Grandparents and Guardianship – The Legal Rights of Grandparents

When a family unit breaks down the focus is inevitably in establishing each parents’ rights in relation to their children. What is often forgotten is that such a break up can have negative consequences for the grandparents who may wish to apply for guardianship, access or custody.  We all understand that grandparents play a very important role
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Road Traffic Accidents – Dos and Donts in the Snow

Having had cause to this morning in the snow I have noticed another major hazard aside from the weather – the way our fellow road users react to the dangers the weather throws at us. There are two extremes and both equally as lethal as the other. The first, is the reckless driver who carries
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Loss of tracker led to home seizures of at least 15 Ulster Bank Customers

At least 15 homeowners, who were customers with Ulster Bank, had their homes seized when they failed to make repayments due to being switched, incorrectly, off their Tracker Mortgage Rates. RTE News reports that Ulster Bank will tell the Oireachtas Finance Committee today of the details and that the actual number of customers who have lost

Thousands of Scans to be Reviewed in Kerry Hospital

News broke this week of thousands of scans in University Hospital Kerry having to be review after it was discovered that several patients were given incorrect diagnosis. It is understood that over 40,000 scans will be reviewed in a process that has been underway for months already. Naturally, this has led to major concern from

How to Choose Your Executor(s) for Your Will

Your executor carries out (or executes) the wishes set out in your will and choosing the right person or persons is an important decision. It should be somebody you trust to do this job. Ideally, it should be a job given to two people to act as co-executors. So what does an executor actually do?

Vaginal Mesh Implants: Questions of Negligence

The problems associated with vaginal mesh implants have been much publicised over the last few months. In September 2017 a Plaintiff in the United States was awarded a record $57m damages. She had received a vaginal mesh implant made by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) which was launched without a clinical trial, and then marketed for

Irish Divorce Rates Back at Pre-Recession Levels

The pre-recession levels of divorce are back in Ireland after several years of declining numbers, according to the Law Society. The announcement by the governing body of solicitors in Ireland, suggests that the trend is down to the fact that people, who had wanted to get divorced for years, were unable to financially support themselves
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Ovarian Cancer victim wins $417m payout from Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson talcum power is typically associated with kid’s bath times or a grandparent’s bathroom cabinet and has been a household staple for generations In the United States a jury has now ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $417m to a woman who claimed she developed ovarian cancer after using the company’s talc-based products
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What You Need To Consider When Buying A House

Thinking of buying a house?  We look at Government incentives scheme and we also highlight a podcast and video to help you understand some of the issues associated with buying a house.
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Wardship – A Mechanism to Manage a Person’s Affair

When a person becomes unable to manage their assets because of mental incapacity, an application can be made to the courts for them to become a Ward of Court. This is a process known as Wardship.  We look at the issue in this blog. When does Wardship arise? An application must be made to the
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Bankruptcy Boom: Increase in numbers applying

The new ‘one year bankruptcy ’ continues to be an appealing alternative for those struggling with unsustainable debt as some 552 people are projected to be adjudicated bankrupt this year according to the latest figures from the Insolvency Service of Ireland. A total of €776 million is the estimated debt that will be included in
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Love at first sight & Pre-Nuptial Agreements

A recent poll by FarmIreland.ie showed that over 70 per cent of farmers believe that prenuptial agreements should have legal standing in Ireland. Unlike the US Canada, New Zealand and Australia, Ireland currently has no legislation which expressly recognises such agreements and makes them enforceable. However, ‘prenups’ as they are often called, can still be
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DePuy Hips – Where are We Now

DePuy Hips The first Irish DePuy hip judgment against the metal-on-metal hip manufacturer DePuy International, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson, was handed down in the High Court in November 2016 by Mister Justice Kevin Cross. This is a welcome development as it is the first Irish case to run to full duration which resulted

Maintenance: Do Rights Come With Duties?

Maintenance : Do Rights Come with Duties This is a sensitive family law area, which can be complex when parents and/or spouses are faced with relationship breakdown and are not aware of their rights or their duties. Who pays maintenance? There is a legal responsibility in Ireland on both spouses, to maintain each other, and on parents,
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DePuy Patients – Ultrasound Scans and Second Opinions a Top Priority

DePuy Patients –  Scans and Second Opinions a Top Priority As far back as March 2011 , UK experts, Mr. David J. Langton, MRCS at University Hospital of North Tees and Dr. Thomas Joyce, Mechanical Engineer at Newcastle University, spoke to DePuy patients at an International DePuy Hip Implant Recall Conference. Lynch  Solicitors hosted the