Blogs
Personal injury trusts: winning damages doesn’t mean losing benefits
A car accident, a medical negligence case, a crime: they can all result in substantial financial damages. Personal injury payouts can make a massive difference to someone’s life, but they can also impact their eligibility for means-tested state benefits. A personal injury trust enables people ....
Families priced out of private education by rising fees
Fewer pupils. Higher costs. Private schools are struggling to survive after being hit with multiple financial shocks in 2025. It’s been reported that at least 54 independent schools in England have already closed or announced shutdown plans since the start of the year. Inflation coupled ....
How the rules for commercial leases are set to change
After decades without change, the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 is under review. The Law Commission is looking closely at the process of excluding a tenant from having the benefit of security of tenure by its commercial lease of premises at the end of its contractual term. What is se....
Leasehold Reform appeal brings further delay and uncertainty for Leaseholders
The long-running saga surrounding the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (LAFRA) has taken yet another turn. Just months after the High Court dismissed freeholders’ arguments that the legislation breached their human rights, the Commons Housing Committee has confirmed that the group of freeho....
Timeline set out for Renters’ Rights Act implementation
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent in October 2025, having made its way through Parliament since September 2024. Now, the government has set out a timeline for the implementation of the new legislation, starting with major changes from May 2026. Rollout of the first ph....
Princess Alexandra Hospital apologises after morphine overdose death
News has emerged of a deeply distressing case involving 63-year-old cancer patient, Paulino Amico, who died at Princess Alexandra Hospital after being given multiple accidental morphine overdoses. Essex coroner Sonia Hayes concluded that Mr Amico’s death was ‘hastened and contributed to’ by t....
Could we see the end of upward-only rent reviews?
The Government’s English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is progressing through Parliament. Buried within this Bill is a proposed ban on upward-only rent reviews in commercial leases. As someone who spends a lot of time advising on commercial leases, we have seen first-hand how re....
The tragedy and the truth behind mental health negligence
*Warning: This article contains upsetting details and references to serious self-harm and death. When we’re mentally or physically unwell, we trust healthcare professionals to provide the treatment and support we need. When that trust is breached, it can have fatal consequences. The harrowi....
Renters’ Rights Act 2025 has received Royal Assent
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, marking a significant milestone in housing law reform. As experts in property and landlord-tenant law, Attwaters has been following all the legal developments closely. Renters’ Rights Act becomes law Considered th....
Government announces major reform to protect children in family courts
On 22 October 2025, the government announced plans to change the way the family courts handle child contact cases. In this blog, we explain what is changing and what it could mean for families. The current situation At the moment, family courts operate under the principle that it is gener....
Rising number of medical negligence claims in the UK
In 2023-24, the highest value of clinical negligence claims were paid out at an incredible sum of £2.82 billion, according to NHS Resolution data. This is the latest period for which we have data, but there is a concern amongst experts that the value and number of payouts may continue to rise. ....
Can you claim compensation for cancer misdiagnosis?
As a solicitor who often speaks with people affected by medical mistakes, I’ve seen first-hand how devastating a cancer misdiagnosis can be. When a diagnosis comes too late or the wrong condition is treated, it's not just the patient who suffers the consequences. Families are left anxious, ....
