Whistleblower wins 13-year campaign against HSBC – The Guardian

‘A lone whistleblower has won a 13-year “David and Goliath battle” against HSBC and Britain’s chief financial watchdog, resulting in a multimillion-pound compensation payout to thousands of people.’

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The Guardian, 20th January 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Magistrates struggle (again) with the use of imprisonment for non-payment of council tax – by Sam Genen and Sophie Walker – UK Human Rights Blog

‘There is an exceedingly long line of case law, stretching back beyond the days of the community charge (which was of course better known as the Poll Tax). In those cases, the courts have traditionally quashed custodial orders improperly imposed by magistrates for non-payment of council taxes.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd January 2017

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Statistics show those owed money are being “priced out of court” – The Bar Council

Posted August 25th, 2016 in courts, debts, fees, news, statistics by sally

‘Businesses and individuals seeking money owed to them are being priced out of court, warns the Bar Council, as figures from the Registry Trust show a 19 per cent drop in county court judgments against businesses in the first half of 2016.

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The Bar Council, 23rd August 2016

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Mortgage Express V. Lambert – Radcliffe Chambers

Posted August 23rd, 2016 in debts, housing, internet, misrepresentation, mortgages, news, setting aside by sally

‘In the autumn of 2007 Laura Lambert was in desperate financial straits. She had a flat worth £120,000, but could not manage the mortgage repayments. Through the internet she made contact with S and C who duly visited her. They told her, to her surprise, that the flat was worth only £30,000 and offered to buy it from her for that sum. They told her that she would be able to continue living there indefinitely. She agreed to their proposal.’

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Radcliffe Chambers, 27th July 2016

Source: www.radcliffechambers.com

Divorced helicopter pilot who refuses to leave the marital home could be jailed – Daily Telegraph

‘A helicopter pilot who barricaded himself in the home he lost in his £6m divorce will be jailed if he does not get out of the property by next week.’

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Daily Telegraph, 27th July 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Changing the effect – Counsel

Posted July 13th, 2016 in appeals, civil procedure rules, debts, dilapidations, news, part 36 offers by sally

‘Litigators beware – open conduct in litigation could change the effect of a Part 36 offer, warns Alan Tunkel.’

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Counsel, July 2016

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Public access barristers join forces with debt solutions business to offer fixed-fee representation – Legal Futures

‘A group of public access barristers have formed a partnership with a debt solutions company to provide debtors with fixed-fee court representation that they could otherwise not afford.’

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Legal Futures, 12th April 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Divorcee wins 90 per cent of husband’s wealth in bitter court battle – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 15th, 2016 in appeals, debts, divorce, financial provision, legal representation, news by sally

‘Company boss, Peter Morris, has nothing but his ‘anger’ to show for 25 years of marriage after a series of rulings’

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Daily Telegraph, 14th March 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Finance and Divorce Update (March 2016) – Family Law Week

‘Edward Heaton, Principal Associate and Jane Booth, Associate, both of Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during February 2016.’

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Family Law Week, 5th March 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

‘Going into legal aid work now is career suicide’ – The Guardian

‘Government cuts to legal aid means social welfare lawyers are a dying breed. So where will the next generation come from? Step up the Justice First Fellowship.’

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The Guardian, 6th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Debt advice firm that made 1m unsolicited calls fined £120,000 – The Guardian

‘A company that made more than1m unsolicited calls in a month offering to write off people’s debts has been fined £120,000 by a government watchdog.’

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The Guardian, 10th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Teenager killed himself hours after Wonga cleared out his account – The Guardian

‘A disabled teenager killed himself on the same day that the payday loans company Wonga cleared out his bank account, it has been revealed.’
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The Guardian, 25th September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Enforce family court orders but don’t jail debtors – Society – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 13th, 2015 in debts, enforcement, family courts, imprisonment, Law Commission, Law Society, news by sally

‘The Law Society has called for simpler procedures to enforce family financial orders and said creditors should be armed with more information.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 12th August 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Mr Justice Mostyn: Nobody anticipated “savagery” of legal aid cuts – Legal Futures

Posted July 1st, 2015 in budgets, debts, legal aid, litigants in person, magna carta, news by sally

‘Mr Justice Mostyn has delivered some of the strongest judicial criticisms yet of the legal aid cuts and warned that “more are in prospect” under a majority Conservative government.’

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Legal Futures, 1st July 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

BESTrustees plc v Corbett – WLR Daily

Posted June 9th, 2015 in assignment, debts, law reports, pensions, trusts by tracey

BESTrustees plc v Corbett: [2014] EWHC 3038 (Ch); [2015] WLR (D) 242

‘The trustee or manager of a qualifying occupational pension scheme was entitled to assign a debt arising pursuant to section 75 of the Pensions Act 1995.’

WLR DAily, 16th October 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Medieval laws face axe in legal pruning – The Guardian

Posted June 3rd, 2015 in bills, debts, news, repeals, statute law revision, treason by sally

‘Legislation dating back to the reign of King Henry II – preventing removal of debtors’ goods from beyond their native county – will shortly disappear from the UK’s lawbooks.’

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The Guardian, 3rd June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Court fines and council tax turning into problem debt, says Citizens Advice – The Guardian

Posted May 28th, 2015 in council tax, debts, fines, news, reports by sally

‘Magistrates’ fines and council tax bills are driving increasing numbers of people into problem debt, an advice charity said on Tuesday, as low wages and the increased cost of living squeeze household finances.’

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The Guardian, 26th May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Howell v Lerwick Commercial Mortgage Corporation Ltd – WLR Daily

Posted May 7th, 2015 in bankruptcy, debts, insolvency, law reports, regulations, setting aside by sally

Howell v Lerwick Commercial Mortgage Corporation Ltd [2015] EWHC 1177 (Ch); [2015] WLR (D) 200

‘Where the debt in a statutory demand itself was not disputed but the debtor relied on a cross-claim which did not equal the debt but fell short of it by less than £750, the statutory demand was not necessarily to be set aside under the residual discretion in rule 6.5(4)(d) of the Insolvency Rules 1986.’

WLR Daily, 1st May 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Setting up special purpose vehicle to pursue debts “not champertous”, High Court rules – Litigation Futures

Posted May 7th, 2015 in champerty, debts, news, striking out by sally

‘Setting up a company as a special purpose vehicle to pursue an individual and his family for debts, including through the courts, does not amount to champerty, the High Court has ruled.’

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Litigation Futures, 7th May 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Trust deeds versus trustees – 11 Stone Buildings

Posted April 20th, 2015 in bankruptcy, debts, EC law, news, pensions, trustees in bankruptcy by sally

‘Thomas Robinson details changes in bankruptcy and pension rights under UK and EU pension schemes.’

Full story (PDF)

11 Stone Buildings, 15th April 2015

Source: www.11sb.com