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A recent case before the Employment Tribunal highlights the potential risks of communicating with an employee on sick leave and how even well intentioned inquiries can backfire. The case involved a woman who was disabled and had frequently taken long spells off work because of health issues. In 2013, she suffered bouts of depression and
The High Court has resolved a dispute between former partners over the sale of a block of flats worth between £3m and £4m. The case involved three partners whose relationship broke down in 2014. The partnership’s main asset was a large apartment block comprising of just over 100 leasehold flats. An independent valuation indicated a
A company has been fined a total of £826,000 after admitting that it tried to stop retailers from discounting online prices. Ultra Finishing Ltd supplies bathroom products to a number of online stores. Following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), it admitted that in the years 2012 to 2014, it engaged in
The number of county court judgments (CCJ) against businesses has fallen to its lowest level since before the financial crisis, according to figures released by the Registry Trust. The Trust’s research shows that there were 21,860 CCJs recorded against businesses in England and Wales during the first three months of 2016, a 17% fall on
A landlord has been ordered to pay damages to a commercial tenant after carrying out noisy and intrusive renovation work over a two-year period. The case involved an art gallery that occupied the basement and ground floor of a multi-storey building. The lease entitled the landlord to carry out building works but it also contained
Changes to the shared ownership rules could help an extra 175,000 people on to the housing ladder, according to the government. Shared ownership allows people to ease their way into the property market by purchasing a share in their home rather than having to pay the full amount. They only have to a find a
A woman who devoted her life to her family while her husband concentrated on developing his business has been awarded £69m in a divorce settlement. The case involved a couple who began living together in 2002. They married in 2004 and the wife became a homemaker and a full-time mother to their two children. At
The Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK are each donating £50m to the new Dementia Research Institute (DRI). The investment is in addition to the £150m already pledged by the government. The DRI is expected to be up and running by 2020. It will have a central UK hub with a network of regional centres
A 91-year-old woman’s will leaving all her estate to her grandson has been declared invalid because she suffered from dementia and was unaware of the consequences of her actions. The case involved a woman who had six grandchildren who all stood to inherit when she died. Three months before her death, her grandson helped her
An employer did not breach an employee’s human rights when it checked his phone for emails and messages while investigating a claim of harassment. That was the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in the case of an NHS Trust and one of its managers. The issue arose after the manager formed a personal