14 April 2020
What you need to know about a Section 47 Investigation
What can I expect from a Section 47 Investigation? The purpose of section 47 investigations is to decide whether and what type of action is required to safeguard and promote the welfare of a child who is suspected of, or likely to be, suffering significant harm. Referrals may arise from the Police or School which […]
18 November 2019
The rise in stalking technology
Domestic abuse against intimate partners is sadly widespread: It affects nearly one in four women and one in six men at some point in their lives. There are one in seven children whom have been made witness to domestic abuse before their 18th birthday. In addition to physical and emotional violence, software, known as ‘spyware’ […]
18 March 2019
Quick divorce guide: The different stages of divorce
When you have made the decision that your marriage has irretrievably broken down and wish to divorce your spouse or civil partner, you must follow the divorce procedure. The process can be straight forward as long as both parties are in agreement to the divorce and the reasons which are behind it. During the divorce […]
28 January 2019
Criminal Injuries Compensation – “Too difficult – Too traumatising”
In her review of the Government’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (the Scheme) the Victim’s Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, has stated that her overall impression of the Scheme is that “the process of making a claim was often traumatic”. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) deals with compensation claims from people who have been physically or mentally injured because they were […]
by Michael Gossage
11 January 2019
Keeping A Paper Trail – The Importance of Evidence
Recently I have been instructed on a number of cases where clients have encountered one fundamental issue – a lack of documentary evidence. Evidence is crucial in civil disputes and is something everybody should think about when entering into any form of agreement or understanding with another party. The onus is typically on a party […]
7 December 2018
BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU ARE BUYING A NEW BUILD HOUSE
You are buying a new house. At the moment it is an empty plot of land on which your dream home will be built. You have viewed the show house and it all looks fine so you have nothing to worry about – or do you? A great deal can happen between you viewing the […]
14 May 2018
Litigants in person and the value of representation
Over the past year I have noticed a significant increase in the number of people representing themselves in complex civil litigation proceedings. While having to deal with litigants in person is nothing new, the majority of unrepresented parties I encountered in the past typically involved small claims (with the odd exception). Small claims are monetary […]
30 July 2015
The Infidelity penalty
The news is that increasing numbers of couples, when drawing up prenuptial agreements before marriage, are inserting an infidelity clause. The clause means that if a partner is unfaithful during the marriage, he or she will receive a smaller settlement in any subsequent divorce. This infidelity penalty bolsters the idea of ‘fault’ in divorces, at […]
3 March 2015
Is obesity a disability?
Whilst the definition of disability is wide, including both mental and physical conditions, obesity has not traditionally been viewed as a disability. However, this long-standing view has changed in recent months following the European Court of Justice ruling that obesity can be considered to be a disability where it hinders “full and effective participation” in […]
