These days the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) underpins the arguments in many cases in which people allege that being treated a certain way means that their human rights have been violated. It was, therefore, only a matter of time before the smoking ban, which...

Buying a business can be a risky undertaking. Even if the normal due diligence work is done with great care, sometimes there can be skeletons in the cupboard, which can emerge to your detriment. It is a particularly risky business when the vendors are less...

Pleural plaques are small, localised areas of pleural thickening on the membrane covering the lungs, caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibres. Pleural plaques are in themselves benign but their presence is associated with an increased risk of developing...

Divorce can be a messy business at the best of times but following a recent ruling looks set to become yet even more complex. A couple from Gloucestershire divorced after 11 years of marriage. They had no children. The ex-wife...

On 1 October 2007, Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) replaced Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs). Since that date, it has no longer been possible to create a new EPA, although those already in existence remain valid. According to the Office of the...

When a person is fatally injured, it may be possible to make a claim for compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 (FAA). When the accident is the fault of another person, it is also normally possible to claim damages from them. In these cases the...

The Government has recently raised the guarantee on deposits to £50,000 (from £35,000), but what does this mean for a business with substantial cash balances? The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) is designed to...

Many legal actions involving wills are based on the claim that the person making the will (the ‘testator’ or ‘testatrix’ in legal terminology) was not competent to execute it or on the allegation that that they were under...

The Health and Safety Executive has updated its website on managing occupational health risks in the construction industry, providing new information for Construction Design and Management coordinators (CDMs). The website gives information for CDMs,...

A study by accountants BDO Stoy Hayward has found that business fraud is up by over 70% compared with last year and they estimate the cost of business fraud is now more than £700 million a year. Management fraud accounts for...