The modern phenomenon known as ‘cuckooing’ – whereby drug dealers set up shop in the homes of vulnerable householders – poses an increasing problem for social housing providers. However, as a High Court case showed, judges are willing and able to take firm action to protect the
Those who fail to make reasonable provision for their dependants in their wills can have their wishes overridden by judges after they are gone. However, in one case, a woman failed to increase her share of her aristocrat father’s £1.3 million estate after a judge
Where a company defaults in meeting its tax obligations, its directors may in certain circumstances be held personally liable. However, as an instructive decision of the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) showed, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) face an exacting task in piercing the corporate veil in
The fairness or otherwise of pre-nuptial agreements continues to be a burning issue in English divorce cases. However, in a guideline decision, the Court of Appeal has made clear that their enforceability frequently depends on whether they make reasonable provision for dependants, particularly children. The
Byways and green lanes are part of the glory of the English countryside, but walkers, equestrians and cyclists do not always live easily with off-road vehicles that are also entitled to use them. However, as a High Court case showed, they are generally open to
Compensation awards to clinical negligence victims may seem generous, but long lives and the escalating costs of care mean that they are no larger than needed. That was certainly so in the case of a seriously disabled 11-year-old girl whose lawyers succeeded in negotiating a
The careful scrutiny given to trade mark applications applies to multinationals with just the same rigour as it does to modest businesses. In a High Court case on point, a small company successfully blocked Jaguar Land Rover Limited’s bid to establish exclusive use of a
Confidential information is the very lifeblood of many businesses and, if it is removed without authority by untrustworthy employees, it can be very hard to retrieve. As one case showed, however, judges have a range of emergency powers that can be used to ensure that
Do the common parts of an apartment building include the airspace above it and the subsoil beneath? In an important ruling in the context of leasehold enfranchisement, a tribunal has answered that question in the affirmative. A majority of residential tenants in a block of
The existence of oral agreements is easily asserted but very hard to prove, and that is one good reason why important deals should be in writing and professionally drafted by a lawyer. In a case on point, a businessman received nothing following the multi-million-pound stock
