Family court delays see children waiting a year to finalise living arrangements
Soaring family court delays mean children involved in private law cases are waiting 47 weeks – almost a year – on average to find out who they will be living with long term. This is according to data published by the Ministry of Justice, which also highlighted a four-week increase in the delays affecting such […]
Divorce applications down 5% since last year
New data released by the Ministry of Justice has revealed the number of divorce applications between January and March this year was 5% lower than the same period last year. The 28,865 applications made this year came under the new legislation which came into effect from 6th April 2022 and allowed couples to end their […]
HMCTS comes under pressure over proposed court reforms
HM Courts & Tribunals Service has come under pressure from the Law Society of England and Wales and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) over court reform preposals. In a report published last week, the PAC found that the long history of resets, revisions, and delays to the Court Reform Programme (CRP) “has largely been due […]
Justice Secretary confirms government set to abandon Bill of Rights
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has announced in the House of Commons that the government will not be proceeding with the Bill of Rights Bill. In November last year, Lord Chancellor Dominic Raab’s Bill of Rights Bill was set to be reintroduced for parliamentary consideration under Rishi Sunak, according to reports, after previous prime minister Liz […]
‘Record investment’ set to see thousands more benefit from free legal support
Thousands more vulnerable people will be able to access free and early legal advice to resolve issues quickly and avoid court room proceedings due to a record boost in government funding, according to the Ministry of Justice. The Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support grant works by funding free legal advice and support services for those […]
71 countries call for removal of online child sexual abuse materials
71 countries have called for the urgent removal of online child sexual abuse materials in the first of its kind “call to action” at the United Nations, according to UK Mission to the UN in Vienna. For the first time at the UN, 71 governments have come together and agreed a call to action statement urging further and […]
New legislation set to provide additional rights for carers, expecting parents, and new parents
On 24th May 2023, three family-friendly bills received Royal Assent: The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill; The Carer’s Leave Bill, and The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill, which have now become Acts of Parliament. Below, we explore what the three Acts aim to achieve and the additional rights which employees will […]
Government announces £10m in funding to support vulnerable adults
Vulnerable adults with complex needs will be supported to change their lives with over £10m in funding through the Changing Futures programme. 10 local area partnerships across England will receive a share of up to £10.7 million: Bristol, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Nottingham, Plymouth, Sheffield, South Tees, Stoke, Surrey, and Westminster. Funds will provide world class […]
