For many businesses, the whole point of using the services of agency workers is to cater for peaks and troughs in their demand for labour. The Court of Appeal made that point in rejecting arguments that agency workers have a legal entitlement to work the
Large infrastructure projects almost always require compulsory land acquisitions and that can also mean the extinction of thriving businesses. However, one company which suffered that fate reaped the benefits of professional advice when it was awarded more than £8 million in compensation. The company operated
Raising mortgage finance to buy a home can be seriously challenging for those who do not enjoy high earnings or a perfect credit rating. However, the risks involved in overcoming that difficulty by putting someone else’s name on the title deeds were underlined by a
Judges frequently apply commercial common sense in interpreting contracts – but that does not mean that they will employ hindsight to relieve one side or the other from the consequences of what turns out to be a bad deal. The High Court made that point
What is the difference between an annexe and an extension? That may seem a very narrow distinction, but the tax regime is replete with such fine points and it made a crucial difference to an educational charity in its successful appeal against a VAT demand.
It is only right that assets built up during a long marriage to which husband and wife have contributed equally should be shared 50:50 in the event of divorce – but does that apply to income generated after the marriage ends? In a guideline ruling,
Employers who fail to take comprehensive steps to protect the health and safety of their workforce can expect severe punishment. In one case, a building supplies company was fined more than a year’s profits after two of its employees narrowly escaped death when they were
When deciding whether a document is a binding contract or merely an agreement to agree, the guiding principle is whether the terms are sufficiently clear and certain to be enforceable in practice. In an instructive High Court case, that test was met by a handwritten
Restrictive covenants in employment contracts are an essential means of protecting legitimate business interests. However, as a High Court decision showed, they need careful, professional drafting and examples that are too heavy-handed may not be worth the paper they are written on. The case concerned
So-called squatters’ rights mean that when it comes to land ownership, it really can be a case of use it or lose it. In a case on point, three siblings who let the weeds grow in a field given to them by their father came
