Responding to the College of Policing (CoP) and National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) National Policing Statement 2024, Abigail Ampofo, Interim CEO of Refuge, said: “DCC Maggie Blyth’s annual report
Last year, NSPCC’s Helpline supported over 7,800 contacts where concerns about a child being left home alone or unsupervised was mentioned, with more than half of contacts resulting in a referral to a local authority.
Police chiefs have outlined the alarming scale of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in England and Wales, revealing that over 3,000 offences are recorded each day and that one in 12 women are victims
Government statistics, using data from five HMPPS sources, have revealed significant insights into the number of prisoners with children in England and Wales. Directly counted, 74,275 prisoners with children were identified as having spent time
The Board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has agreed it would regulate Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) members, if CILEX decides to redelegate this to the SRA. CILEX approached the SRA about this
Firms should continue to be able to operate client accounts, as they are vital for the effective delivery of many legal services, the Law Society of England and Wales said in response to the Solicitors
Bivonas Law has announced the appointment of Jay Patel as the Head of its newly launched family practice – bringing over 20 years extensive experience in complex and high-value international family disputes to the firm.
Keeley Lengthorn joins RWK Goodman as a Partner in the Family team and their new Head of Public Law Children, London. Qualified in 2008, Keeley is a recognised first-class children lawyer practising predominately in public
The Board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will this week decide whether to proceed with proposals for the SRA to regulate authorised and non-authorised members of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX). Law
The next UK government must act to protect tens of thousands of children trapped in a family courts crisis with detrimental effects on their wellbeing, warns the Law Society of England and Wales. According to
Ahead of the launch of the Labour manifesto, Kate Daly, co-founder of amicable – the online divorce service for couples – has urged the party to keep its promise to give separating cohabiting couples greater
A new study suggests that parents with learning disabilities or learning difficulties whose babies are involved in care proceedings are often missing the chance to access and meaningfully engage in pre-birth services that might help
Resolution is encouraged by the Liberal Democrats and Labour pledging to extend legal rights to cohabiting couples, as well as the Conservatives’ pledge to expand the Pathfinder Courts pilot in family court proceedings. Grant Cameron,
First developed in 2015, the Women’s Aid National Quality Standards have this year undergone a significant review and been revised accordingly, reflecting new legislation, guidance and research, enabling their member services to continue in their
Newly-appointed Chair of The Family Mediation Council (FMC) says he is determined to raise awareness of the positive impact of family mediation, claiming the process remains a “relatively well-kept secret.” Stephen Burke takes up the
Watkins Solicitors has announced that it has been shortlisted for the Regional Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency category at the prestigious 2024 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) awards. The LALY awards are the only annual event
The University of Exeter has published its report on behalf of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) into the causes of different levels of attainment for ethnic groups in legal professional assessments. Findings show that there
The Ministry of Justice has implemented secondary legislation to increase the fees that Qualified Legal Representatives (QLR) can claim by 10%. They were initially set at the same level as legal aid rates, which the
The Conservative Party has pledged to amend the Equality Act to ensure protections based on sex apply exclusively to biological sex, aiming to clarify definitions and enhance safety for women and girls, as reported by
HiveRisk and Legally Speaking Podcast are hosting The Great Big Legal Offsite (GBLO), an event designed to explore new opportunities for small to mid-sized law firms across the UK. Taking place at Ribby Hall Village
Stowe Family Law (Stowe) has launched a divorce coaching service to further enhance its holistic approach to client care and service. Partnering with the Divorce Coaching Academy, the UK’s only externally accredited specialist divorce training
The Court of Appeal have dismissed the appeal from the wife, Anna Standish, but have allowed the cross-appeal from the husband, Clive Standish, in a landmark ruling. The original award in favour of the wife,
The Law Commission has announced plans to publish a scoping paper in November 2024, analysing the current laws governing financial remedies in divorce cases. This analysis aims to identify any issues within the existing framework
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner has today set out her priorities for a new Government, including recommendations across: Domestic abuse service provision and funding Policing and criminal justice Children and young people Family Courts Migrant survivors
Criminals are distributing guides on social media that instruct individuals on how to carry out sextortion, BBC News has discovered. These guides detail how to pose as young women online, deceive victims into sending sexually
Ahead of the expected expansion of the End of Custody Supervised License Scheme, which could see prisoners being released up to 70 days early, a coalition of VAWG organisations have issued a letter to the
LexisNexis Legal & Professional have released a new report – Bellwether 2024: Lessons on law firm growth – which reveals nearly two-thirds of small- and medium-sized firms plan to grow in the next five years,
The Law Society of England and Wales’ Money Laundering Task Force has taken on a new name as the Economic Crime Task Force, to reflect its current scope and role. The Economic Crime Task Force
The LSB write with regard to the LSB’s review of the SRA’s regulation of SSB Group Limited. They have engaged an independent firm of solicitors, Carson McDowell LLP, to carry out an independent review on
Women’s Aid, brought together representatives across all major political parties to share findings of a ground-breaking paper, Funding Safer Futures: A government pathway for the quantity and quality of funding required to help women and
Victims of sexual violence will be better protected as thousands more police officers are now specially equipped to investigate rape and sexual offences following the roll out of Operation Soteria to all forces in England
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has issued Requirements, Guidance, and a statement of policy to regulators to improve the way in which first tier complaints are handled. First tier complaints are the initial complaints that
People with HIV are now able to donate their sperm or eggs to their partners, as the law in the UK is updated. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act will be amended via a statutory
Plans to make it easier and less traumatic for victims of child sexual abuse to bring historic claims through the civil courts have been unveiled by the government. Currently child sexual abuse claims must be
This consultation paper seeks views on options for the reform of the law of limitation in child sexual abuse cases in England and Wales. Specifically, it considers the recommendation by the Independent Inquiry into Child
The Law Society of England and Wales has expressed concern at the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) continued pursuit of regulating authorised and non-authorised members of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX). The SRA’s consultation