash flow problems, putting their firms at risk and preventing them from growing. Most…
Mortgage Guarantee Scheme for first-time buyers is extended
January 5th 2023The government has extended the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme for another year to help more first-time buyers get on to the property ladder. Elizabeth Crouch Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of Residential Property provides an update. Under the scheme, the government offers lenders the financial guarantees they need to provide mortgages that cover the other 95%, subject to the usual affordability checks, on a house worth up to £600,000. Launched in April…
Redundancy criteria that led to dismissal of nurse was unfair
December 20th 2022A nurse has won her claim of unfair dismissal after she was made redundant simply because her contract renewal was coming round earlier than her colleague’s. Joanne Stronach Director and Head of Employment & HR reports on this recent case. Karen Regan worked as a Band 6 nurse for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Her employment had consisted of a series of fixed-term contracts since 2016, There was another Band…
Child can stay with mother in his place of habitual residence
December 16th 2022A mother has successfully appealed against a decision ordering the return of her eight-year-old son to Germany under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 1980. Shannon Bateson, Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. The mother was Ugandan and the father was German. Their son was born in Uganda in 2014. The relationship ended and the father returned to Germany. The boy spent…
Director liable for company debt after breaching Insolvency Act
December 13th 2022The director of an insolvent company has been told he is personally liable for debt that was incurred when he acted in breach of the Insolvency Act. Laura Murphy, Paralegal in our Dispute Resolution team reports on this recent case. The case involved Mr Langdon, who was director of DYLG, which was in liquidation. DYLG had entered into a contract with PSV 1982 Ltd in September 2017. It breached the…
Large increases to minimum wage rates to combat inflation
December 5th 2022The Low Pay Commission has announced large increases in minimum wage rates to combat falling living standards caused by rising inflation. Jennifer Cafferky Solicitor in our employment team, reports on this recent case. It means the National Living Wage (NLW) will rise to £10.42 from 1 April 2023, an increase of 92 pence or 9.7 per cent. The full changes are: Rate from April 2023Current rate (April 22 to March 23)IncreaseNational…
