Blog

Every parent wishes to give birth to a ‘healthy child’ and for a significant majority of mothers giving birth in England and Wales this will happen. A report published by the NHS Litigation Authority in October 2016 concluded that having a baby under the NHS was very safe but acknowledged...

As with any litigation, there is much risk and uncertainty in having a divorce financial settlement determined in court. The judge has to take into account a number of factors set out in law and then apply discretion to come up with a settlement which is “fair” to both parties...

Denzil Lush, a retired court of protection judge, is reported to have said in the foreword to his new book that he would not draw up a lasting power of attorney (LPA) and that if he were to become incapacitated he would prefer to rely on the court appointing a...

Yesterday, leading road safety charity Brake called for compulsory rural driving lessons as part of driving licensing. What is the issue? The dangers of driving on rural roads have for a long time been raised by lawyers and road safety groups. We’ve discussed the fact that accidents in the countryside...

The MenACWY jab protects against 4 strains of the meningococcal disease which cause meningitis and septicaemia – strain A, C, W and Y. The Royal College of Nursing have advised that only a third of 17 to 18 year olds in England, who are entitled to the free jab, have...

Science continues to develop and can surprise us on a daily basis. The skills of scientists in the UK and around the world have always been focused on human health, and recent advances in treatment for diseases and in relation to recovery from trauma and accidents is a testament to...

Amputation and co-existing medical problems including multiple limb loss We are pleased to announce an upcoming event which aims to provide training and discuss issues surrounding limb loss. The event is the latest in a series of fundraising and awareness events organised by our Personal Injury, Serious Injury and Medical Negligence teams,...

Birth Injuries In a low key announcement, the Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives has confirmed that they will be dropping their 12 year long campaign for “normal births”. Identified by the Inquiry in to the Morecambe Bay Trust as a contributory factor in the death of 11...

Sometimes it’s possible to apply to HMRC to defer paying all or part of one’s SDLT liability. FA2003 limits such applications to circumstances where it’s impossible to know for sure what the SDLT liability will be at legal completion. Overage is probably the most common example. Let’s imagine a developer...

Recent statistics show that HMRC collected £5.1 billion in inheritance tax (IHT) in the period from June 2016 to May 2017, a 9% rise on the previous year’s receipts. Much of this record take must be attributable to the fact that the IHT nil rate band (the amount that can...