Month: August 2021

The government have committed a further £800,000 of additional funding for Family Mediation vouchers; providing thousands more families with the opportunity to access up to £500 toward the cost of mediation. The aim of the scheme is to keep “easily resolvable” cases out of the already over-subscribed family courts system. The additional funding comes as […]Read More

The Home Office has issued a consultation on draft statutory guidance for implementing the definition of domestic abuse and is calling for responses from relevant user groups. On 29 April the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 received Royal Assent and the aim of the consultation is to gather views on the domestic abuse guidance, to support […]Read More

Nick Emmerson has been announced as the new Law Society of England and Wales 2021 deputy vice president (DVP), following the recent election.  He takes office as DVP on 14 October 2021 – becoming vice president in 2022 and president in 2023. Nick has been a Law Society council member since 2015 as the constituency […]Read More

Are you in the cyber hot seat? With reams of sensitive personal data and transactions that involve large sums of money, the legal sector is undeniably a massive target for cyber crime. Cyber Security – A thematic review published last year by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) reported the many costs of a cyber attack to a legal […]Read More

Solicitors operating as sole practitioners and partnerships are a dying breed, according to a new analysis from Arden Partners plc revealing the changing shape of the solicitor market. Arden’s analysis of Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) data reveals that the number of sole practitioners operating in England and Wales has decreased by 47% in the past […]Read More

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Index of Services for June reveals that the legal sector is recovering well following the pandemic. Although figures show that the services sector grew by only 1.5% between May and June this year, which is still below the 2.1% that was recorded in February 2020 and the last month of […]Read More

There was an overall reduction in Cafcass demand in July as the number of new cases slowed, but open outstanding cases remained high. The latest children and family courts service (Cafcass) figures reveal that the number of new cases has slowed. There were 5,255 new cases in July 2021 which is 15.8% less than in […]Read More

Expert family lawyers are urging couples to consider alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such as mediation, amidst a backdrop of courts still overwhelmed by delays caused due to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to The Economist, it now takes an average of 40 weeks to resolve a private dispute involving children. The court service estimates the backlog […]Read More

I admit that I don’t or at least I didn’t believe in Narcissism. But even if narcissism is just a ‘flavour of the month ’term it’s ok because this is a very useful book and all family law practitioners ought to read, absorb and act on it. The book could easily be entitled, ‘How to […]Read More

Ahead of the 1 September launch of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), the Law Society has today unveiled guidance to answer common queries for law firms and organisations on qualifying work experience (QWE) for trainee solicitors. Under the SQE, candidates must complete two years QWE in order to qualify as a solicitor, as well as […]Read More

Ampla Finance, the legal finance provider, has today announced the appointment of Richard Kennerley as its new CEO. Richard joins at a period of significant growth for Ampla, which is experiencing strong demand for its matrimonial and estate loan products, providing individuals with quick access to flexible finance to cover divorce proceedings and loans to […]Read More

For some firms, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) has taken a back seat as a consequence of the Covid-19 lockdowns, but now that things are getting back to some semblance of normality it is important that all firms ensure their EDI policies and procedures are fit for purpose and operate effectively on a day-to-day basis, […]Read More

New research by Bolt Burdon Kemp, has uncovered the key issues that are preventing people in the UK from getting proper access to legal services. A survey of 2,000 adults across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland found:  46% say they don’t understand the legal system or how they can get legal support. 51% say there […]Read More

Implementing a ‘no jab, no job’ policy brings serious pitfalls for business across England, a leading employment lawyer has warned. While it will be the law in England from November 11 for all staff and volunteers in registered care home settings to show proof they have received both Covid-19 vaccinations to enable them to continue […]Read More

The Judicial Review and Courts Bill, introduced to parliament on 21st July, is set to equip judges with the tools to give more tailored solutions in judicial review cases. It will also create a better balance between the rights of citizens to challenge executive decisions through judicial review and the need for effective government. The […]Read More

Unexplained wealth orders were introduced four years ago to help tackle the problem of money laundering by high net worth individuals, often with foreign and political connections.  Here, Ellen Sanchenko, Criminal Litigation and Regulatory specialist solicitor at Ronald Fletcher Baker LLP, explains how they work – and whether they are operating as intended. The concept […]Read More

In recent years there have been calls for a change in the law to protect vulnerable adults from falling victim to what has become known as “predatory marriage”. This is due to a rise in cases where fraudsters have married vulnerable and often elderly individuals, without the knowledge of their loved ones, and are then […]Read More

Latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that marriages are decreasing and couples are getting older. ONS figures for marriages in 2018 show that there were 234,795 marriages in England and Wales; a decrease of 3.3% compared with 2017 and the lowest since 2009. Marriage rates for opposite-sex couples were also the lowest on […]Read More

Private Equity firm Blixt Group has invested in Essex based Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP solicitors (FJG). It is the first foray into the legal services sector for Blixt for whom FJG will “become a springboard for further acquisitions over the next 3 to 4 years.” The Blixt Group has indicated it has access to significant […]Read More