Day: 4 February 2021

It’s not EU, it’s me

“We must build a kind of United States of Europe. In this way only will hundreds of millions of toilers be able to regain the simple joys and hopes which make life worth living” Winston Churchill 1946 Like approximately half of the voting population (or thereabouts), the decision to leave the EU was horribly disappointing […]

Deal, what deal?

A Family Lawyer’s perspective on UK-EU “Trade and Cooperation Agreement”  Last January, I wrote an article entitled: “No-deal Brexit would cut children adrift A long tradition of cross-border co-operation and recognition of judgments is close to being abandoned” In it I said, Cassandra like: “As we approach the eve of Brexit, not even to have […]

Courts and Tribunals : reporting COVID-19 incidents

HM Courts and Tribunals Services (HMCTS) have provided processes for dealing with coronavirus cases which impact our courts and tribunals. It includes how information about incidents can be shared with staff, judiciary and professional court users. All suspected incidents and / or confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) within the court and tribunal buildings in England […]

How can your firm manage risk and compliance in an increasingly digital world?

As law firms continue to adopt digital ways of working very quickly as a result of the rise in remote working; it seems likely that some of these changes in working practices are likely to be here for the long term. Some staff will be considering whether they’d like to work from home more even […]

Pandemic causes pupillage numbers to plummet

The coronavirus pandemic has caused bar pupillage numbers to dramatically drop by a quarter in 2020. The regulator has warned that chambers may cut back recruitment in future months. There were 354 pupils in December 2020, compared with 475 in December 2019 and on average, there were 473 pupils at the bar between 2015 and […]

Webinar: How to protect your firm from a cyber attack

Not even a month into 2021 and already it has been a busy start to the year for law firms. This coupled with the new working from home culture unfortunately elevates the risk of law firms being subject to a cyber attack. In 2019, almost 50% of businesses in the UK suffered a cyber attack […]

Bishop & Sewell and Monro Wright & Wasbrough LLP announce merger

The Partners of Bishop & Sewell and Monro Wright & Wasbrough are delighted to announce the merger of their two firms. Monro Wright & Wasbrough (‘MWW’) merged with Bishop & Sewell on 1 February 2021 and the newly combined practice will operate as “Bishop & Sewell LLP incorporating Monro Wright & Wasbrough.”  The Bishop & […]

Funding is needed for mental health reform, says Law Society

The Law Society has warned that proposed changes to the mental health system must be properly funded to be effective. Following publication of the Mental Health Act White Paper in January 2021, the regulator has stressed that for the reform to be successful it needs significant monetary backing. In order to succeed the proposed reforms […]

New LSB rules on regulators’ fees will increase transparency for lawyers

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has published new Rules and Guidance to increase transparency on how legal services regulators spend practising certificate fees (PCF).  Increased transparency will help empower those who pay the PCF to hold their regulator accountable for its expenditure. The proposals are designed to lead to a more meaningful debate on the […]

Two wrongs don’t make a right: conduct in FRB v DCA [2020]

There are numerous questions family practitioners come to expect when dealing with separating spouses. Chief amongst them is usually the inevitable request to cite conduct they considered essential that the Court be aware of when assessing financial provision. These can include cutting legs off valuable furniture, refusing access to pets, or listing their many affairs. […]

Do you know the top ten cyber attack reasons?

A new year is widely seen as the chance for a new start; time to look at your priorities with a fresh perspective and vigor. This new year has started very differently for all of us. Many won’t head into the office as we once would, and this brings with it it’s very own set […]