Features

Modern or ‘blended’ families come in all shapes and sizes, they might have children from previous relationships or have family members across the globe. They may consist of cohabiting partners, same-sex married couples, adopted children or enjoy a blend of cultures. They represent the wonderfully diverse world we live in today and are growing increasingly common.

Litigation funding agreements (“LFA”) and damages-based agreements (“DBA”) are both forms of litigation funding. Both are ways to facilitate access to justice and both enable litigants to pursue their claims without having to bear the costs of so doing – at least until judgment is given in their favour. The “litigation risk” is transferred away from the litigant and onto the investor and the legal representatives.

With several challenges currently facing the world of clinical negligence, Temple recently invited a number of leading clinical negligence practitioners to the Royal Society of Arts in London, to discuss some of the hot topics within the industry and how they could be addressed. Myself and my colleague, Philip Pipkin, had a stimulating day in their company.

Catherine Bailey of Bar Marketing provides practical guidance for any lawyers looking to leverage the social media channel of Twitter to optimise brand awareness and increase instructions.

There are a number of grounds upon which a person might seek to a challenge the will of a loved one. They include circumstances where the specific formalities required when creating a will are not adhered to, or where the person making the will did not have the necessary mental capacity. It might be that the person making the will did not understand or approve its contents or that they were subject to some form of undue influence by another party. One of the less common grounds potentially available to someone wishing to challenge a will is that of fraudulent calumny.

When the UK began its first national lockdown in March last year, it is fair to say for many law firms continuing professional development (CPD) was not a priority.

It is fair to say that there has, for many years, been a “difference of opinion” between the law governing personal insolvency and matrimonial law with each “side” believing that they are right and should take precedence. The principal, sometimes conflicting, legislation is covered in the Insolvency Act 1986 and the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. However, the differing courts can and will give wide discretion when determining whether and how a married couple’s assets are to be divided.

While the criminal courts in particular have struggled to cope with the impact of the pandemic, the family system seems to have fared somewhat better.

Personal representatives tasked with dealing with a deceased person’s affairs are often faced with a number of challenges, both legal and practical. Sometimes these challenges can be complex and involve dealing with contested wills.

It’s not uncommon for disagreements to arise between family members and loved ones over funeral arrangements, burial disputes or possession of ashes. So, who has the ultimate say and what can you do? Richard Adams, senior associate in the Contested Wills, Trusts and Estates team at Hugh James who has advised clients in a number of such cases, considers this delicate and sensitive issue.