Litigation

Does dishonesty mean that nobody pays? Not necessarily. A recent Court of Appeal decision, Ward v Donnellan [2026] EWCA Civ 729, provides an important reminder about how courts approach legal costs where both parties have behaved dishonestly. The starting point… In civil litigation, the general rule is: Costs usually follow the event. In simple terms, the party who loses will normally be expected to pay the successful party's reasonable legal costs. But judges have discretion

A recent Court of Appeal decision provides an important reminder for landlords, tenants, property owners and anyone involved in a legal dispute: Submitting a claim form is not the end of the process. In Bali v 1–2 Couriers Ltd [2025] EWCA Civ 1413, the Court of Appeal considered a deceptively simple question: When is a claim form actually “issued”? The answer is important. A claim form is issued when the court seals/stamps it — not when the court posts it or when the claimant