Legal News

£80,000 Damages for Failure to Diagnose Eye Infection

A man who suffered loss of vision after a delay in diagnosing an eye infection he developed following cataract surgery has secured compensation. The man had been seen by ophthalmologists on several occasions after undergoing the operation, with symptoms...

Unfairly Dismissed Employee Awarded £14,000 by ET

A woman who was dismissed from her job at a company that provided accountancy services has been awarded £14,120 in compensation after the Employment Tribunal (ET) found that she had been unfairly dismissed ( Lanuszka v Accountancy MK Services Limited ...

Taxpayer Had No Reasonable Excuse for Late Appeal, FTT Rules

Taxpayers who are unsure how to deal with any correspondence they receive from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) would be well advised to seek professional assistance, as was demonstrated by a recent case in which the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) refused a...

Supreme Court Allows Developer's Appeal in Planning Case

The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of a developer which had unsuccessfully applied to the local council for discharge of conditions attached to a grant of planning permission. The developer wished to build a mixed-use development that included 650...

Bottle Manufacturer Fined After Worker Burnt by Molten Glass

A manufacturer of glass bottles has been fined £600,000 following an incident in which a worker was burnt by molten glass and hot water. The worker had been using a shovel loader to clear waste molten glass and hot water from the floor. There was no...

Wife Can Pursue Claim in England After Russian Divorce

The Court of Appeal has granted a wife leave to pursue an application for financial relief in England against her former husband, more than a decade after their Russian divorce. The couple were both Russian nationals and had lived in Russia throughout...

Owner of New-build Home With Unsuitable Foundations Awarded Damages

A man whose home suffered damage because of problems with its foundations has been awarded provisional damages of more than £423,000 from the housebuilder from which he bought the property. The four-bedroom detached house, which the man had...

Arbitration Appeal Was Brought Out of Time, High Court Rules

The importance of being aware of the rules that apply to arbitration proceedings was highlighted by a recent High Court case in which an appeal against an arbitration award was struck out on the basis that it had been brought out of time. A seller had...

Man Injured in Car Wash Accident Compensated by MIB

A man who was severely injured when he became trapped by his car at a car wash has obtained a six-figure compensation settlement from the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB). While the man was waiting for his car to be cleaned, an employee of the car wash moved it...

Family of Receptionist Who Died of Mesothelioma Compensated

Compensation has been obtained for the family of a former receptionist who died of mesothelioma. The woman had worked for an aerospace company for about 40 years. In her initial role as a receptionist, she went around the factory at least once a day to...

High Court Declines to Make Deprivation of Liberty Order

The High Court has refused to make a Deprivation of Liberty order sought by a local authority in respect of a 17-year-old boy. The boy was estranged from his parents and had been accommodated by the local authority since shortly after his 16th birthday....

Employment Rights Bill Consultations Published

With the Employment Rights Bill likely to become law shortly, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has published four consultations seeking views on how some of the Bill's provisions should be implemented. The DBT is seeking views on how the duty on...

Damages for Family of Woman Who Died from Sepsis

A woman's family have secured compensation after staff in the care home where she was a resident failed to recognise signs of pressure sores, leading to her death from sepsis. The woman suffered from dementia and had been living in the care home for nearly...

Zoe Hudd to begin solicitor training with Boys & Maughan in January

Boys & Maughan is delighted to confirm that Zoe Hudd has been appointed as a trainee solicitor following an internal application process. Zoe will begin her training contract, which the Solicitors Regulation Authority refers to as Qualifying Work...

HMRC Launch Tool to Check Eligibility for R&D Tax Reliefs

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have launched a tool to check whether a project involves Research and Development (R&D) for tax purposes. R&D tax reliefs support UK companies working on innovative projects in science and technology. For...

Multiple Dwellings Relief Available on House With Attached Annex

Although Multiple Dwellings Relief (MDR) from Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) was abolished with effect from 1 June 2024, cases dealing with its availability are still working their way through the courts. Recently, two purchasers of a house with an attached...

ET Erred in Considering 'Course of Employment' Test

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has upheld a woman's appeal against a decision that a colleague who had subjected her to sexual harassment had not been acting in the course of his employment for the purposes of Section 109 of the Equality Act 2010 ....

Passenger Injured in Turbulence Obtains Damages

Compensation has been secured for a woman who was injured when the flight she was on encountered strong turbulence. She had stood up to go to the toilet when the pilot announced that there was a risk of turbulence, but before she could return to her seat,...

Children Should Remain Living With Father, Family Court Rules

The Family Court has ruled that four children should continue to live with their father , in what it described as a very long-running dispute between him and the children's mother. The children, aged between eight and 13, had lived with their mother after...

Rebranding Exercises Lead to Trade Mark Dispute

The risks of rebranding without carrying out thorough clearance searches were amply illustrated by a recent ruling of the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) on a trade mark dispute . A financial services company had begun to use the name 'Wise'...

£5.9 Million for Student's Life-Changing Road Accident Injuries

A young man has obtained a substantial compensation settlement after a car he was travelling in was hit by a lorry, leaving him with life-changing injuries. He and four friends were on their way back to university from a sports tournament when the accident...

Modern Wills for Modern Life: How the Law Is Set to Change

Following the Law Commission’s nearly 500-page final report Modernising Wills , published in May 2025, the private client sector stands on the brink of transformative change.  Kathleen Gray , Associate Partner at Boys & Maughan's...

Modern Wills for Modern Life: How the Law Is Set to Change

Following the Law Commission’s nearly 500-page final report Modernising Wills , published in May 2025, the private client sector stands on the brink of transformative change.  Kathleen Gray , Associate Partner at Boys & Maughan's...

Expertise and client care earn Boys & Maughan's family department recognition in Chambers UK Legal Guide 2026

Boys & Maughan’s family law expertise has once again earned national recognition, with the firm ranked in the UK The South section of Chambers and Partners – one of the UK’s most trusted and prestigious legal guides. The listing...

Electrocuted Factory Worker Receives Four-Figure Settlement

A food producer has agreed to compensate an employee who was electrocuted while working at one of its factories. Having plugged in a portable vibration bed machine that had been placed under a conveyor belt, the man leaned forward to check that it was...

UT Rejects Tenants' Appeal Against Costs Order

While the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) is in principle a 'no costs' jurisdiction, it may make an order in respect of costs if a person has acted unreasonably in bringing, defending or conducting proceedings. Recently, the Upper Tribunal (UT) upheld a...

Homeowner's Application to Alter Register Succeeds

Where the record of a property's title at the Land Registry contains a mistake, Paragraph 5(a) of Schedule 4 of the Land Registration Act 2002 allows the register to be altered to correct it. The First-tier Tribunal (FTT) recently granted a homeowner's...

Employment Rights Bill Expected to Become Law Shortly

The Employment Rights Bill is expected to become law in the near future. On 15 September 2025, the House of Commons considered the amendments made to the Bill by the House of Lords. The Bill has now returned to the Lords for further consideration. The...

£45,000 Damages for Missed Infection After Breast Reconstruction

A woman has obtained compensation after a delay in diagnosing an infection following a mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery. The woman had undergone an oophorectomy and then a mastectomy after she was identified as being at risk of breast and...

Court Refuses Wife's Application for Relief from Sanctions

It is essential to ensure that court orders are complied with during divorce proceedings. Recently, the Family Court refused a wife's application for relief from sanctions due to her failure to file and exchange her witness statement in accordance with a...

Supreme Court Rules VAT Payable on Former Group Company's Fees

Supplies between companies in the same VAT group are disregarded for VAT purposes by virtue of Section 43(1)(a) of the Value Added Tax Act 1994 . The Supreme Court has handed down its judgment in a case concerning whether this disregard applies if the...

Taxpayer Who Alleged EIS Fraud Permitted to Appeal Late

The First-tier Tribunal (FTT) has come to the aid of a taxpayer who claimed that he had been a victim of fraud in relation to claims for Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) relief, granting permission for him to make a late appeal against assessments and...

HSE Publishes Asbestos-related Disease Statistics for 2025

The Health and Safety Executive has published statistics on asbestos-related diseases in Great Britain for 2025 . There are currently around 5,000 deaths a year from asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis....

High Court Upholds Challenge to Will on Grounds of Fraud

The High Court has upheld a woman's challenge to a will allegedly made by her late father, finding that the defendants had failed to establish on the balance of probabilities that it was genuine. The will had purportedly been executed in 2019, the year...

Contract Enforceable Where Price Not Agreed, Court of Appeal Rules

The Court of Appeal has upheld a supplier's appeal against a decision that a contract to supply orange juice pulp wash was partly unenforceable because the price paid for some of the supply was to be agreed at a later date. The ruling provides useful...

Guide to the best UK legal firms once again recognises Boys & Maughan for their expertise in family law and litigation

Boys & Maughan’s family and property litigation teams have again been recognised in The Legal 500 , featuring in the 2026 edition of the leading guide to the UK’s top lawyers and law firms. In family law, Jonathan da Costa continues to be...

Pub Employee's Award for Misuse of Private Information Upheld

The High Court has dismissed a pub chain's appeal against an award of damages of £4,500 to a former employee after it gave out her mother's mobile phone number to her violent and abusive ex-partner. The woman had worked at one of the chain's pubs for...

Observer Granted Order for Disclosure of Position Statements

In a guideline case, the Court of Protection has granted an application by an observer to a hearing for disclosure of the parties' position statements . The proceedings related to a patient who was suffering from a prolonged disorder of consciousness. The...

ET Failed to Consider Whether Rejecting Claim Was in Interests of Justice

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has found that, when rejecting a woman's claim because the name of the respondent on the claim form did not match the name of the employer on the early conciliation certificate, the Employment Tribunal (ET) erred in law...

Law Commission to Review Product Liability Law

The Law Commission is to review the law relating to the product liability regime set out in the Consumer Protection Act 1987 . The regime was intended to give consumers a straightforward route to claiming compensation for certain harms caused by defective...

Wife Permitted to Amend Her Case to Rely on Conduct

In a case relating to the division of assets under a pre-nuptial agreement (PNA), the Family Court has ruled that a wife should be allowed to amend her case to formally plead conduct under Section 25(2)(g) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 . It was common...

UT Overturns Finding That Company Was Managing HMO

The Upper Tribunal (UT) has upheld a company's appeal against a £10,000 fine for managing or being in control of a house in multiple occupation (HMO), finding that there was no evidence that it was a person managing the property. The local authority...

FTT Considers Whether Tenants Liable for Access Road Repairs

It is wise to seek legal advice before making an application to the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) for a determination of liability to pay service charges. Recently, the FTT was unable to rule conclusively on whether the tenants of two flats were liable to...

Woman Secures £25,000 Damages After Wrong Mole Removed

Compensation has been obtained for a woman after a dermatologist removed the wrong facial mole. The woman's GP had referred her to an in-house dermatologist after identifying a suspicious mole on her nose. The dermatologist concluded that the mole could...

ICO Guidance on the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has published guidance for organisations on the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 , which received Royal Assent on 19 June 2025. The Act makes changes to data protection law in order to promote innovation and...

Six-Figure Compensation for Seriously Injured Cyclist

A significant compensation settlement has been negotiated for a cyclist who was seriously injured in a road traffic accident. The cyclist was on her way to work when a car travelling in the opposite direction suddenly veered into her path and collided with...

Business Investment Relief Lost Due to Director's Loan Account

It is important to ensure you fully understand the rules of any tax reliefs claimed and take advice if necessary. Recently, the Upper Tribunal (UT) dismissed an entrepreneur's appeal against a decision that the provision of a Director's Loan Account (DLA)...

Man Who Worked for Membership Association Was an Employee

The Employment Tribunal (ET) has ruled that a man who worked for a membership association which acted on behalf of free-range egg producers was an employee rather than a self-employed contractor ( Gooch v British Free Range Egg Producers Association and...

£9,000 for Woman Injured When Wardrobe Door Fell on Her Foot

A holidaymaker who suffered a broken foot when a defective wardrobe door in her hotel room fell on her has received compensation from the tour operator. The accident happened on the last night of the young woman's holiday in Greece. She and her partner were...

High Court Dismisses Challenge to Validity of Woman's Will

The High Court recently rejected a challenge to the will of a woman who had experienced memory issues prior to making it. The woman had made the will in 2008. She left her interest in her and her husband's house to her elder daughter. After bequests of...
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