Expert Comments

Blog

Legal Guidance around confiscation proceedings

Receiving a sentence at the conclusion of criminal proceedings will often feel like the end of a long and distressing process. A defendant may feel that at the very least...

April 5, 2019

Opinion

youth-crime

Age Assessments within Criminal Proceedings

Section 45 Modern Slavery Act 2015 gives rise to a statutory defence for children under 18 charged with certain criminal offences. It states that a child will not be guilty...

April 2, 2019

Blog

deputyship

Can a deputy make payments to family members for care?

A deputy is appointed to manage the financial affairs of a person who lacks mental capacity. In many cases, the incapacitated person needs support and care and this care is...

April 1, 2019

Opinion

sexual-offences

New Guidance issued by CPS about childlike sex dolls

Importation of Indecent or Obscene Articles The CPS today issued new guidance to help bring charges against importers and sellers of child sex dolls. Since 2016 a total of 230…

March 29, 2019

Opinion

The Digitalisation of the Probate Registry

The Probate Registry have recently announced that, from 4 March 2019, the style of the grant of probate (the Grant) will change. Previously, the Grant was personally signed by a...

March 28, 2019

Blog

debt-recovery

How to enforce a debt

Once you have obtained judgment (also known as a County Court Judgment or CCJ) for a debt (that is, a formal court order), that is not normally the end of...

March 26, 2019

Chun Wong

Opinion

Knife Crime Prevention Orders and Youths

On Tuesday the House of Commons will consider amendments to the proposed Offensive Weapons Bill. These amendments include the introduction of Knife Crime Prevention Orders (KCPOs) for those as young...

March 26, 2019

Caroline Liggins

Opinion

court

Fundamental dishonesty and fraud in a personal injury cases

The term ‘fundamental dishonesty’ is referred to in both Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) 44.16(1) and Criminal Justice and Courts Act (CJCA) 2015, Section 57. CJCA 2015, Section 57 allows for...

March 22, 2019

Usheena Patel

Blog

What Does It Cost To Bring a Personal Injury Claim?

It can often be confusing for a client following an accident as to their rights to bring a claim for personal injury and in particular the costs associated with bringing...

March 22, 2019

Afiya Begum

Opinion

cosmetic-surgery

Should body modification be regulated in the same way as cosmetic surgery?

It was announced recently that Brendan McCarthy (Known to his clients as “Dr Evil”), a licenced tattoo artist had pleaded guilty to three charges of Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) with...

March 21, 2019

Andrew Harrison

Blog

eviction

If my private landlord asks me to leave, what are my rights?

All tenants have a right to due process. As such, the law requires that certain criteria be met in order for a landlord to legally evict a tenant from their...

March 20, 2019

Farzana Chowdhury

Blog

Coercive Control – Why we all should care about Sally Challen’s case

On 20 February 2019 the Centre for Women's Justice hosted an event on the topic of Coercive Control. More specifically the event discussed the case of Sally Challen who was...

March 20, 2019

Sebastian Del Monte

Blog

What are the options for dealing with your finances in a divorce?

Any good family law solicitor will always advise you to deal with finances at the same time as the divorce, as otherwise either you or your spouse could make financial...

March 20, 2019

Opinion

Right to Rent declared unlawful

The Immigration Act 2014 introduced in February 2016 in England, made a requirement that a landlord must check the immigration status of their tenants to ensure that they had a…

March 20, 2019

Chun Wong

Blog

What Orders can the Court make in relation to children?

As family lawyers we’re often asked ‘how can I apply to have my child live with me? And ‘what can I do if my ex prevents me from spending time...

March 18, 2019

Opinion

The role of intermediaries in youth crime

Intermediaries are generally qualified Speech and Language Therapists or Psychologists (often Child Psychologists) who are able to assist a suspect or Defendant with communication during a trial and sometimes during...

March 18, 2019

Caroline Liggins

Opinion

wills-disputes

Time Limits in Inheritance Act Claims

A claim made under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 is for reasonable financial provision from an estate where you have not been provided for or properly...

March 11, 2019

Chun Wong

Opinion

Sentencing Youths: the Theory and the Practice

The main aims of the youth justice system is to prevent offending by children and young people, to encourage them to take responsibility for their own actions and to promote...

March 7, 2019

Laura O’Brien

Blog

Is Family Mediation Compulsory?

When two people enter into the mediation process it is a voluntary choice and an individual can say no. I discuss the family mediation process here: What is the family...

March 5, 2019

Opinion

internet-offences

Why you should be concerned by Amazon potentially hiding Alexa in your internet router- The admissibility in court for the evidence retrieved

Amazon’s smart assistant, Alexa, is witness for the prosecution. Alexa is a smart technology that advances our quality of life: she [it] is a labour-saving device now routinely purchased, installed…

March 5, 2019