Entering a New Year is always a good time to take stock…of our careers, our work and, of course, our lives in general. At the centre of it all must be our families; everyone wants to protect their loved ones, both now and in the future. There are many ways to do this and the
People who have paid fees to bring a claim to the Employment Tribunal can now start applying to get their money back. The refund scheme was introduced by the government after the Supreme Court ruled the charges for bringing a claim were unlawful. The fee system was introduced in 2013, with employees having to pay
The deadline for registering new trusts with the online Trusts Registration Service (TRS) has been extended from October to 5 January by HM Revenue and Customs. The TRS was launched in July to enable trustees to register their trust online and provide information on the beneficial owners. Trusts that have incurred a liability to income
Two sisters who were cut out of their mother’s will after making allegations that they were sexually abused by their father have failed in their claim to inherit some of her estate. The mother and her late husband had 11 children. The two sisters and their brother became estranged from the rest of the family
The decision by Chancellor Philip Hammond to abolish stamp duty for most first-time home buyers in England and Wales has met with a mixed reaction from property experts and analysts. In the Budget, Mr Hammond announced that the first £300,000 of the price of a property will be exempt from tax for people entering the
A wife has lost her appeal against an unequal divorce settlement that gave her less than half the money awarded to her husband. The couple had been married for 23 years and had two adult children. At the start of the marriage, the husband had considerable wealth, while the wife had very little. During their
The government is investing a further £10 billion to provide 135,000 new homes through the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme. More than 130,000 properties have already been sold through the scheme, which helps people buy a new build home with only a 5% deposit. The new funding means that Help to Buy Equity Loan
“”An employer that does not allow a worker to exercise his right to annual leave must bear the consequences.” So said the ECJ in its ruling yesterday, 29 November 2017, in King v Sash Window Workshop Ltd. Mr King – a commission-based salesman did not receive holiday pay for 13 years. He argued he could
Several leading judges and lawyers have backed a campaign in the Times newspaper for sweeping reforms to divorce law, which they describe as “unjust and outdated”. The campaign calls for the following changes: Scrapping of fault-based divorce laws, allowing divorce within a year where both sides agree, and two where they do not, as in
A Catholic woman has been awarded £20,000 compensation after being subjected to sectarian harassment at work. Helen Scott worked at bathroom suppliers Stevenson & Reid Ltd in Belfast. She was the only Catholic among the predominantly Protestant employees in her department. She said that in 2015, her line manager became angry with her after discovering