Child abduction case a reminder of courts’ adherence to Hague Convention
UK courts will adhere ‘strictly’ to the Hague Convention in abduction cases warns a family solicitor after an unusual case saw a child returned to a country in which the parents only had temporary residence under a visa. YM v ML [2025] EWHC 2219 (Fam) involved British nationals who had secured work in Australia and […]
LAA hackers could have targeted British retailers including M&S
The group suspected of hacking the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) may also have been responsible for the cyber attack on Marks & Spencers (M&S) according to retail trade press. Retail Gazette says the Scattered Spider group, which has been linked to cyber attacks on British retailers this year, could have been working with the Shiny […]
39% of lawyers say not engaging with AI could harm their future careers
Nearly two thirds of lawyers are now using artificial intelligence to support the in their roles; but appear to be doing it off their own back with 17% of lawyers saying their firm has a ‘fully embedded’ AI strategy and operation, and two-thirds reporting their organisation’s AI culture is slow or non-existent. Adoption is up […]
Ombudsman proposes first fee increase for 15 years
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) is proposing increasing its case fee from £400 to £600; in the first change to pricing since charges were first introduced in 2010. The Law Society of England and Wales have described proposals to increase the fees charged by the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) as “striking the right balance” in its response […]
Leading surrogacy campaigner joins International Family Law Group
A leading surrogacy lawyer has joined The International Family Law Group LLP (IFLG) as a Partner with a further Partnership announcement to be announced in the coming weeks. . Natalie Sutherland joins from boutique family practice Burgess Mee with her appointment described as an important expansion of IFLG’s modern families and fertility law practice. The […]
Public consultation launched into updated Allocation and Gatekeeping Guidance
HM Courts and Tribunals service are seeking feedback from the family law community on updated guidance related to the allocation of work to magistrates. A review of the existing Allocation and Gatekeeping Guidance was commissioned in February 2024 to consider how the guidance could be updated to better reflect changes in family law since it […]
The business of business – splitting luxury in celebrity divorces
The secret garden, the floristry masterpiece, the sparkling ring and the fairytale proposal. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement sparked joy among fans, as well as speculation on social media and in the press. But why has this event caused such a flurry of interest among family law professionals? There are several key elements of […]