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New research from Women’s Aid has suggested the cost of living crisis is pushing domestic abuse services to “breaking point”. Responding to a Women’s Aid survey in late 2022, 96% of specialist frontline services said
The latest update on the Rape Review has revealed the number of rape cases reaching court is up 91% from 2019 as improvements are being made across the criminal justice system. The number of cases
Ahead of National Mediation Week commencing on 16th January, Today’s Family Lawyer spoke with Mary Raymont of Advantage Mediation on the role mediators play in family law – both now and in the future. What
4PB chambers has announced that Katharine Bundell, formerly of Fenners Chambers in Cambridge, has joined the set with immediate effect. Katharine is described as “a heavyweight financial remedy practitioner, with particular expertise in Trusts of
The government is facing fresh calls to urgently reform and strengthen children’s social care following the publication of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s third annual report. While new data revealed there was a 21%
Resolution has announced that its Cohabitant Separation Agreements are now available online to aide practitioners in resolving cohabitation arrangements on relationship breakdown. A note on Resolution’s website following their publication said: “On separation [cohabitants] require
Divorce, parental alienation, cohabitation, surrogacy – just a handful of the areas that were under family law’s microscope in 2022. However, the law – and with it the economy, society, and technology – seldom stands
Today’s Family Lawyer, the leading source of daily news and information for family lawyers in England and Wales, is pleased to announce it is hosting a small conference focused on cohabitation law reform on 1st
Family Court delays continued to worsen in the third quarter of 2022 despite case numbers remaining relatively steady, new data has revealed. Most timeliness measures have seen increases from the same period in 2021, and
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed it is intervening into a further two firms owned by legal consortium Metamorph. Knowles Benning LLP Knight Polson Ltd The two firms are also owned by Metamorph Group
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has this week committed £257 million to help over 70,000 victims of domestic abuse in England. The funding will ensure safe accommodation spaces such as refuges and
The number of civil partnerships fell significantly in 2021 from those seen in 2020, new data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed. Specifically, there were 6,731 civil partnerships formed in England
One of the UK’s leading shared parenting charities has criticised the United Nations’ (UN) approach to parental alienation, suggesting that “denying and demonising parental alienation is not the solution”. The UN’s Special Rapporteur on violence
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner has urged authorities not to allow migrant domestic abuse survivors to “fall through the cracks”, calling for an “urgent overhaul” of the current framework. Following the publication of a new report
A new report has condemned the implementation of the Children and Families Act 2014, suggesting it was “a missed opportunity and has ultimately failed in meaningfully improving the lives of children and young people”. The
4PB’s Mani Basi was recently declared “Family Law Commentator of the Year” at the acclaimed LexisNexis Family Law Awards in London. Basi, whose particular focus is on disputes relating to children and cases with an
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed it is intervening into four firms owned by legal consortium Metamorph. The intervention is deemed necessary by the SRA to “protect the interests of clients and former clients
A new report from the Domestic Abuse Commissioner has criticised the “postcode lottery” in victims’ and survivors’ access to domestic abuse support which, despite “Herculean efforts” of those involved, results in a “patchwork provision” of
New research has suggested separating parents commonly treat the family court as a “last resort” rather than as a preferred way to resolve disputes. According to a report from Nuffield Family Justice Observatory and the
New guidance issued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has stated children affected by domestic abuse are to be automatically treated as victims of domestic abuse, regardless of whether they were present during violent incidents.
As of Wednesday 7th December, victims of rape across England and Wales will have access to “round-the-clock” support following the launch of a new 24/7 Support Line. Specialist operators – available via telephone or webchat
Journalists and bloggers are set to be allowed to report on family court proceedings for the first time under a new pilot scheme set to launch in January. Historically, reporters have been able to enter
New amendments to the Online Safety Bill have been welcomed by Refuge, who say the changes will “make a difference for survivors of domestic abuse”. Specifically, Regufe – the largest specialist domestic abuse organisation in
National legal network QualitySolicitors (Quality Solicitors Organisation Limited) has announced a management buy-out (MBO) from previous owners Metamorph Group Limited. Victoria Browning and Paul Rawson head up the new management structure and suggest they have
New data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that, in spite of domestic abuse-related recorded crimes rising, the number of resulting prosecutions fell. This fall in prosecutions continues the decreasing trend
A recent case heard in the Court of Protection has offered a stark reminder that clear consent for one’s gametes to be retrieved is paramount – a simple desire to be a parent will not
A new scheme announced by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) will see police forces, prison governors, and victims’ services work “hand-in-glove” to automatically block offenders from calling or sending threatening letters to their victims. The
New research from specialist domestic abuse organisation Refuge has revealed over half of online domestic abuse survivors have not received a response to their reports from social media companies. 53% of survivors interviewed by Refuge
The Miscarriage Leave Bill is set to receive a second reading in Parliament on Friday as women around the country move one step closer to enhanced statutory protections in the event that they lose their
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has called for a more consistent approach to tackling economic crime, throwing its support behind the “regulatory objective” proposed in section 155 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill.
A Bar Council report on Access to Justice in England and Wales in 2022 has condemned the “catastrophic” impact across the board of recent cuts to legal aid. Poor access to legal aid creates a
New data published by Nuffield Family Justice Observatory has suggested vulnerable women continue to be inadequately supported following care proceedings, resulting in a striking one in four returning to court following proceedings. Concerningly, this figure
Children coming into care are increasingly subject of a “last-minute dash” to find a home as local authorities grapple with rising demand for places and a lack of suitable accommodation, according to Ofsted. In its
Discussing cohabitation law reform on BBC Radio 4, a leading family lawyer has described the current laws surrounding cohabitation as “completely unfit for purpose”. Graeme Fraser, Partner in the family law team at BBS Law,
An inquest into the double murder of a Solihull domestic abuse victim and her mother has found that multiple failings by West Midlands Police “materially contributed” to their deaths. Raneem Oudeh and her mother, Khaola
A report from the National Audit Office (NAO) has called for an improved understanding of the complex issues facing adolescents in England across the board in order to reduce their vulnerability to harm. The report,