Staff pregnancies can be disruptive, particularly for small businesses, but it is vital that employers do not allow their decision-making to become infected by discrimination. In one case, a hair stylist who was dismissed after she took time off, suffering…
When a person is made bankrupt, their trustee in bankruptcy will seek to unlock any available assets they have to pay off creditors. One of the main assets people hold is their house, which is often co-owned with a spouse…
Taking legal advice when borrowing for any purpose is important, as a recent case in which a wife faced the possibility of the sale of her home when her husband was made bankrupt shows. When he faced financial difficulties in…
Disputes between neighbours are sadly common and can ruin lives – although a little legal advice at an early stage can often swiftly resolve matters. In one striking case, an elderly man who harassed, hectored and abused adjoining landowners was…
In the context of a redundancy process in which workers competed with each other to keep their jobs, it was reasonable for the employer to expect that each of them would look after their own interests. An Employment Tribunal (ET)…
If you suffer discrimination in the workplace you can be compensated for injury to your feelings as well as for your financial losses. A £12,000 award was made under that head in one striking case in which a woman was…
Before accepting an employee’s resignation, it is crucially important to be certain that that is their true intention. In one case, an Employment Tribunal (ET) found that a letter in which a woman asked her manager to ‘please accept one…
Senior employees know the intimate details of the companies they work for and their departure to a competitor’s fold can be a disaster. However, a High Court case showed that professionally drafted contractual restrictions on what they can and cannot…
Property valuations can be a live issue for many reasons, not just on sale. Differences of opinion on the value put on property when businesses are being broken up are common, insurers are known to contest claims if a property…
The Commercial Court does not take defiance of its orders lightly and has a panoply of powers to enforce obedience. In one case that proved the point, the Court ordered sequestration of an overseas company's assets and imposed prison sentences…
