Untangling the concept of parental alienation
Parental alienation is usually seen in court cases where the relationship between parents is particularly acrimonious and often where there has been a breakdown of contact between one parent and the child. But what does parental alienation actually mean? What effect does this have in court proceedings and, most importantly, how does this impact on […]
Top 100 firm announces latest senior family appointment
Ward Hadaway, one of the UK’s top 100 law firms, has made a senior appointment in its family and matrimonial team at its Newcastle headquarters. Gemma Iceton, a highly regarded family law solicitor in the North East of England, joins the organisation as a partner in the family and matrimonial team. With over 17 years’ […]
The Ombudsman’s corner: an introduction to LeO
I am delighted to be writing the first of what will be a monthly column in which I talk about complaints, complaints handling, what we are seeing at the Legal Ombudsman, the way that we work, and how we approach matters that are referred to us. The Legal Ombudsman receive around 7,000 complaints every year […]
Sanctions breaches now a strict liability offence
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has updated its guidance on its approach to enforcement. This is partially to reflect changes in legislation brought in under the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022. These changes include: A new strict civil liability test for imposing monetary penalties Changes to the review of monetary penalties […]
Law Society responds to SRA’s 2022/23 business plan
Solicitors’ leaders are concerned about the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) plans to increase its fining powers by more than 1,000%, as they respond to the SRA’s 2022/2023 business plan and budget consultation. Law Society of England and Wales president I. Stephanie Boyce offered her support for several key elements of the business plan: “In principle, […]
