Latest News

Certificate of Lawful Development Granted for Annexe

A woman has succeeded in obtaining the right to continue living in an annexe next to her son's house. The annexe was situated on a farm the woman owned and had originally been a stable block. When planning permission to convert it into an annexe was granted...

Film Company's Unjust Enrichment Claim Struck Out

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a film company's claim for unjust enrichment against two companies involved in making Rogue One: A Star Wars Story should be struck out, overturning earlier rulings that the claim should proceed to trial. The actor Peter...

Farmer Entitled to Buy Out Brother's Share in Partnership

A recent case in which the Court of Appeal confirmed that a farmer was entitled to buy out his brother's interest in a family farming partnership illustrates the wisdom of having a partnership agreement in place which specifically details the rights and...

Family Court Departs from Equality in Big-Money Divorce Case

The Family Court has ruled in financial remedy proceedings that a departure from an equal division of assets was appropriate in view of the fact that riskier and less liquid business assets would be retained by the husband. The husband and wife had met in...

Employment Rights Act 2025 - Timetable for Implementation

The government has updated the timetable for implementing key changes in the Employment Rights Act 2025 . A number of measures relating to trade unions and industrial action, including protections against dismissal for taking industrial action, came into...

Mixed-use Premises is a Dwelling, Court of Appeal Rules

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a mixed-use premises was a 'dwelling' , as defined in Section 38 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 , and the tenants therefore benefited from the controls over the levying of service charges in the Act. The tenants...

Bank Transfers to UK Accounts Were Remittances, UT Rules

In a case concerning a taxpayer who was not domiciled in the UK, the Upper Tribunal (UT) has upheld a decision that transfers from his overseas bank accounts to UK bank accounts of non-relevant persons amounted to taxable remittances under Section 809L of...

Delusions Rendered Man's Will Invalid, High Court Rules

The High Court has ruled that a will made by a man who was suffering from delusions caused by late-onset schizophrenia was invalid for want of testamentary capacity. In late 2013, the man had become concerned that someone was trying to break into his home...

ICO Guidance on Data Protection and Information Rights

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) provides guidance for the public on data protection and information rights on its website. Guidance is available on the following topics: making a Subject Access Request to find out if an organisation is...

VAT on Share Sale Fees Not Deductible, Supreme Court Rules

The Supreme Court has ruled that a hotel company could not deduct input VAT on professional fees relating to the sale of a subsidiary company. The company received management fees from a wholly owned subsidiary which operated a luxury hotel in Birmingham....

EAT Allows Unfair Dismissal and Disability Discrimination Appeal

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has allowed a woman's appeal against a decision of the Employment Tribunal (ET) that she was not entitled to compensation for unfair dismissal because, had the employer followed a fair procedure, she would have been...

Ruling that Driveway Included in Conveyance Overturned

When disagreements arise between neighbours about the ownership of land, it is invariably best to try to reach an amicable solution rather than engage in litigation. In an unusual case concerning the ownership of a driveway , the Upper Tribunal (UT)...

ICO Reprimands Post Office Over Data Breach

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to the Post Office following a data breach in which it published the personal data of postmasters involved in group litigation relating to the Horizon IT scandal. In April 2024, it was...

Court Gives Indication of Outcome in Financial Remedy Proceedings

In a recent ruling on a wife's application for a financial remedy order , the Family Court accepted that her caring responsibilities for the couple's son justified a departure from the sharing principle. The Court handed down its judgment as an indication...

BPR and APR Allowance Increased to £2.5 Million

The government has announced that the allowance for Business Property Relief (BPR) and Agricultural Property Relief (APR) will be £2.5 million when it is introduced on 6 April 2026, rather than £1 million as originally proposed. The government...

Man Who Illegally Acted as Company Director Sentenced

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...

Woman's Decision to Disinherit Great-Nephew 'Not Irrational'

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...

'Volunteer' Coastguard Was a Worker, Court of Appeal Rules

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 ...

Annual Increases in Vehicle Benefit Charges for 2026/27

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...

Family Court Rejects Husband's Claim That He Owed £1.6 Million

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...
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