Inquiry into access to justice launched by Justice Committee
The Justice Committee has launched an inquiry into how advice and legal services are adapting to secure access to justice across civil, criminal, and family law. MPs on the cross-party Committee, which is chaired by Labour MP Andy Slaughter, will examine the current state of the legal services and representation market, and access to justice. […]
98% of family public law applications now submitted digitally – HMCTS
His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) say they received over 560,000 cases in the Family Court and held over 98,000 sitting days in the most recently published HMCTS Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25. The report identifies progress in work done within HMCTS since 2016 to digitise much of the service, with over 500,000 divorce […]
Twofold increase in the number of parental order applications for older surrogates
The number of parental order applications from older parents of children born through surrogates has increased markedly in recent years according to a freedom of information request. Although actual numbers will not be released for fear of identification of the individuals involved, there have been parental order applications from men aged 70-79 and women aged […]
Divorce case remind professionals of court’s ability to take holistic approach to justice
![TF v SF [2025] EWHC 1659 (Fam)](https://todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TF-v-SF-2025-EWHC-1659-Fam.jpg)
The divorce of a couple who had accrued £30m in assets over the course of their 25 year marriage reminds professionals of the court’s view of post-separation conduct in any decision on division of assets. In the case of TF v SF [2025] EWHC 1659 (Fam) a husband (TF, known as H throughout the judgement) and […]
Divorce tourism under scrutiny; Potanin heard in Court of Appeal this week
The Court of Appeal has heard the substantive appeal of Natalia Potanina, former wife of Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin, in her claim for financial relief following a foreign divorce. Potanina v Potanin ([2024] UKSC 3) is a long running divorce case involving a Russian couple whose divorce has been working its way through the legal […]
‘High risk’ legal services NRA classification not proportionate, Law Society claims
The newly published UK National Risk Assessment (NRA) of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing has been greeted with disappointment by the Law Society of England and Wales, with president Richard Atkinson pointing out the lack of prosecutions in the so-called ‘high risk’ legal sector. The 2025 NRA, produced by HM Treasury and the Home Office, […]
Supreme Court judgment impacts on future tax and estate planning
The Supreme Court’s recent decision on Standish v Standish [2025] UKSC 26 on 2 July 2025 has garnered much interest not only from the UK press but also tax advisers and estate planners for its implications on future wealth planning, in particular in relation to pre-marital assets and inheritances. Whilst the case arose from the […]