Tier 1 Investor Visa Closure: Alternative Options
With the Tier 1 Investor visa now closed, what are the alternative UK immigration routes? In its statement announcing the closure of the Tier 1 investor visa, the Home Office made no reference to opening a replacement or new route for investors. This is perhaps unsurprising, given the Tier 1 investor visa had been subject […]
No Fault Divorce: Where Are We Now?
Getting a divorce can be an extremely difficult and emotionally challenging time for the former couple. Yet even where both ex-partners are in agreement that divorce is the only option, the law at present in England and Wales does not allow a ‘no-fault divorce’. Under current rules, to legally divorce, blame must be attributed to […]
The New UK Points-Based Immigration System
EU free movement ended on 31 December 2020, meaning nationals of EEA countries looking to come to the UK to work must now apply for approval from the Home Office. In most cases, this will mean making an application for a points-based work visa, requiring the individual to attain the required number of points. EU […]
Dress Codes: Can You Force Female Staff to Wear Bras to Work?
Much was made in the media last week about this week’s ruling in Germany giving employers the right to enforce specific dress codes on staff. There has been public outrage after the State Labour Court in North Rhine-Westphalia ruled on the case concerning the clothing and general appearance of airport security personnel, appearing to give employers […]
Write Your Own Will? – Don’t Do It!
It may seem very appealing to you to write your own will but there are many options for people across the UK to take, in order to help with the creation of their will, and a good will writing service is certainly one of the best and most popular methods. Paying a sizeable fee may […]
How will Brexit impact Intellectual Property Law?
Brexit looks like it is shaping up to be a complicated process. The UK not only has to agree the terms by which it will withdraw from the EU, it also has to shape its future relationship with the EU. One of the many (challenging) aspects of the Brexit process, is reshaping UK laws to […]
How Will Employment Law be Affected by Brexit?
The vote to leave the EU in June of this year has left many people concerned about what the future holds for the country, especially when it comes to employment & immigration law. The reason is mainly because many of the employment laws in the UK come from EU law and this could lead to […]
Fathers Family Court: Do They Get a Raw Deal?
Fathers Family Court – Do fathers get a raw deal from the family courts? It is not uncommon for fathers to claim that social workers, Cafcass officers and Judges discriminate against men when deciding issues about who a child should live with, or what contact arrangements should be in place. Recent research by academics at […]
Family Law Changes: How Have they Fared?
This April marked the very first anniversary of the family law changes to the family justice system and it was classed as the start of a cultural revolution. There are still a large number of family break-ups making the news which leads to questions surrounding whether the changes have had any real affect at all? […]
Zero Hour Contracts – New Rules
Exclusivity terms unenforceable in zero hours comes into force under s 164(1). This section inserts the Employment Rights Act 1996, Pt 2A, which renders unenforceable any exclusivity term (see s 27A(3)) in a “zero hours contract” (see s 27A(1)) and provides power to the Secretary of State to make further provision in relation to “zero […]
A Postman Dog Bite – Comes with the Job?
A postman running for his life down a garden path, being chased by an angry dog may be an amusing cartoon scenario, but UK postal workers probably wouldn’t find it funny.
Are DIY Wills a Good Idea?
Thinking about writing a will can be depressing, because no one wants to contemplate the day when they will pass away and leave behind their friends, family and children. However, it is very important to craft a will so that it will be easier for your loved ones to deal with your affairs when that […]
How Far Can the Duty of Good Faith Go?
Could an employer be legally bound by a broad statement that they would make no further changes to their pension scheme, even though this was not written into a contract? Yes, where this leads to a reasonable expectation on the part of the employees. Background IBM wanted to change the terms of its ‘final salary’ […]
The Law Commission’s Proposals Herald a Golden Age for Prenuptial Agreements and DIY Divorce. Or Do They?
The last few days have seen a surge in interest in the possibility of pre-nuptial agreements becoming binding and the effect that that might have on the use of divorce lawyers versus DIY divorce solutions. The Law Commission’s Proposals First came the Law Commission’s recommendation on 27 February that ‘qualifying nuptial agreements’ (covering pre and […]
Family Lawyers and Clients Face New Challenges
Radical reforms to family law services in 2014 mean fresh challenges for family lawyers and numerous difficulties for parents and couples. Family lawyers have already had to cope with huge changes in 2013, including the withdrawal of public funding (legal aid) for most family law cases and the closure of several local courts. Although, family […]
Compensation Culture – A Solicitor’s Viewpoint
The first thing to consider is what do people really mean when they talk about a compensation culture? Are they referring to a compensation culture amongst accident victims of exaggerating or making up their injuries in order to claim compensation, or are they thinking about the claims industry and the No Win/ No Fee compensation […]
Will NHS Franchising Deals lead to more clinical negligence claims?
The government has proposed enabling private firms to take over NHS hospitals’ operational management, particularly those facilities that have long-term financial difficulties. This type of hospital is frequently referred to as ‘failing’, even if they are persistently avoiding medical negligence compensation cases and are achieving excellent standards of clinical care. These financial struggles are being […]
How to Get Out of a Contract
Most businesses will be familiar with this scenario: you enter into a contract and then later, for whatever reason you want or need to exit. This may be because the other party is not performing under the contract, you may be in financial difficulties, have found a better deal elsewhere or simply no longer require […]
Shared Parenting and the Children and Families Bill
Alan Beith MP wrote to Mr Cameron to express his objections to shared parenting legislation: http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2012/jul/18/family-law-confusion-lib-dem Mr Beith’s opposition to shared parenting legislation is, perhaps, best viewed in some historical and cultural context. In the 19th century, British family law was such that, if the father so wished it, a separated mother was likely to […]
Baroness Butler-Sloss on Shared Parenting
Retired President of the Family Division, Baroness Butler-Sloss has expressed her strong objections to Shared Parenting legislation: Baroness Butler-Sloss said: “I’ve heard one father who went into court saying, ‘Once this law is enforced, I will get half of the child’ ” Is she claiming to have heard this father in a case over which […]