Journalist and managing editor of the Today’s Media publications: Today’s Conveyancer, Today’s Family Lawyer and Today’s Wills and Probate
A consultation has been launched to gather feedback on the guidance for short notice applications in the family courts, published by the Family Executive Team (FET). The FET is consulting on five documents aimed at
The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) has opened submissions at the Court of Appeal in its appeal against the ruling in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys, which limited the extent to which legal executives
A High Court judge has denied a father’s application under the Child Abduction and Custody Act 1985 to return his children to Türkiye following their mother’s planned abduction, prioritising the welfare of the girls who
Tech companies will be ordered to take down intimate images shared without a victim’s consent within 48 hours, under new laws to protect women and girls. Through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill,
The High Court has ruled the strict restrictions on bringing children to the UK for adoption in Section 83 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 do not apply to step-parent adoption. The judgment was
The High Court has ruled the embryos or gametes of 14 fertility patients cannot be destroyed, after clinics failed to gain the consent required for storage within the 10-year period required by law. Fifteen applicants
The government’s campaign to help parents to discuss the impact of harmful online content is “welcome news” and “the right approach”, family lawyers say. Last week, the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) launched
A judge has ruled “with a heavy heart” that a three-year-old child must be adopted following a series of delays in proceedings, which had lasted 73 weeks at the time of the January hearing. His
The Legal Services Board (LSB) should continue to strengthen its oversight of regulators’ performance to avoid consumer harm and prevent collapses such as Axiom Ince and SSB Group from happening again, the Law Society of
In 2025, the legal sector mental health charity LawCare supported 753 people – more than any previous year, including during the pandemic. The charity’s online chat function – which is offered alongside a telephone helpline
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has published its complaint data for Q3 of 2025/26 which reveals “a sustained and accelerating demand” for help and the highest complaint volumes for any previous quarter on record. The number
The government has launched a review of the Legal Services Board (LSB) to ensure current regulatory arrangements are effective and do not duplicate initiatives of frontline regulators. The review was announced by Sarah Sackman, minister
The use of AI in legal work is increasing the speed at which junior lawyers work, but has “significant implications” on how they learn and develop legal judgement, new research suggests. The findings from LexisNexis
Stowe Family Law has completed an investment in Unified Lawyers (Unified), a specialist family law practice with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Queensland. This agreement marks the first investment outside the UK for the technology
Following the announcement that 96 barristers have been appointed as new King’s Council (KC) in England and Wales, the Law Society of England and Wales says it is “extremely disappointed” that no solicitors have been
Mid-way through Family Mediation Week, Today’s Family Lawyer readers have shared their thoughts on the benefits of mediation and the supporting role it plays in legal practice. With plenty of events still available to attend
The Transparency Reporting Pilot For Financial Remedy Proceedings launched in January 2024 has been extended to 29 January this year and will now encompass all financial remedy proceedings taking place in courts in England and
The founder of Essex and London law firm Rainer Hughes is celebrating his 90th birthday during Family Mediation Week – with the milestone also marking over 30 years since practising solicitor Brian Hughes qualified as
A new survey from Irwin Mitchell suggests a lack of clarity and legal transparency over digital assets is leading young people to seek protection through pre-nuptial agreements. The survey of 1,000 UK asset holders aged
Former court buildings in Fleetwood, Telford, Chichester and Cirencester – used as Nightingale Courts since the pandemic – will now become permanent fixtures, the Ministry of Justice has announced. The move will secure 11 additional
The latest Spotlight article from the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) focuses on early resolution, with practical steps for legal service providers to follow to resolve complaints at first tier. Clear communication, timely responses and proportionate remedies
A report from the Institute for Government (IfG) on the potential impact of government plans to restrict jury trials reveals the changes would “unlock only relatively modest reductions in demand”. Instead, the IfG says, the
The Judiciary of England and Wales has published its Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2026-2030, which sets out its priorities for expanding the diversity of the judiciary, particularly the number of Black judges. The Judiciary said
Children who are affected by domestic abuse are not being consistently recognised as victims despite it being a requirement of the Domestic Abuse Act, according to a new joint report by Ofsted, the Care Quality
The Financial Abuse Code implemented by UK Finance, the trade association for the UK banking and financial services sector, has been adopted by almost 90% of the UK’s mortgage providers. Yesterday, eight more institutions signed
The government says it will launch a consultation on children’s social media use, with restrictions on ‘addictive’ features, an outright ban on social media access for children, and better age checks among the measures to
All victims going through the Crown Court will have free access to judges’ sentencing remarks in their case, the Ministry of Justice has announced. The move is the latest measure to improve transparency and victims’
A High Court judge in a test case involving a dispute over the ownership of property belonging to a former husband and wife has ruled WhatsApp messages are not legally binding signatures in the transfer
Setfords, Knights and Ward Hadaway have reported strong growth in their latest financial results, with the latter enjoying record turnover of £53.6 million in 2025/25, up 11.6% year-on-year. The firm, which recently merged with Teesside
Regional law firms are celebrating their successes this month, with new offices, a milestone anniversary and expanded services. Bell Lamb & Joynson (pictured) has re-established its presence in Liverpool with the opening of a new
A family legal aid lawyer has questioned the priorities of government as legal practitioners continue to deal with the fall-out from the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) cyber attack last May. Stacey Phoenix, director and head
The Law Society of England and Wales has backed the Online Procedure Rule Committee’s (OPRC) first Online Procedure Rules, as the consultation to seek views on the draft rules draws to a close today (Thursday).
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will enter its sixth day of the Committee Stage in the House of Lords on Friday, but Lord Falconor of Thoroton (pictured) has warned the legislation could
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has appointed Richard Orpin (pictured) as its new chief executive officer (CEO). Orpin joined the LSB in 2023 as director of regulation and policy and has almost 20 years of
Divorced women typically have £53,160 less in pension savings than divorced men in the UK, with men walking away with £85,800 compared to £32,640 for divorced women. The research by Mercer, now:pensions and the Pension
Manchester and Cheshire-based Maguire Family Law has appointed Jennifer Hudec to lead its Manchester city centre team, while Collyer Bristow has announced Kate Moran joins as partner in its London-based family team. Moran (main photo)