A term used to refer to a child being of sufficient age, understanding and maturity to give the court their own views, and to act independently of any adult – typically a teenager over the age of 13/14.

A legal document which confirms an executor's authority to administer the deceased's estate.

A legal document which confirms a person's authority, as an executor or administrator, to administer the deceased's estate.
Grant of Probate = where there is a will.
Grant of Letters of administration = where there is no will.

Put simply, a grievance is a complaint.

If an employee is having a problem at work, is concerned about an issue that has arisen at work, or wishes to make a complaint about a colleague or a manager, then they can raise a “grievance”.

Employers should have formal grievance procedures in place to address the handling of such complaints.

Conduct so serious as to justify summary dismissal of an employee.

Acts deemed to be classed as gross misconduct are often listed in an employer’s disciplinary procedure and can include theft, fighting, serious negligence, breaches of health and safety indecent behaviour, dishonesty and offensive behaviour.

This is paid by a lessee to a lessor where a property is leasehold and is usually expressed as a yearly sum.

A person you choose to raise your minor children until they attain the age of 18 if there are no living people with parental responsibility.

An experienced social worker appointed by the court represents the views of the child, who usually has a legal representative.

People you choose to raise your minor children until they attain the age of 18 if there are no living people with parental responsibility.

Term that is often linked to discrimination claims.

Harassment can be claimed if it can be shown that certain actions violate the person’s dignity, or create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.

An area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. The goal of all occupational health and safety programmes is to foster a safe work environment.

In the UK employees are given protection under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Employment tribunal hearings are less formal than a court hearing, however, the decisions made there are legally binding and must be followed.

This is sometimes charged by a mortgagee where a borrower borrows more than a certain percentage of the value of a property to insure the mortgagee only against loss arising if the property is sold by them due to the borrower’s failure to pay the mortgage.

A general term used to apply to abuse which has happened a considerable time ago, but still within the person’s own lifetime.

Most workers have the right to take a minimum amount of paid holiday. This is called statutory holiday.

The rules about statutory holiday apply regardless of how long an employee has worked and regardless of their age.

All employees’ are entitled to take 5.6 weeks’ pro rate paid holiday a year.

A contract of employment may give additional rights to paid holiday, called contractual holiday, but it cannot give less.

Human Resources (HR) is often the name of the function within an organisation charged with the overall responsibility for implementing strategies and policies relating to the management of individuals.

Formal identification, proof of address, proof of funds and evidence of the source of funds at the start of a transaction, to enable us to comply with the anti-money laundering regulations

An absence of ability.

Can refer to an accident, or an assault of any nature whether physical, sexually or psychological.

Insurance to cover a defect in title or missing/lack of building/planning documents.

A search at the land registry to see if a property is registered or unregistered.

Indirect discrimination is where an employer has applied a provision or practice which disadvantages an employee and which would tend to disadvantage others of the same race, sex, age, etc.

It is not unlawful if an employer can justify the provision or practice by showing that it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

To receive something from a deceased person's estate.

Tax on the value of the estate of the deceased, currently 40% on anything above £325,000.