New adoption rights for foster parents in England The government is to change the law to speed up the adoption of children in care and make it easier for foster parents to adopt those who are living with them. Relatives of children being put up for adoption will have to prove that they can provide permanent…
TRUSTS: Trustees who refused beneficiaries’ disclosure request get costs paid out of trust fund An England and Wales court has decided that two solicitors who first refused to disclose details of their dealings as trustees of a discretionary will trust, but changed their minds after one of the beneficiaries brought legal proceedings, have succeeded in…
Teachers paid out over £16m in compensationTeachers have been paid compensation of more than £16m in the past year for successful claims, including unfair dismissal, personal injuries and criminal assault. NASUWT union general secretary Chris Keates said many of the injuries would be reduced if more employers “took the welfare of staff seriously” and followed…
new rules for all non-listed UK companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) taking effect from April 6th. The PSC Register will require such entities to have in place a publicly available register of any individuals or registerable companies with significant direct or indirect control over the business. Criminal sanctions apply for non-compliance including fines and/or…
Demand for tougher rules on claims management firms A study by Axa Insurance claims the public is being bombarded with more than 12m nuisance calls every day, fuelled by claims management companies. Despite a Government ban on referral fees and a crackdown on data protection breaches, the report says that the “scourge of cold calls…
Soft drink giants could sue over sugar tax Coca-Cola and other drink makers could sue the government through the European courts in response to George Osborne’s new sugar tax. Industry bosses are drawing up plans for a legal challenge after the Chancellor announced the levy on sugary drinks. Industry bosses claim the tax is discriminatory…
Osborne unveils property measuresThe Chancellor has set out plans to target property tycoons whose profits are shifted to tax shelters such as Guernsey and Jersey to avoid full UK tax, with HMRC launching a task force to crack down on offshore property developers. It will target anyone based outside the UK trading in and developing…
TRUSTS: Ten-year anniversary of 2006 Finance Act requires trustees to check tax position This month sees the ten-year anniversary of the major changes in trust taxation introduced in the 2006 Finance Act. Many ‘relevant property’ trusts created after 22 March 2006 will for the first time have reporting obligations and potential inheritance tax liabilities under…
Death tax in England raises concernsSolicitors in Engkand have warned that a sharp rise in rise in probate fees will heap an extra logistical – as well as financial – burden on executors and families. Currently executors pay a flat fee of £215 for probate regardless of the size of the estate. Under new rules,…
New protections for NHS whistleblowers Jeremy Hunt is to announce new legal protections for NHS whistleblowers and the creation of an independent Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch that will provide a “safe space” to investigate hospital mistakes. He will also say that from April 2018, all hospital deaths will be independently reviewed. The new body will…
