Archive

The difficult science of parentage identification

Parentage identification is required in an increasing number of cases, in particular those brought under the Children Act 1989, says Noel Arnold

European briefing

The new mediation directive is a further example of how the EU's sphere of competence has gradually extended into the classic areas of private law and procedure,says Paul Stanley NO

Beneficial ownership

What constitutes detriment for the purpose of supporting a common intention constructive trust, asks Professor Mark Pawlowski

Untraced driver claims to rise after Court of Appeal strikes down MIB agreement

The Motor Insurance Bureau could face thousands of claims for compensation in cases involving untraced drivers after a Court of Appeal ruling that children victim of hit-and-run drivers should be able to bring late claims for compensation in the same way as personal injury claimants in cases involving uninsured drivers (Byrne v Motor Insurance Bureau [2008] EWCA Civ 574).

Conveyancers should seize property downturn as chance to review systems

Conveyancers should see declining property prices and falling numbers of transactions as an opportunity to put their practices in order and ensure they run as efficiently as possible, a leading volume conveyancing specialist has said.

Cafcass blighted by understaffing and poor training, say family lawyers

Family lawyers in the South East have expressed little surprise at Ofsted's criticism of Cafcass services in the region but say the findings reflect unfairly on the effort deployed by overstretched teams trying to do their best in a context of chronic understaffing.

Catastrophic injuries are best left to experts

Non-specialists should be wary of tackling catastrophic injury claims, as illustrated by a recent case that resulted in a record-breaking structured settlement for a road accident victim, says Ben Townsend, a partner at Stewarts

Government's response must be worth the wait

As we await the response to the Consultation Paper, Amanda Stevens assesses the improvements that can be made on the claims process