The number of children abducted from the UK by their parents has doubled in the last 10 years, according to official figures from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). In 2003-04, the FCO dealt with 272 parental child abduction and international custody cases. This figure had risen to 580 in 2012-13. That is the second
The director of an insolvent company has been ordered to return money he paid to himself at a time when he knew the business was struggling and likely to fail. The case involved the director of a company specialising in waste management projects. The business got into financial difficulties and started to build up debts
An installation company has won compensation from a firm of surveyors who were negligent when assessing the suitability of properties for cavity wall insulation. The installers won their case even though they had been negligent themselves. Employees of the surveying firm had inspected two timber-framed houses to determine whether they were suitable to have cavity
The scheme is intended to help people get a mortgage to buy their own home. Many people have been unable to take the first step on to the property ladder because they can’t raise enough money for a deposit. Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee means the buyer needs to raise only a 5% deposit on
Settlement Agreements and Protected Conversations – Tuesday 11th 7.45-9.30am, Putteridgebury Conference Centre, Hitchin Road, Luton Ending the employment relationship is never easy. The Government’s introduction of new laws on settlement agreements and pre-termination discussions is to make it easier to end the employment relationship consensually (and amicably) by allowing businesses and employees to have a
A dyslexic employee who was subjected to disability discrimination at work has been awarded £6,000 compensation. The problem first arose when the man started to find his job increasingly stressful and was placed on a performance improvement plan by his employer. He later developed depression and had to take time off work. He raised a
The amount families will have to pay in inheritance tax is set to increase by £3billion to £21billion over the next five years. The rise is due to the revival of the housing market, which is increasing the value of properties. Meanwhile, Chancellor George Osborne has announced he’ll be introducing new measures making it more
An elderly woman’s will which left half her estate to her neighbour to the detriment of her family has been rejected by the High Court. The judge held that it was unlikely that the woman fully understood what she was doing at the time when she made such an important decision. She had first made
The Government has launched a new interactive online map to enable people to see the quality of care provided for dementia sufferers in their area. There are 670,000 people in England who suffer with dementia, and the number is likely to double over the next 30 years. A further 21 million people have a close
The Court of Appeal has rejected a woman’s claim that she is entitled to half the fortune her ex-husband amassed in the 20 years after they separated. The couple were married in 1985 and had two children, but divorced six years later. Their combined assets were divided between them, with the wife getting the family