Is rugby now too dangerous for children?

There has been a recent rise of head injuries in children which occur as a result of injuries suffered during contact sport in school. The UK Government has selected rugby as a sport it will be focusing on to increase the prominence of competitive sport in schools.

More than 70 health experts around the country have written to the Government urging a ban on tackling in school rugby matches due to the high rate of injury. These injuries may include fractures, spinal injuries and head injuries which could have long term consequences for children.

Article by
Nazmin Chowdhury

Each year around 700,000 people are admitted into hospital with a head injury in England and Wales and many other head injuries go undetected. This has been a cause of worry as children are more likely to sustain head injuries due to their active nature, particularly those who play contact sport. 

What symptoms to look out for

Signs of a brain injury after a blow to the head include:

·         Brief loss of consciousness

·         Memory loss

·         Disturbance of vision

·         Confusion

If your child has suffered a head injury whilst playing sports at school, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01992 422128 or email nazmin@ghslaw.co.uk

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www.gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk

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Tel: 01992 422 128

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Email: info@gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk
The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.

What are the implications of leaving somebody out of your will?

Article by Chris Lucas

In England and Wales, we enjoy the right of testamentary freedom, which is the right to make a will and leave your estate to whomever you wish. 

There is however an important law to consider before you decide to write somebody out of your will. This is the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 which will apply if you die domiciled in England and Wales. This law will enable certain categories of people to bring a claim against your estate if you do not ‘reasonably provide’ for them in your will. 

A recent ruling hit the headlines just this week, whereby a woman who was cut out of her mother’s will successfully claimed £164,000 from the estate, despite the fact that the will left the whole estate worth £486,000 to animal charities and the deceased had clearly expressed previously that she did not want her daughter to receive a penny of her estate.

Making substantial gifts to children: How this might affect their inheritance

Article by Chris Lucas

You may be interested to know that if you make a particular type of gift to one or more of your children during your lifetime, this could affect your children’s inheritance under the terms of your will.

The type of gift referred to here is known as a ‘portion’. A portion can be described as a substantial gift (usually of money) from a parent to a child which is made with the intention of establishing the child in life or making permanent provision for them.

A typical example of a portion would be giving one of your children a sum of money to be used as a deposit towards buying their first home. Whatever the gift might be, the key requirements for it to be considered a portion are as follows:

1. The gift must be from a parent (or a person acting in loco parentis i.e. someone who has assumed parental responsibility) to a child.
2. The gift must be substantial in value - what ‘substantial’ means will depend on the circumstances and can be open to interpretation, but generally speaking, any gift of £20,000 or more is most likely to be considered substantial.
3. The gift must have the effect of establishing the child in life or making permanent provision for them e.g. deposit for a first home or sum of money to enable the child to start up their own business.

If you have already made a will, then it is important to be aware of the potential effect of portions when you subsequently pass away. Essentially, any portions made during your lifetime after you have made your will can have the effect of ‘satisfying’ legacies left to your children under the terms of your will. This is known as the presumption against double portions.