I work for the prison service. As we were short staffed, I was working alone, when an inmate assaulted me. I was held at knifepoint and beaten. My physical injuries have resolved, but since the incident I have struggled with severe anxiety and depression.  My GP has also suggested I may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as I am having flashbacks, intrusive thoughts and I am afraid to leave the house. I am still signed off work and currently cannot face going back. I had not received any training to deal with violence or threats of violence, which left me feeling completely helpless. Can I get compensation from the prison?  

My husband died over ten years ago, and I have been in a new relationship for the past two years. My partner wants us to get married and have one home together. However, as we both have children from our first marriages and our assets are individually considerable, I would like to ensure that my assets pass to my own children. Could I do that in a Will, or would creating a trust in my lifetime be the answer?

I have been living with my partner for five years. I moved in with him and he owns the house. I want him to make a Will because he has a motorbike and goes off on long road trips with his friends and I worry what would happen to me and my two boys if he got killed. He says nobody in their thirties makes a Will and the house would be mine anyway if he dies, because we are common law partners. My dad says this isn’t how it works. Please can you confirm?

I was bullied at work for several months and ended up leaving my job at the end of January because of it. Mentally I was so low that leaving seemed like a better option than continuing a fight with the management to accept what was going on and getting them to intervene. I had complained to them several times but was just told I needed to ‘grow up’. I am struggling to get another job, which has caused financial hardship to me and my family as well as affecting my confidence. I have the names of people who witnessed the bullying. Is it too late to do anything about getting compensation?

My father was driving home after a holiday when he had an accident. The road he was travelling along had a sharp bend, which then led straight onto a junction.

My father crossed over the junction, mistakenly thinking it was the main road, and crashed into another car. The road markings were so faded that they were not visible and the ‘give way’ sign was completely obstructed by an overgrown hedge. My father has broken his leg. The other vehicle’s insurers held my father to blame, which seems unfair. Can he pursue a claim against the local authority for not maintaining the road?

My son is in prison. When he was arrested, he had his belongings taken off him at the police station and they have never been returned. They included a very expensive watch and some other valuables. He has asked the prison officers about getting his things back, but they said because the police have not sent them anything it was nothing to do with them and he would have to make enquiries with the police. How should he proceed with this?

I was with my daughter in her local shopping centre when I tripped on a damaged slab and fell face down onto a low wall. I broke my right elbow and my nose, split my lip, and knocked out three top front teeth.

I have been told I can have dental implants, but these will have to be fitted in two or three stages spanning the best part of twelve months, at a cost of around £3000+ per tooth. I am totally distraught because I work in the beauty industry, and I am also a part-time mature photographic model. Currently I am off work due to the accident. The shopping centre is privately owned. How can I get compensation?

Our uncle has been given just a short time to live and my sister and I are his sole executors. We are planning to apply for Probate ourselves and want to be well prepared to start the process as soon as he passes. Someone has told us that before we can get Probate, we will have to calculate any inheritance tax liability. So that we do not make any mistakes, please can you explain the process?

Two weeks ago, we bought a second-hand campervan from a private seller. We checked everything visually and accepted the seller’s confirmation that the vehicle was in good working order and had no problems. However, we went away in it for a long weekend as soon as we got it and had problems with the electrics.

We ended up having to stay in a hotel for three nights whilst repairs were carried out, then it broke down again twice on the way home. We contacted the seller, but he did not want to know. He said he had never had any problems with it, yet the place that carried out the repairs said it was clearly an old problem. Where do we stand legally regarding returning the van and getting a refund?

Our grandson stands to inherit a substantial sum from our son and daughter-in-law who have both done well from humble beginnings. He is 26 years-old and is an only child who came along late in their lives. He is spoiled and has never worked, and although they would not admit it to us, we know he uses drugs.

They made new Wills last year after my son was diagnosed with cancer, but we are worried that if his parents should die, our grandson will just squander his inheritance and we won’t be around to stop him. Wouldn’t it be a good idea for them to leave their money in trust for him?