“Mistakes have been made” – SRA chair steps down with apology to profession
SRA Chair Anna Bradley steps down after eight years with the formal process for identifying her successor beginning on Monday 1st June 2026. In a statement published on the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) website Bradley said she had seen “very significant change in the legal sector” during her tenure, and it was the right time […]
Cafcass welcomes Child Focused Courts as central pillar to three year strategic plan
The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) has published it strategic plan for the next three years building on its stated commitment that children should be able to say they have experienced an exceptional service, wherever they are in the country and every time they engage with someone in the organisation. “Sustaining […]
Legal profession can’t afford to wait for cohabitation reform, barrister warns
Decades of legal inaction have left millions of cohabiting couples in England and Wales “dangerously exposed”, a specialist family barrister has warned, and legal professionals should take matters into their own hands when advising clients. Arlene Small (pictured), a specialist family barrister and head of the family team at The Barrister Group, says “the legal […]
Court of Appeal overturns care order that had ‘no workable plan’ for child’s future
A care order has been overturned after the Court of Appeal found a recorder had over-estimated the benefit of parental bonds and had made an order with “no workable plan” for a child’s future. Allowing the local authority’s appeal in L (A Child: Placement and Contact Orders), Lord Justice Peter Jackson also said Recorder Calway had […]
Families already affected by child abduction not protected by new law, family lawyer says
The introduction of legislation criminalising the wrongful retention of children abroad is a welcome development, by a family law solicitor warns the change won’t protect families that are already affected. The newly enacted Crime and Policing Act 2026, which received Royal Assent on 29th April, extends the Child Abduction Act 1984 so that parents who […]
Law Society calls for clear plan to roll out ombudsman’s new complaints model
The Law Society of England and Wales has welcomed the Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO) proposed model complaints resolution procedure (MCRP), but warned the organisation must be clear on how the strategy will be rolled out. Last month, the LeO launched a call for input on its draft MCRP, a new framework aimed at improving the consistency […]
Pathfinder risks delaying justice, not delivering it
The Pathfinder pilot scheme is a necessary response to sustained pressure on the family courts. Its emphasis on early information-gathering and reduced adversarialism is well understood. However, in practice, there is a growing concern that the model risks prioritising speed over evidential robustness, potentially storing up issues for later challenge rather than resolving them at […]