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    VAT Registration Threshold Increased

    Following changes announced in the UK's Spring Budget Statement, the VAT registration threshold for small businesses is set to be increased. Secondary legislation will amend the Value Added Tax Act 1994 to increase the VAT registration and deregistration...

    Valuable Diamond is Crux of Assets Dispute in Court

    The division of matrimonial assets is often the cause of protracted legal proceedings, where parties differ on what is due to whom. In a recent Family Court case , the question of whether or not a £2 million diamond formed part of such assets was the...

    Incoming Bill Will Crack Down on Unfair and Anti-Competitive Practices

    New legislation aimed at stamping out unfair practices and promoting competition in digital markets is set to come into effect later this year, after moving to committee stage in the House of Lords. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, which...

    Ignoring Court Orders Will Always Result in Sanction

    Failing to comply with court orders to bring children back to the UK, in instances where one parent has taken them abroad without the permission of the other, can come at a heavy cost. This point was underlined in a recent contempt hearing at the High Court...

    Nature of Confusion Considered in Pet Insurance Trade Mark Dispute

    The likelihood of 'actual confusion' occurring between two trade marks was put under the spotlight recently in a case coming before the High Court . The case centred on two pet insurers. The claimant alleged that their registered trade mark –...

    HSE Bidding to Reduce Asbestos Exposure in the Workplace

    Reducing asbestos exposure in the workplace is a major thrust of a new awareness campaign launched by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Asbestos: Your Duty aims to improve understanding of what the legal duty to manage asbestos involves. Asbestos...

    Prisoner Unlawfully Evicted from Housing Association Flat Wins Damages

    The concept of unlawful eviction may bring to mind a picture of a malign landlord changing the locks and throwing a vulnerable tenant onto the street. However, a case in which a serving prisoner's protected tenancy was wrongfully terminated during his...

    Evasion of Import Duty - Rolex Watches Seized at Stansted Airport

    Misdescribing goods consigned to the UK with a view to evading import duties is a very serious matter. An American company trading in second-hand luxury watches found that out to its cost when five Rolex time pieces, valued at $59,000, were seized at...

    Relationship Status Put Under Spotlight in Divorce Case

    Divorce proceedings are rarely cut and dry, especially where the passage of time adds complexity to matters. This was certainly so in a recent case that required a Family Court judge to rule on the validity of a decree nisi . The case centred on the...

    Will Execution - Remote Witnessing Legislation Expires

    A legal amendment that was made during the COVID-19 pandemic allowing the witnessing of wills to take place via videoconferencing has officially expired. As of 31 January 2024, the Wills Act 1837 (Electronic Communications) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Order...

    Antiquated Contracts and Commercial Coherence - High Court Ruling

    Where commercial agreements have been operating for many years, one party or another may well feel that they have become hopelessly out of date and unfit for purpose. However, as a High Court ruling showed , even very old bargains will be upheld if they are...

    Psychotherapy Condition Leads to Contact Order Appeal

    Wherever possible, the courts will do what they can to support contact between parents and children but, in some instances, that contact comes with conditions attached. The nature of such conditions was the cause of contention in recent appeal proceedings...

    New Code Aims to Boost Music Streaming Licensing Transparency

    In a world first, the UK's Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published a Code of Practice on Transparency in Music Streaming. The voluntary Code has been developed and agreed by 12 music industry bodies representing music creators, record labels,...

    Beware of Builders Offering Cut-Price Work - Court of Appeal Cautionary Tale

    Every householder should understand the dire risks involved in opening their doors to those promising to carry out cut-price building work. A Court of Appeal decision provided distressing examples of almost the worst that can happen . A householder...

    Work From Home Dispute Raises Key Issue for the Modern Workplace

    As the employment landscape continues to shift in the post-pandemic era, employees and employers can find themselves at odds when it comes to expectations of flexible and remote working. The issue was brought to light at Employment Tribunal (ET) proceedings...

    Should Original Wills Still be Stored in Paper Form? MoJ Consults Legal Profession

    The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has launched a consultation on the storage and retention of original will documents by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). The consultation is intended as a means to challenge the current system of will storage and look at...

    Post-Brexit Biosecurity Border Controls Come Into Effect

    New post-Brexit border controls introduced by the government have now come into effect for animals, plants and plant products imported to Great Britain from the EU. The controls – known as the Border Target Operating Model – apply to products...

    Family Court Transparency Pilot is Extended

    The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary has announced the extension of a groundbreaking Family Court reporting pilot. The Transparency Implementation Group Reporting Pilot is being extended to 16 more courts across the country, after an initial run at the family...

    Couples Who Keep Separate Finances May Still Need to Discuss Tax Affairs

    Even in long-term or married relationships, couples very often operate separate bank accounts and keep their personal finances private from one another. However, as a case concerning the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) showed , such confidentiality...

    Bank Relieved of Compensation Bill Despite Employee's Unfair Dismissal

    Financial institutions are entitled to expect their staff to display a high level of probity. An Employment Tribunal (ET) made that point in denying compensation to a bank employee despite having found that his dismissal was unfair ( Johnson v Santander UK...

    Court Ruling Underlines the Importance of Biodiversity in Planning Decisions

    One of the positive effects of the green revolution is that biodiversity is now a vital factor in many planning decisions. As a High Court case showed , however, it is perfectly possible for an otherwise inappropriate commercial or industrial development to...

    Failing to Make a Professionally Drafted Will Risks Tearing Your Family Apart

    Many grieving families have sadly been torn apart by a loved one's failure to make a professionally drafted will. Exactly that happened in a High Court case concerning two brothers who fell out bitterly over which of them should take charge of...

    Reasonableness of Exclusion Clauses in Hire Purchase Contracts Under Fire

    In a ruling of particular importance to the motor sales industry, the reasonableness of exclusion clauses in hire purchase contracts which seek to avoid liability in respect of goods that are not of satisfactory quality has been thrown into doubt by a Court...

    Grown Up Kids Staying On in the Family Home? What Does That Mean in Law?

    Loving parents often allow their adult children to remain living in the family home for as long as they wish, in the expectation that they will, in due course, fly the nest. In a case that will ring a bell with thousands of families, the High Court...

    A Fair Redundancy Process Requires Consultation at a Formative Stage

    A fair redundancy process requires consultation of affected employees at a formative stage when there is at least the potential for them to influence the outcome. The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) succinctly made that point in finding that a recruitment...

    High Court Considers Limits on the Right of Parents to Name Their Children

    Parents have a right to name their children and, in modern Britain, the options open to them are almost limitless. However, as a High Court ruling showed , there are rare occasions when a parental choice of forename may conflict with a child's welfare. The...

    Under-Insured Commercial Property Occupier Wins Seven-Figure Damages

    Fire is an ever-present threat to occupiers of commercial property and, all too often, they only discover after the ash has settled that they are under-insured. In one such case, however, the High Court came to the aid of a gifts retailer which lost...

    Inheritance - High Court Shows Compassion in 'Mercy Killing' Case

    Where one person unlawfully kills another, the killer usually forfeits their right to inherit any part of the victim's property. As a High Court ruling in an exceptionally sad case showed , however, that general rule may be tempered by compassion in cases...

    How are 'Refer a Friend' Schemes Treated for VAT Purposes? Guideline Ruling

    With a view to generating new client introductions, many public-facing businesses operate so-called 'refer a friend' schemes. In an important decision, the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) pondered the consequences of such arrangements in terms of VAT . An energy...

    Mis-selling of Financial Products - Supreme Court Upholds PPI Claim

    If you have been mis-sold a financial product, any delay in seeking legal advice may jeopardise your right to compensation – but what if facts on which you might found your case have been deliberately concealed from you? The Supreme Court answered...

    Latest HSE Statistics Highlight Prevalence of Work-Related Stress

    Stress, depression and anxiety account for a large proportion of work-related illnesses experienced in Great Britain, according to the latest statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Annual statistics on work-related ill health and workplace...

    Always Seek Legal Expertise to Help Ensure Your Wishes Are Fulfilled

    Having your will drafted by a professional involves only modest expense and has the great advantage of reducing the risk of your bequests being successfully challenged after you are gone. In a case on point, the High Court gave full legal effect to a...

    Business Use of Residential Property - Upper Tribunal Strikes the Balance

    Any proposal to make business use of a purpose-built residential property is likely to draw objections. However, as a case concerning the planned utilisation of an urban dwelling as a privately run home for children in care showed , neighbours' concerns,...

    Family Succession to Secure Tenancies - Court of Appeal Clarifies the Law

    In the realm of social housing, there are few more controversial issues than a child's entitlement to succeed to the secure tenancy of a parent on the latter's death. As a Court of Appeal ruling showed , however, succession rights may quite easily be...

    Are Bonus Clawback Provisions an Unreasonable Restraint of Trade?

    Employment bonuses are commonly awarded on the basis that they must be repaid if recipients leave their jobs within a given period of time. In an important ruling, the High Court considered whether such clawback arrangements are capable of amounting to an...

    Relationship Come to an End? Do You Understand the Tax Implications?

    The end of a relationship will often have important tax implications which might only be apparent to a trained professional. That was certainly so in the case of a woman who, following the collapse of her marriage, was saddled with a substantial Capital...

    First Salvo in Bitter Inheritance Dispute Fired Before Deceased Laid to Rest

    Making a will when your death is imminent is almost never a good idea and is often a positive invitation to dispute between your loved ones after you are gone. In a case on point, the first salvo in a tragic inheritance dispute was fired even before the...

    Football Club's Crowd Control Challenge to Development Kicked Into Touch

    Commercial property owners are often concerned that residential developments may prejudice their longstanding use of their premises. In a High Court case on point , a football club argued that planning consent was granted for thousands of new homes without...

    Divorce - What Happens When Assets are Simply Insufficient to Meet Needs?

    For every headline-grabbing 'big money' divorce case there are hundreds of others where a former couple's assets are simply insufficient to meet their reasonable needs. As a High Court ruling showed, judges take a gender-neutral approach to such cases,...

    Selling a Company? Put Lipstick on a Pig at Your Peril

    When marketing a company, it may be perfectly legitimate to paint its business and prospects in the best possible light. However, as a High Court ruling showed , the thick application of lipstick to a pig may enter the realms of fraud. The case concerned...

    Has Your Home Been Devalued by Public Infrastructure Works?

    To state that location is the only important factor when it comes to valuing a home is a cliché and something of a generalisation. However, as an Upper Tribunal (UT) ruling showed , if public infrastructure works render the location of your property...

    Going Into Business with a Loved One? Don't Dispense with Legal Formality

    Couples who run businesses together are often tempted to dispense with paperwork and rely solely on trust. As a High Court ruling showed, however, any relationship may come to an end, leaving both sides wishing they had taken a more formal approach at the...

    Resignation in the Heat of the Moment - EAT Sets Out the Legal Principles

    When an employee utters words of resignation in the heat of the moment, employers are often left in doubt as to whether they should take them at face value. In an important ruling, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has for the first time drawn together...

    Where in a Supply Chain Does VAT Come Home to Roost? Guideline Ruling

    In deciding where in a supply chain VAT liabilities come home to roost, tax tribunals look to the economic reality of commercial relationships. That was certainly so in a case of critical importance to the burgeoning online trade in academic papers . The...

    Inheritance - Your Right to Seek Reasonable Provision Dies With You

    If you have not been reasonably provided for in a loved one's will, the law may come to your aid. However, as a High Court ruling made plain , your ability to seek legal redress cannot itself be inherited and will expire on your death. Following the deaths...

    Gender Transition - Deadnamed Employee Wins Substantial Compensation

    Those who undergo the challenging process of gender transition are entitled to their employers' full understanding and support in establishing their new identity. A local authority which woefully failed in that obligation by persistently deadnaming a...

    How Good a Guide is an AIM Listing to a Share's Open Market Value?

    Most investors would agree that the price at which shares are listed on an accredited investment exchange is as reliable a guide as any to their open market value. A tax dispute concerning a gift of shares to charity , however, showed that such an...

    Applications for Fresh Commercial Tenancies - Court of Appeal Guidance

    How does one decide whether a commercial tenant 'ought not' to be granted a new tenancy under Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 ? The Court of Appeal addressed that and other important issues in a guideline case. The tenant of two newsagents'...

    Defiant Mother Sentenced for Refusing Father Contact with Their Child

    Fathers who are denied access to their children are frequently heard to complain that judges do not do enough to support them. In coming down hard on a defiant mother who refused to countenance her child having contact with her father , however, a family...

    Director of Counterfeit COVID-19 Face Masks Supplier Cleared of Fraud

    The corporate veil affords no protection to directors who have behaved fraudulently. However, as was made plain by a case concerning the frenzied market in the supply of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a great difference between...

    This is Why You Should Store Your Will Securely in a Law Firm's Vault

    Law firms focused on ensuring their clients' peace of mind generally provide secure storage facilities for their important documents. A High Court inheritance dispute triggered by a landowner's missing will underlined the risks of keeping such documents at...

    Treating Every Employee in the Same Way May Itself Be Discriminatory

    Anti-discrimination laws are often viewed as requiring employers to treat all their staff in the same way. However, as an Employment Tribunal (ET) ruling made plain, the positive duty to make reasonable adjustments to cater for disabled workers' needs may...

    Quarry Owner Hit Hard in the Pocket for Causing Noise and Dust Nuisance

    Some industrial processes simply cannot be carried on without producing noise and dust. As a High Court ruling showed , however, commercial property owners may be required to pay a high price if their activities enter the realms of nuisance. When a couple...

    Property - Not Every One-Sided Bargain is a Product of Undue Influence

    Where a transaction appears to be very one-sided or manifestly more advantageous to one side or the other, judicial eyebrows are likely to be raised. However, as a High Court ruling showed, such an imbalance does not necessarily mean that a bargain should be...

    Registering a Trade Mark is the Best Way to Protect Your Valuable Brand

    Having worked hard to establish the reputation of your product, there is nothing more annoying than a competitor marketing rival goods under a confusingly similar name. As a High Court ruling showed, however, registering a trade mark is a highly effective...

    Businessman Reaps Whirlwind After Years of Inattention to His Tax Affairs

    Those whose tax affairs are allowed to fall into disarray must live in permanent fear that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will in due course descend upon them. Such anxiety proved well justified in the case of a businessman who was on the receiving end of...

    Contract Adjudicators' Decisions Must Be Honoured Promptly - No Ifs, No Buts

    Those who willingly submit contract disputes to adjudication must, save in very exceptional cases, honour the outcome without delay – no ifs, no buts. The High Court resoundingly made that point in a guideline ruling . The case concerned highway...

    Divorce - This is Why a Clean Break is Usually the Preferred Outcome

    Most divorcees would, wherever possible, prefer to achieve a clean financial break so that they can regain their independence and move on with their lives. A High Court ruling provided a powerful illustration of why that is a sensible choice. The case...

    Not Every Procedural Defect Will Render a Dismissal Unfair - Guideline Ruling

    Deficiencies in a workplace disciplinary procedure will very often render a dismissal unfair – but not always. The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) made that point in finding that a hospital supervisor's dismissal was fair ( Greater Glasgow Health...

    Another Sad Tale of a Farmer's Disinherited Children - High Court Ruling

    The tale of a devoted son labouring for years on a family farm only to be cut out of his father's will is so often told as to be almost a cliché. However, as a High Court ruling showed , such stories are often reflected in the sad and recurring...

    Retail Tenant Forced to Relocate Receives Compensation for Permanent Loss of Profit

    When retail premises are compulsorily purchased by public authorities and forced to relocate, to what extent should compensation be paid for any resulting permanent loss of profit? The Upper Tribunal (UT) considered that issue in a guideline case . ...

    Family Judge Treads the Blurred Boundary Between Life and Death

    The ability of modern medical technology to keep patients' hearts beating and their lungs ventilating has led to a blurring of the boundary between life and death. As a High Court ruling showed , it sometimes falls to family judges to make the desperately...

    Suppression of Takings - HMRC Rains on Takeaway Pizza Company's Parade

    Companies that suppress their takings, thereby evading tax, may live on the fat of the land for a while. However, as a tax tribunal ruling showed , the corporate veil often affords limited financial protection to their directors when HM Revenue and Customs...

    False Claim to Be a Cash Buyer Ruled Fraudulent in Ground-Breaking Case

    In coming to the aid of a frail and elderly householder, the High Court has ruled in a landmark case that she was on the receiving end of a fraudulent misrepresentation when a would-be purchaser of her home was falsely described to her as a cash buyer. A...

    'Reckless' Travel Company Director Ordered to Compensate Customers

    Those who manage companies in a reckless or incompetent manner can expect to be banned from holding directorships in future – but should they also be ordered personally to compensate customers who are left out of pocket? The High Court addressed that...

    Sometimes Parental Love is Not Enough - Court Sanctions Boy's Adoption

    Parents may be worthy of praise and deeply love their children, but it sadly does not always follow that they are able to provide them with a stable home. The High Court made that point in sanctioning a little boy's placement for adoption . Due to concerns...

    This is Why You Should Never Make a Will Without Taking Legal Advice

    Making a will without the benefit of professional legal advice is an excellent recipe for strife between your loved ones after you are gone. That was sadly so in the case of a cancer sufferer who had no understanding that, when she signed her will, she was...

    Disability Discrimination - Corner Shops Owe the Same Duties as Multinationals

    Small businesses not blessed with human resources departments can find it hard to accommodate disabled members of staff who need to take time off work. However, as an Employment Tribunal (ET) ruling showed, when it comes to catering for their needs, a corner...

    Can Planning Objections Amount to Harassment? Guideline High Court Ruling

    Landowners intent on developing their properties can find it intensely annoying when neighbours resist their plans. However, as a High Court ruling made plain, the right to object to planning applications is one of the benefits of living in a democratic...

    Landlord of Converted Office Block Pays Price for Breaching Fire Safety Rules

    To what extent should landlords who have breached fire safety rules be entitled to recover the costs of remedying such breaches from tenants by way of service charges? The Upper Tribunal (UT) considered that important issue in a case concerning a former...

    Oil Major Fends Off Shareholder Bid to Reform its Climate Change Strategy

    So-called 'activist' shareholders have a perfect right to seek to influence the strategy of companies in which they hold a stake. In a guideline ruling, however, the High Court shut the door on an environmental charity's novel attempt to make the board of a...

    Wealthy Divorcee Hit Hard in the Pocket for 'Delinquent' Litigation Conduct

    Those who attempt to lie their way to a favourable result in divorce proceedings are more than likely to be found out and hit hard in the pocket. That was certainly so in the case of an elderly entrepreneur who treated his ex-wife's financial claims as if...

    Employment Status, Control and Mutuality of Obligation - Guideline Ruling

    There is no reason in principle why someone who is a shareholder and controlling director of a company cannot also be its employee. However, as an Employment Tribunal (ET) ruling made plain, the assessment of whether an employment relationship does or does...

    High-Interest Loans Can Be Vulnerable to Challenge - High Court Ruling

    Borrowers who take out loans at high rates of interest with their eyes wide open may have only themselves to blame. As a High Court case showed , however, such loans may be vulnerable to arguments that they amount to a penalty or are the product of an...

    Local Authority Pays the Price for Privacy and Data Protection Breaches

    For good administrative reasons, public authorities hold a mass of personal data concerning almost every UK resident. However, as a High Court ruling showed , judges are always alert to the danger of such data being misused. In the course of possession...

    Even Blinkered, Difficult and Ruthless People Can Make a Valid Will

    People may be blinkered, difficult and downright ruthless but that does not mean that they are incapable of making a rational will. The High Court made that point in the case of a highly successful businessman who all but disinherited his children. By his...

    Education Charity Overcomes Restrictive Covenant in College's Title Deeds

    Restrictions on the use to which properties can be put are often to be found in their title deeds and, in some cases, can have a dramatic impact on their value. A High Court case on point concerned the future of a further education college that was already...

    High Court Authorises Withdrawal of Young Father's Life-Sustaining Treatment

    Many families whose loved ones are in hospital on life support understandably cling to the hope that they will in time recover. As a High Court ruling showed, however, where such hopes run contrary to the weight of expert medical evidence, judges have the...

    School Inspector Sacked for Touching Pupil Succeeds in Unfair Dismissal Claim

    It is obviously impractical for employers to have in place disciplinary policies that set out each and every form of frowned-upon conduct. However, as an Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) ruling showed, employees are generally entitled to some forewarning of...

    Let Down by Your Builders? A Good Lawyer Will See You Right

    Many householders are familiar with the often traumatic experience of falling out with builders. However, as a High Court case showed , if their work is not up to scratch or left unfinished, lawyers will bend every sinew to ensure that fair compensation is...

    Business Interruption Insurance and COVID-19 - the Latest Legal Chapter

    Did business interruption insurance cover financial losses arising from the COVID-19 lockdowns? Few questions have been the subject of more litigation in recent times but, as a High Court ruling showed , there is regrettably no standard answer. The case...

    Big Money Divorcees Pay £8.4 Million Price for Their 'Culture of Conflict'

    Judges frequently impress on divorcing couples that it is in their own best interests to put conflict behind them and focus on achieving a sensible resolution. However, as a case in which a couple spent £8.4 million fighting over money and their...

    Outdoor Advertising, Light Pollution and a Legal Battle Over a Bus Shelter

    Light pollution generated by hi-tech digital advertising displays can be a source of bitter complaint. However, such concerns were insufficient to persuade the High Court to overturn permission granted for the inclusion of one such display in a proposed...

    Mutual Wills - There is a Big Difference Between Moral and Legal Obligations

    There is a big difference between moral and legal obligations. The High Court made that point in finding that mirror wills signed by a married couple did not impose on either of them a binding obligation not to change their bequests in future, save by...

    'Humanitarian' Residential Landlord Fails in Novel Banning Order Appeal

    Residential landlords who neglect their legal obligations to the point of criminality can be hit with banning orders that are likely to put them out of business. In a case of importance to property professionals, the Upper Tribunal (UT) for the first time...

    Retail Worker Sacked for Smoking at Work Succeeds in Unfair Dismissal Claim

    Even where employees have committed gross misconduct, dismissing them may be unreasonable. An Employment Tribunal (ET) made that point in the case of a store supervisor who was sacked for smoking on company premises ( Williams v Wilko Ltd ). The woman...

    Adoption - Internet Research Can Never Replace Professional Legal Advice

    No amount of internet research can ever replace professional legal advice. A man found that out when his reliance on flawed web content very nearly cost him the opportunity to complete his family by adopting his stepson. The man applied for an adoption...

    High Court Aids Professional Firm Targeted in Ransomware Cyberattack

    For businesses dealing with confidential client data, malware attacks by those intent on blackmail can represent an existential disaster. However, as a High Court ruling showed, there is a great deal that the law can do to help them. A firm providing...

    Woman Denied Non-Resident Status Faces Seven-Figure Tax Demand

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) adopts a tough approach when considering whether a person who claims non-resident tax status has spent more than the permitted number of days in the UK. It certainly brooked no compromise in the case of a woman who ended up with...

    Authorised Push Payment Frauds - Bank Succeeds in Supreme Court Test

    Banks are contractually bound to follow their clients' instructions and are not obliged to concern themselves with the wisdom or risk of their payment decisions. The point was made in a Supreme Court decision of great importance to the financial services...

    Terminally Ill Woman's Marriage Triggers High Court Inheritance Dispute

    It is quite common for people to get married in the knowledge that they only have a short while to live. However, as a High Court ruling underlined , such a step is often fraught with legal difficulty in terms of inheritance and should never be taken...

    Commercial Landlords Hit Hard in Gym Clubs' COVID-19 Restructuring

    The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the restructuring of numerous businesses and that can mean commercial landlords having to take severe financial haircuts. That was certainly so in the case of a once successful chain of gyms whose business was devastated...

    Overseas Divorce - Supreme Court Identifies Unjust Defect in Matrimonial Law

    A woman's financial claims against her ex-husband following their overseas divorce did not survive his death. In reaching that conclusion, the Supreme Court noted that the case had exposed a defect in the law that can only be remedied by Parliament. After...

    Does Aesthetic Treatment of Physical Appearance Amount to 'Medical Care'?

    Aesthetic treatments can transform clients' psychological wellbeing, boosting their self-esteem and confidence in their appearance – but do they amount to 'medical care' for VAT purposes? The First-tier Tribunal (FTT) addressed that issue in a...

    Adverse Possession - Couple Win Legal Title to Disputed Garden Plots

    Even if you do not hold legal title to a plot of land, you may well be entitled to have it transferred into your name if you have been in adverse possession of it for over 10 years and you have reasonably believed throughout that it belongs to you. That is ...

    Did European Works Councils Survive Brexit? 'Yes' Rules the Court of Appeal

    Under European law, substantial undertakings operating within the EU are required to set up European Works Councils (EWCs) to facilitate employee consultation – but did EWCs previously established by UK companies survive Brexit? In an important ruling,...

    Renewal of Commercial Leases - It Can All Come Down to Judicial Discretion

    A commercial landlord may, for any number of reasons, be keen to see the back of a tenant. However, as one case showed, the question of whether a business tenancy should be renewed can in the end come down to an exercise of judicial discretion. A company's...

    Online Traders are Not Beneath the Tax Authorities' Radar

    Some people who trade online do so in the fond hope that the income they generate will fall beneath the tax authorities' radar. A tax tribunal ruling that left one such trader on the verge of bankruptcy showed how very wrong they are. On his relevant tax...

    Share Sales - Skeletons in the Corporate Cupboard Must Be Disclosed

    Skeletons in the corporate cupboard may dramatically reduce the value of shares but their existence must generally be fully disclosed prior to a sale. The vendor of a care home business found that out to his cost when he was ordered to pay more than...

    Pre- and Post-Marital Agreements Given Full Weight in Big Money Divorce

    Couples who enter into pre- or post-marital agreements with their eyes open and with the benefit of legal advice can expect to be bound by them. The High Court made that point in a so-called 'big money' divorce case in which an extremely wealthy woman's...

    Phone Call to Disabled Postman on Sick Leave Ruled an 'Act of Harassment'

    Treating an employee on sick leave with distrust rather than sympathy is to positively invite Employment Tribunal (ET) proceedings. That was certainly so in the case of a disabled postman who was at home, suffering from work-related stress, when he received...

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