The local government public body responsible for assessing and providing social care services to individuals. While NHS Continuing Healthcare is funded by the NHS, local authorities may be involved in the provision of social care services for individuals with eligible needs, which is normally means tested.

This represents a list of questions about the property which are sent to the local authority. It covers item such as, whether the road serving the property should be maintained by the council, whether there have been any planning applications on the property, and a number of other things.

When somebody is injured they are often unable to work while they recover from their injuries. If the injury is serious they may never return to their pre-accident employment or perhaps never be fit for any sort of paid work again. As a consequence of any of these situations the injured person will suffer a loss of earnings. The precise nature of the loss will depend on the circumstances. Loss of earnings can be ‘claimed for’ losses that have already occurred and those that may occur in the future.

An order of the Court that you or your spouse/civil partner pay a fixed amount of money. The Court can order you or your spouse/civil partner to pay a lump sum in one payment or in instalments.

A patient’s Medication Administration Record. It is working document which is used to keep an accurate record of the type of medication and the time it is administered.

Employees who are expectant mothers have the statutory right to a minimum amount of maternity leave. Employers may also offer their own maternity leave scheme in addition to this.

Statutory Maternity Leave is for 52 weeks. Employees may also be entitled to receive Statutory Maternity Pay for up to 39 weeks of the leave.

The term used to describe the house that you lived in whilst married.

A formal method of trying to resolve a dispute or negotiate a settlement.

In certain cases, such as disability discrimination claims, medical evidence may be required. This can be in the form of simply providing medical records, obtaining a medical report or calling an expert witness.

Following a serious injury, the individual will be admitted to the hospital under the care of a consultant relevant to the type of injury. On discharge from hospital medical care will often continue to be provided via the hospital outpatients department and/or GP. The written records produced during treatment are important evidence of the nature and extent of an injury, however, in order to prove the existence and extent of an injury, your solicitor will need to instruct an independent medical expert. This would not be the same person who provided the treatment in hospital. In serious injury cases often more than one expert is instructed and they may well be asked to produce more than one report if recovery takes a long time. A medical expert will examine the injured person, consider the medical records and then produce a written report. The written report will stand as evidence in the claim. Getting the right medical experts is vitally important.

Mental capacity is about being able to make your own decisions. It is decision and time specific. If you are deemed to lack mental capacity, you may not be able to make decisions for yourself due to an illness, injury or from birth.

Being mentally unable to do something/make decisions.

A search to check whether the property may be affected by coal mining activity.

A child under the age of 18.

Term often used when referring to wrongful, improper or unlawful actions taken by an employee. An employee can be dismissed on the grounds of misconduct if they have received previous warnings for misconduct. Dismissals on the grounds of misconduct would have to be with notice pay.

Efforts by the claimant to find a new job and reduce their loss of earnings.

A loan to buy a house or flat where the mortgagee lends the mortgagor money in return for a legal charge being registered against the property to ensure that the loan must be repaid before the property can be sold.

The document signed by the mortgagor to create a legal charge which the mortgagee can register at the Land Registry.

The details of the terms upon which the mortgagee is prepared to make the mortgage loan.

The length of time agreed for the repayment of the loan.

Where a property has been charged by the owner or mortgagor to the mortgagee.

Somebody who provides a mortgage (e.g. a bank or building society).

Somebody who takes out a mortgage (a borrower).

A scanning machine that enables highly detailed pictures of the brain and other parts of the body to be taken. MRI uses a strong magnet rather than X-rays.