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A man who illegally acted as a company director while bankrupt has been handed a suspended sentence. He had been declared bankrupt in October 2021. However, investigations by the Insolvency Service revealed that he had operated as a director of four...
The law affords testators a high degree of freedom to pass on their estates to whomever they wish, and the fact that the terms of a will may seem unfair to relatives is not enough to successfully challenge it. This point was illustrated by a recent case in...
The Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) that a man who volunteered as a coastguard with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) was a 'worker' for the purposes of Section 230(3) of the Employment Rights Act 1996 ...
As announced in the Autumn Budget 2025, the van benefit charge and the car and van fuel benefit charges will increase from 6 April 2026, in line with the Consumer Price Index. The van benefit charge applies where an employer provides an employee with a...
The courts are alert to the risk of divorcing couples being less than honest about their assets and liabilities in financial remedy proceedings. Recently, the Family Court rejected a husband's assertion that he owed £1.6 million to a company owned by...
The Court of Appeal has allowed a local planning authority's appeal against an award of costs made against it by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government after it withdrew its support for a planning application. A developer had...
Under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 , landlords may evict tenants who have an assured shorthold tenancy which is a periodic tenancy or a fixed-term tenancy that has expired by giving at least two months' notice. However, a Section 21 notice cannot be...
A woman who was subjected to defamatory posts on Facebook has succeeded in having them removed after taking legal advice. The woman and her husband had started to feed and look after a cat that had been coming into her garden. The cat subsequently...
Under Section 188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 , employers that are proposing to dismiss as redundant 20 or more employees at one establishment within a period of 90 days or less must consult appropriate representatives...
The Family Court recently granted a local authority permission to withdraw an application for a care order in respect of a two-year-old girl, after the local authority concluded that, in the light of the medical evidence, it would not be able to meet the...
When seeking investment, businesses should ensure that any information a prospective investor might rely on when deciding to invest is accurate. Recently, the Court of Appeal dismissed a company director's appeal against an award of damages to two...
People have a great level of freedom to leave their estates as they choose and disappointed relatives must overcome a high hurdle to successfully challenge a will . Recently, the daughter of a woman who made a will leaving her entire estate to one of her...
Rule 22 of the Tribunal Procedure (Upper Tribunal) Rules 2008 provides that, where the Upper Tribunal (UT) refuses permission to appeal against a decision of the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) or gives only limited permission, it must give reasons for its...
The First-tier Tribunal (FTT) has found that a repayment of Income Tax due to a taxpayer who had died during the relevant tax year formed part of her estate for Inheritance Tax (IHT) purposes. The taxpayer had died on 18 December 2020. Her son, who was...
The government has announced the new rates of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) and parental leave pay that will apply from 6 April 2026. The rate of SSP will increase from £118.75 per week to £123.25 per week. The rates of Statutory Maternity Pay,...
A guide to issues relating to property boundaries is available on the government's website. The guide notes that, in England and Wales, there is usually no record of the exact boundary between two properties or the ownership of boundary features between...
The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill, which was announced by the government in the King's Speech following the last general election, was introduced to Parliament on 12 November 2025. The Bill will reform and add to the ...
The Family Court has rejected a husband's application to set aside a financial remedy order made in his absence after he ceased to participate in the final hearing. The husband and wife had separated in 2022 after 15 years of marriage. On the first day of...
The Upper Tribunal (UT) recently set aside a decision of the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) upholding prohibition orders in respect of 15 flats, finding that the FTT had erred in accepting the local authority's calculation of the risk posed by the lack of space...
The best way to minimise the risk of a successful challenge to your will is to have it drawn up by a qualified solicitor. Recently, a woman's challenge to her elderly father's final will was rejected by the High Court . The man had made the will in March...
