Supreme Court rules adoption orders are final and permanent
The Supreme Court has ruled that adoption orders cannot be revisited outside the formal appeals process, reinforcing that they are final and permanent decisions. In the matter of X and Y (Children: Adoption Order: Setting Aside), the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the appeal from the adoptive mother of two now-adult children, X and Y, who […]
Unregulated sperm donor loses declaration of parentage application
The Family Court has taken the unusual step of naming an unregulated sperm donor in a judgment on a parentage case. The Rt Hon Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division, publicly named Robert Albon, who calls himself Joe Donor and advertises sperm on Facebook and Instagram, after Mr Albon made a declaration of […]
Government ‘running out of time’ to reform cohabitation
The government is “running out of time” to reform cohabitation laws, family law professionals have warned, following the publication of the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates of families and household types in the UK. The newly released figures show a steady growth in cohabitation and an increase in lone parents living with adult […]
SRA is investigating £39.5m ‘sophisticated suspected fraud’ at PM Law
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed it is investigating a “sophisticated suspected fraud” at PM Law, following its intervention in February. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the regulator said it now believes the failure of the firm, headquartered in Sheffield (pictured) was due to the improper removal and misuse of around £39.5 million […]
Landmark legal case identifies British fathers of children in rural Kenyan Army base
A landmark legal case representing dozens of mothers from Kenya is helping to identify British fathers for the first time, paving the way for recognition of identity, inheritance, financial rights and, in many cases, potential access to British nationality. The applicants, represented by International Family Law Group partner James Netto, all reside in the rural town […]
LSB to ‘focus on sharper and more targeted interventions’ in response to changing regulatory environment
The Legal Services Board (LSB) is responding to a “rapidly evolving” legal sector and plans to change its approach to oversight regulation to focus efforts on “where they are most needed”, according to its business plan for 2026/27. Recently appointed LSB chair Monisha Shah said that while she will focus on discovery in her first […]
‘Consultancy model enabled G&G Law to hit the ground running’
In this latest Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast, founders Natasha Grande and Neil Graham explain how newly launched G&G Law came about and what their motivations were behind leaving their secure and successful positions, and striking out on their own. With decades of experience between them, Graham specialises in prenuptial agreements to complex financial settlements at […]