HMCTS IT bug could have caused documents to go missing or appear lost
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has acknowledged a ‘bug’ in its software used to manage civil, family and tribunal courts could have resulted evidence going missing, being overwritten or appearing to be lost. The agency has been accused of a ‘cover up’ over the system failure which a leaked report claims took ‘several years’ […]
Father sentenced to 6 months’ prison for ‘deliberate and persistent’ breaches of court orders
A high court ruling, heard by Mrs Justice Lieven DBE, has sentenced a father to six months in prison for repeated breaches of court orders relating to the abduction and continued retention of his daughter in Iran. The case, AA (Mother) v XX (Father) [2025] EWHC 2165 (Fam) began with the father, XX, an Iranian […]
Cohabitees to be unfairly impacted by inclusion of pensions in estates for IHT
The value of future inheritance planning has been outlined by wealth manager and financial advisers Quilter who estimate a working-age single homeowner in England with an average-priced home and ‘moderate’ pension pot could be liable for over £82,000 in inheritance tax (IHT) once the current proposals to include pension savings within an estate for IHT […]
Interest rate fall the “starting gun” for divorcing couples?
The Bank of England’s decision to reduce interest rates to 4% in recent weeks could signal the ‘starting gun’ for couples looking to divorce speculates one family law professional. Judit Kerese, Associate at Stowe Family Law has suggested the fall could precipitate a ‘rush’ of couples looking to finalise their financial settlements with some couples […]
Recruitment news: Family lawyers on the move
Several leading family law firms across the UK have announced significant developments, strengthening their teams and expanding services to better support clients navigating complex family matters. Ellisons Solicitors has enhanced its offering for separating couples in Essex and Suffolk with the introduction of Resolution Together. Legal Director Anna Cross has qualified to deliver the service, […]
Strangulation and suffocation on the increase amongst younger people say Refuge
Physical and psychological abuse in relationships amongst younger people is reported to be on the increase according to new data by support services provider Refuge. In what is described as a ‘disturbing rise in domestic abuse among young women and girls aged 16 – 25’, Refuge say both threats to harm and threats to kill […]
The evolving approach the wealthy must take to nuptial agreements
Since the seminal case of Radmacher v Granatino [2010] UKSC 42 in 2010, pre and post-nuptial agreements have been increasingly adopted under English law and they are now relatively common amongst wealthy spouses. Despite the “magnetic importance” of nuptial agreements, there has historically been a great deal of uncertainty as to whether or not a […]
BC v BC: A cautionary tale of FDR breakdown
BC v BC: A cautionary tale of FDR breakdown, judicial reluctance to scrutinise conduct, and the uncomfortable question – Should there be costs consequences when one party undermines settlement without accountability in private financial dispute resolution hearings? Yes, the title has 46 words… just like the behaviour in this case, it arguably went on too […]