‘Antiquated’ approach to domestic abuse damaging survivors and children says Domestic Abuse Commissioner
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales has taken aim at what is described as ‘antiquated’ thinking amongst some of the legal profession when it comes to domestic abuse cases and the courts. The comments come from a comprehensive report into the way domestic abuse is dealt with in the family justice system published […]
SRA ‘knew’ SSB was failing nearly a year before it collapsed as it faces enforcement action
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) faces enforcement action in the wake of its failure to properly regulate failed Sheffield law firm SSB Group; missing the opportunity to respond ‘effectively or efficiently’ despite more than 100 reports relating to SSB’s activity from January 2019 to March 2024. A report published by the Legal Services Board (LSB) suggests […]
Co-habitation trends strengthens the case for reform say family lawyers
Population trend figures published the Office for National Statistics only serve to strengthen the case for cohabitation reform say family lawyers, with declining marriage and divorce rates and an increase in the proportion of couples co-habiting. The latest figures show 60.5% of the population in England and Wales in 2024 aged 16 or over are […]
LSB announces review following Mazur as ‘clear and accurate information’ needed on the issue
The Legal Services Board has confirmed it has received an application from CILEx Regulation to enable its regulated community to obtain standalone litigation practice rights and has said it will launch a review to examine how approved regulators and regulatory bodies ensured information it shared was accurate and reliable in the wake of the High Court’s Mazur ruling […]
‘Dear Sirs’ outdated and obsolete say the Law Society in updated guidance
The campaign to eradicate the use of “Dear Sirs” in legal correspondence is celebrating after the Law Society updated it’s guidance on the ‘outdated and obsolete practice’ and instead recommended solicitors use language which is more ‘representative and appropriate in today’s diverse society.’ In updated guidance published in the last few days the Law Society […]
Law Society appoints 181st president
The Law Society has inaugurated Mark Evans as the 181st president with Brett Dixon, vice president and Dana Denis-Smith, deputy vice president. Evans has spent the last 12 months as vice-president to incumbent Richard Atkinson. A proud Welshman, Evans is the third Law Society president to come from Wales and through his tenure said he […]
Life in Law – the mental toll and job sustainability in the family law sector
World Mental Health Day falls on 10th October every year. An ongoing reminder that although there is (somewhat) more openness around mental health, the reality is that reducing the stigma does not mean solving the problems. Statistics on mental health in the UK and globally are still staggering. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that […]