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Following on from the announcement that the Scottish Government are to initiate a Statutory Public Inquiry into their handling of the Covid-19 pandemic before the end of the year, Harding Evans partner Craig Court who is representing Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru and members of the group give their reaction to the news and what it means for a Welsh inquiry moving forward.

Data from the UK government indicates that 85% of UK’s employees work in service industries, with education, human health and retail trade boasting the highest number of staff members. But as more and more people turn to the experts, including Accountants, Architects and Solicitors for advice, how do you protect yourself if a customer or client claims that you’ve been negligent in the delivery of your service?

Ben Jenkins, Partner and head of the Dispute Resolution team, examines the concept of professional negligence and offers his top tips to businesses to avoid or mitigate claims of professional negligence.

While graduating from university, moving into your first flat and pursuing your dream career are often firm features of your 20s and 30s, putting your affairs in order often lags much further behind.

And with so much of the literature surrounding will writing offering guidance to those heading towards retirement, it comes as no surprise that just 24% of adults under the age of 35 have a valid will in place. But as Afonwy Howell-Pryce, an Associate in our Wills and Probate team explains, it is never too early to be thinking about the future.

There are times throughout our lives in which we often turn to the ‘professionals’ for advice – such as a solicitor when purchasing a property, or a doctor when you are suffering with back pain.

But what happens when the advice they provide you with causes harm or leaves you out of pocket? Ben Jenkins, Partner and head of our Dispute Resolution team, examines the legal options available to you when the experts do not get it right.

With the majority of lockdown restrictions in Wales moving to alert level zero earlier on this week, many organisations will be looking at how to bring their staff back into the workplace safely. Dan Wilde, head of employment here at Harding Evans, looks at what legal requirements remain in place and what employers need to consider before bringing their staff back.

The BBC recently reported that Ministers are looking to overhaul the legal process where individuals appoint someone to make property, financial, health and welfare decisions on their behalf, should they lose the ability to make those decisions themselves.

Afonwy Howell-Pryce, an associate in our Wills and Probate team looks at what is being proposed to modernise the power of attorney system and what impact it could have for the future.

Newport-based law firm Harding Evans represented the bereaved family at an inquest into the death of Robert Bird, who committed suicide at Hafan y Coed Hospital after accessing a plastic bag that he would later fashion into a ligature.

Last month the government confirmed the date which the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 will come into force, 6 April 2022. The new no-fault divorce law was originally due to be implemented in the autumn of 2021.

Leah Thomas, a senior associate solicitor in our Family & Matrimonial department at Harding Evans, looks at why the delays have come about and the impact these delays could have on clients.

It is universally agreed that there is no ‘right’ time to start your own business – but with a solid plan and a healthy dose of entrepreneurial spirit, it seems that there may not be a wrong time either. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, almost half a million new businesses were registered in the UK, according to data from Companies House.

Long periods of furlough, job uncertainty and changing customer needs have provided the ideal grounds for many new businesses to flourish. If you’re thinking about taking the plunge into self-employment, check out the second instalment of our top tips for success.

Data released by the Office for National Statistics in 2019 showed that the traditional household, consisting of a married couple with children, was giving way to a growing number of cohabiting couples and families, with ‘common-law partners’ increasing by 25.8% in just 10 years [1].

With our living patterns changing as an increasing number of people put a hold on (or avoid altogether) the big white wedding, what many don’t realise is that there is very little legal protection for cohabiters, despite its rapidly growing popularity. Afonwy Howell-Pryce, an Associate in our Wills and Probate team, examines some of the steps you should take to avoid putting your partner, your finances and your property at risk.

It is universally agreed that there is no ‘right’ time to start your own business – but with a solid plan and a healthy dose of entrepreneurial spirit, it seems that there may not be a wrong time either. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, almost half a million new businesses were registered in the UK, according to data from Companies House.[1]

Long periods of furlough, job uncertainty and changing customer needs have provided the ideal grounds for many new businesses to flourish. If you’re thinking about taking the plunge into self-employment, make sure to read our top tips for success.

In December 2019, Peggy Copeman suffered a cardiac arrest while being transported over 250 miles from a specialist mental health hospital in Somerset to her home county of Norfolk by a private ambulance provider. In lieu of a defibrillator or the provision of adequate first aid, Peggy passed away on the hard shoulder of the M11.

Following the conclusion of the inquest into Peggy’s death on Friday 25th June, Partner and head of the Actions Against Public Authorities team, Craig Court, reflects on this tragic case.