Costs

Articles

Law centres and non-lawyer LDPs to be given a year to prepare for ABS status

Law centres, Citizens Advice Bureaux, advice agencies and trades unions should be given a year's “grace” to prepare for regulation as ABSs, the Legal Services Board has proposed.

Fighting fees

With careful planning, a realistic view of the claim's value and cooperation between the parties, litigants can legitimately reduce their court fees, says DJ Tim Jenkins

The Planning Act 2008

The shape of things to come: the Planning Act 2008 seeks to streamline and fine tune the planning application process, but whether it will strike the correct balance of expediting major infrastructure projects while addressing the concerns of third parties remains to be seen, say Giles Ferin and Marco Mauro

Once bitten, twice shy

Litigants in costs disputes can now force defendants to disclose further details about third-party funding, says Nick Gillies

Know your limits

When attempting to reach a settlement in a claim for unfair dismissal, practitioners must remember that the effective date of termination triggers a short limitation period and should not be overlooked, says Mark Conway

Concentrating the mind

The role of the mental health tribunals is changing, but it remains to be seen how a shift from a medical to a legal approach will balance patients' rights with public risk, says Keith Wilding

Tepid welcome for Law Commission's review of intestacy laws for cohabitants

Cohabitants who have lived together for more than five years could be given the same rights on death as married couples under plans unveiled by the Law Commission.

Tender moments

Procurement rules are clear that not all development agreements should be subject to the tendering process but further clarification is needed to determine where the line should be drawn, says Pavlos Eleftheriadis