On the 20 March 2012 the SRA amended its consultation paper on trainee solicitor salaries having received advice that trainees would be classed as apprentices within the terms of the National Minimum Wage Regulations. As a result of this advice, the SRA has...

The Court of Appeal has today handed down its first judgement in a civil partnership case. The case concerns Peter Lawrence a city banker and his civil partner Donald Gallagher, an actor who recently starred in Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The parties...

Today, news reports have emerged of significant funding being made available from Central Government to tackle the increasing difficulties that people face who have a form of dementia. David Cameron has taken the issue as a personal priority as part of his...

The number of law firms is now at a record level of 11,182, figures from the Solicitors Regulation Authority have shown. The figure from last month represents a 2.3% rise on 2011, and a 21% increase on a decade ago, when there were 9,231 private practice...

Most landlords will remember the introduction of the rent deposit schemes in 2004. The rules are about to change. From 6th April 2012 landlords have 30 days rather than 14 in which to protect their rent deposits.  This may sound beneficial and whilst it...

There has been further debate in the House of Lords on LASPO. Two further defeats for the Government brings the total to nine. The two most recent defeats concern asbestos disease cases which will now be exempt from the reforms to Conditional Fee Agreements....

If you don’t know by now that the 2012 Olympic Games will be held in London then surely you have been living under a rock for the last few years. This much publicised event will be taking place 27th July to 12th August under a global spotlight and...

When looking to buy a home, the first thing most people will, or perhaps should do, is contact their lender to work out how much they can afford to borrow. However, what they may not consider at the outset is what restrictions the lender may place on the...

How many times are we faced with clients who believe their spouse has assets but they are unable to provide any detail. There is of course a duty on all parties to produce what is called full and frank disclosure of their assets but many spouses will still...

A report by the Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) has warned that one of the impacts of the legal aid cuts will be that MPs surgeries will become overwhelmed with the volume of requests for advice from people who would have relied upon publicly-funded legal...

A report from Which?, the consumer organisation, highlights enormous difficulties and problems facing the estimated 500,000 or more older and disabled people, many of whom are faced with substandard home care services, according to the report. The...

News from the USA this week provides a worrying insight into the ethics of companies looking to make a quick buck. A New York advertising agency is currently using 13 street homeless people in Austin, Texas as Wi-Fi antennas and has termed the project...

I was getting ready for work early yesterday morning (Wednesday 14th March) when I heard the terrible news on the radio of the Swiss coach crash, which has left 28 people dead, including 22 children. I could hardly believe what I was hearing – such a...

It has been reported in the last few days that a hotel in Bath was fined £10,000 following a fall by a two year old girl from a first floor window. The child suffered a fractured skull and spent 5 days in a specialist hospital head injuries unit,...

When it comes to personal injury claims , as legal practitioners, we are fully aware of the range of injuries and events which could result in a claim for compensation. But, with such an abundance of television adverts promoting claims following 'a...

The controversy continues with the Catholic Church resisting the redefining of marriage to include gay couples whilst the government is due to introduce the consultation. The government seems to have indicated that the question is how the change will be...

A recent case heard at Bolton Crown Court saw a tenant imprisoned for fraudulently selling his landlord’s property. The tenant used his landlord’s identity to sell the property to an innocent purchaser and in doing so duped two sets of...

Network Rail has been mentioned in the press after indicating it would plead guilty to breaches of health and safety over the Grayrigg rail crash in Cumbria in 2007. A woman died and more than 80 people were injured. The Virgin train derailed on the west...

Welcome news in the protection of victims of harassment and intimidation is David Cameron’s announcement that stalking will become a criminal offence for the first time with offenders potentially facing unlimited fines and up to five years in prison....

This week a rally is being organised to lobby parliament by the Care & Support Alliance, which represents over 60 charities and organisations. Older and disabled people, their carers and families will travel from all over England to convene on...

From 6 April 2012, employers will only have to report injuries that lead to a worker being incapacitated for more than seven consecutive days as the result of an occupational accident or injury. RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous...

The 'Clare’s Law' scheme will give people the right to ask police about their partner’s past. The father of Clare Wood, Michael Brown, has been campaigning to change the law after his daughter was killed by her boyfriend, George...

It has been reported by the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia that marriage has been strengthened by the recession. In part it may be that people’s commitment to marriage has deepened and it also may be that the financial strain...

We are all aware of what are deemed "hazardous" occupations: firemen and people who have worked with asbestos for example, but would you ever think that a beauty salon nail technician would fit into this category? There has been mention in the...

It has been confirmed that the much debated Welfare Reform Bill has now completed its final journey through Parliament in what has been referred to by David Cameron as ‘a historic step in the biggest welfare revolution in over 60 years’. The...