Elderly homeowners are often tempted to transfer their properties to loved ones in the hope of saving Inheritance Tax (IHT) or avoiding care home bills. However, as any good lawyer will tell you, and as a High Court case clearly showed, the wisdom of such
Elderly people who depend on others for companionship and care are vulnerable to exploitation, and that is why it is so vital that they have access to independent legal advice. In a case on point, a judge came to the aid of a widow whose
When considering allegations of workplace gross misconduct, it is often not enough simply to establish that a forbidden act occurred, without going on to discern the reasons for it and whether those reasons are linked to a disability. A tribunal made that point in finding
Most people feel a moral obligation to care for elderly relatives, but a legal duty to do so only arises where they lack the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. The Court of Appeal made that point in quashing the conviction of a woman
Legal documents once had to be placed in someone’s hands, or at least mailed to his or her registered address, to be validly served. However, a Supreme Court decision of particular interest to property professionals revealed the law’s gradual acceptance of electronic means of service.
The constraints on public expenditure are such that a government grant in respect of one project is frequently met by objections by the promoters of another. That was certainly so in a High Court case in which a choice had to be made between furthering
Private property rights matter and those who trample on them usually pay a heavy price. That was certainly so in one case in which a high-handed and opportunistic property developer constructed affordable housing in knowing breach of restrictive covenants that protected the rights of a
Online taxi company Uber has failed to convince the Court of Appeal that drivers who make use of its app are self-employed contractors, rather than ‘workers’ within the meaning of the Employment Rights Act 1996. However, in a rare move, the company has been granted
The police do a difficult job, but when they breach their duties and injury or death results it is only right that compensation is paid. In one case, a judge ruled that officers violated the human rights of a teenage motorist who died in a
Judges often have opportunities to bring about fundamental changes in the law, but they always keep a weather eye to the impact of such changes on the real world. In a case on point, the Court of Appeal declined to alter the long-standing principles of
