Guidance for family judges on how to write to children in family court proceedings
The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has published guidance for family judges on when, how and why to write to children in family court proceedings. The toolkit is the product of a collaboration between the judiciary, children and young people and other professionals who work in and around the family justice system. […]
Child criminal exploitation and cuckooing to be criminal offences
Children and vulnerable people who are exploited by gangs for criminal purposes will receive greater protection, with two new criminal offences set to be introduced by the government. Landmark legislation will be brought forward to ban cuckooing, a highly exploitative practice where criminals seize control of a vulnerable person’s home without consent to conduct illegal […]
High Court orders family law firm to pay costs over negligence in case preparation
A family law firm has been ordered to cover the costs of the opposing party after the High Court found it negligent in preparing a family case for a scheduled three-day hearing, as reported by The Law Society Gazette. Ms. Hannah Markham KC, sitting as a deputy High Court judge, ruled that Burnham Law Practice, […]
Women’s Aid ‘disappointed’ to see no mention of domestic abuse in Crime and Policing Bill
Women’s Aid has welcomed the introduction of the previously announced Crime and Policing Bill, which includes the specific aim of tacking Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) but are “disappointed” to see that there is no explicit mention of domestic abuse. The Crime and Policing Bill, introduced to the UK Parliament on February 25, 2025, […]
First domestic abuse specialists embedded in 999 control rooms
Delivering on a manifesto commitment, Raneem’s Law has been launched to embed the first domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms across five forces to ensure that victims of domestic abuse receive more specialist support. West Midlands, Northumbria, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Humberside Police are all pioneering this new approach to improve the police response to […]
Judge warns against unlawful surrogacy after elderly couple commission birth of twins
The president of the Family Division has issued a stark warning to parents considering unlawful surrogacy abroad, urging them to ‘think again’ following a case involving a couple in their late 60s who commissioned the birth of two babies. In the case of Re Z (Unlawful Foreign Surrogacy: Adoption), Sir Andrew McFarlane ruled on an […]
Let’s be clear: The Transparency Reporting Pilot for financial remedy proceedings
One of the most important considerations for anyone with significant wealth, or who has a public profile and who is getting divorced, is the subject of confidentiality and privacy. It is often a key factor of any such client who is considering where and how to get divorced, and it is something that matrimonial solicitors […]
High Court judge rules on existence of twins – legal comment
“This is an unusual case.” Just over six months ago that is how Mrs Justice Arbuthnot opened her 74-page Judgment in a perplexing case case – AA v ZZ [2024] EWHC 2008 (Fam) – where the Family Court was tasked with ascertaining whether or not the respondent had given birth to twins. This was what had […]
“Delegate Now to Supercharge Your Profits”
The Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast welcomes back Dan Warburton, a law firm consultant and trainer who specialises in helping individuals delegate work more effectively; in the process junior staff are elevated, the individual has a happier work/life balance, and ultimately the firm can be more profitable. It’s a soapbox Dan has jumped on before having […]