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The complexities of financial advice can be bamboozling, particularly for the elderly, but one High Court case – in which a 96-year-old woman won more than £220,000 in damages in respect of negligent advice – strikingly showed that expert legal support can assist in achieving a just settlement. The woman, who was domiciled outside the UK, had inherited a portfolio of low-risk investments from her mother that by 2001 was valued at £567,700. With a view to achieving capital and income growth, and minimising Inheritance Tax liabilities, she obtained advice...

One of the most important roles played by judges is to protect individuals against unlawful treatment by the state. In one unique example, the High Court came to the aid of a couple who found themselves caught in a legal nightmare after their twins were born following fertility treatment. Under the auspices of a reputable fertility clinic, the couple had arranged conception of the twins using donated sperm. However, officials twice refused to register the man as the children's father because forms that the couple had completed, which were said...

A recent case shows the importance of involving a solicitor in the preparation of a will, especially where it is considered that an attempt to invalidate it on the grounds of lack of mental capacity may be made. It involved an elderly man who changed his will when he was 81 years old. His earlier will, made when he was 76, gave his business interests to his son, who also stood to inherit a quarter of his estate, the balance of his estate being left to other relatives. However, fearful that...

A recent case in which a litigant who waited more than a year to file its final defence against a claim had its late submissions rejected by the court is a reminder that tardiness in legal proceedings can have serious consequences. After receiving the defence documents, the claimant requested further information in December 2015. On 6 December 2016, with the trial date of 16 January 2017 looming, the defendant in the case applied to amend its responses on two matters without any good explanation for the delay. Although the claimant accepted...