UK law firm Shoosmiths’ prediction of a 75% rise in business disputes this year might look like a legal industry problem, but it’s an early warning sign that organisations are generating more information than they can realistically understand, navigate, or act on. Over the past decade, organisations have quietly become data factories. Emails, contracts, messages, …
Continue reading “Why rising litigation is an early warning sign of an economy-wide data overload”
“I’m terrified about money.” I hear this constantly from women going through divorce—even women who’ve always paid the bills, worked in finance, or managed every aspect of household finances. Financial fear after divorce is common. They feel overwhelmed, intimidated, and often ashamed of that fear. If that’s you, please hear this first: there is nothing …
In the final instalment from Nicola K Smith, the estate dispute specialist explains why mediation is almost always better than litigation, and shares tips on how to encourage clients to talk before taking action. When families fall out over a will or an estate, it’s tempting to think that the only solution is to ‘go …
Continue reading “Why mediation (not litigation) should be your first call”
Independent craft beer brewer, Brewdog, has called in advisers to oversee a sale that could trigger a break-up of one of Scotland’s well-known businesses. The board of Brewdog, which brands include Punk IPA and Elvis Juice, has appointed restructuring experts Alix Partners to attract interest from potential bidders, first reported by Sky News. Sources said …
Continue reading “Brewdog calls time as advisers brought in to assess bidders”
Saturday 14 February 2026 8:00 am | Updated: Friday 13 February 2026 10:51 am The rise of the pre-nuptial agreement continues unabated. And never more so than for young successful athletes who tick all the ‘you need an agreement’ boxes – rapid accumulation of wealth, short career spans and public interest in their private lives. For …
Continue reading “Why agents are asking athletes to get a pre-nup this Valentine’s Day”
At the outset, crypto was supposed to remove the need for middlemen – no banks, no gatekeepers, n paperwork. Just code, wallets and decentralised systems that could run themselves. But, as anyone who’s spent more than five minutes in the crypto world knows, decentralisation doesn’t remove conflict – it just changes what conflict looks like. …
The role of mediation in civil litigation changed significantly on 22 May 2024 with the implementation of a new Practice Directive. Parties to small dispute claims under £10,000 are now automatically referred for mediation within the HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS). With this reform, mediation has become an integrated feature of the civil justice …
When estate disputes become legal battles, who foots the bill? This week, Nicola K Smith breaks down the options, sharing her specialist knowledge with practitioners to pass onto clients facing unexpected fees. Legal disputes about estates are stressful enough but the question everyone asks is: How much will this cost me? And more importantly, who …
Continue reading “Who pays? Funding litigation and when costs can come from the estate”
My former partner and I were never married, but we purchased a property in his name only in August 2018. We were together for 25 years and have three children together. The house cost £100,000. We got it cheap as it was a doer-upper, previously on the market for £125,000. I paid half the total …
Continue reading “Do I have a stake in my former partner’s house even though I wasn’t on the deeds?”
