A woman’s second will in which she declared that she wanted to leave most of her estate to a close friend has been declared invalid because it wasn’t properly executed. It means that a number of charities will now inherit even though it’s unlikely that she wanted her money to pass to them. The case involved a woman who first made a will in 1982 in which most of her …Read More
Some of the main changes to employment law in 2015
There were several important developments in employment law in 2015. These are some of the most significant. Travel time can be ‘work time’ The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that if employees don’t have a fixed place of work then the time they spend travelling from home to their first job of the day should be classed as work time. The same principle applies to the time spent travelling …Read More
The Changing Face of Divorce – ’till retirement do us part?
You may be surprised to find out that whilst the divorce rate in England & Wales is declining, the number of divorces for the over 60s is on the rise. A further unexpected statistic* is that in the population as a whole, 34% of divorces are granted to men, whereas in the over 60s this rises to 50%.
In Divorce does “ Fraud unravel all ”?
14 October 2015. The Supreme Court considered the 2 connected cases of Sharland v Sharland and Gohil v Gohil and the impact of fraud upon divorce proceedings.
Cohabitant fails to benefit from properties she shared with partner
The need for cohabiting partners to draw up agreements stating how their property and assets should be shared in the event of a break-up was highlighted in a recent case before the Court of Appeal. It involved a couple who had been in a relationship for many years and had lived together since 2002.
Warring parents urged to put needs of their children first
The Court of Appeal has urged “warring” parents to put the needs of their children first when taking legal action over contact arrangements. It says many parents focus too much on their rights at the expense of their duties and responsibilities towards their children.
Woman on zero-hours contract wins sexual harassment claim
A woman on a zero-hours contract has won her claim of sexual harassment by her line manager despite initially being reluctant to bring a claim for fear of losing her job.
European Court rules against employees in Woolworths case
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled against the employees and the union involved in the Woolworths redundancy case. The case brought into focus the issue of when do employers need to negotiate with trade unions when making redundancies across multiple sites.
Plans to improve enforcement of Family Financial Orders
The Law Commission is looking at ways to improve the enforcement of Family Financial Orders, which are used to help support children and former spouses following divorce.