A High Court hearing has been told that dozens of divorce applications submitted a day before the law allows were wrongly approved due to a computer error. A hearing was told that 79 divorces were
Online grooming crimes have reached record levels across the UK, with offences topping 7,000 for the first time, new data NSPCC compiled reveals. The figures, provided by 45 UK police forces, show 7,062 Sexual Communication
Youth Justice Board (YJB) member Louise Shorter met with Professor Neal Hazel to discuss Child First and how it supports safer communities. Louise is a YJB Board member, charity founder and journalist specialising in criminal
The Law Society of England and Wales has welcomed more investment in justice but warned that increased funding across the system is needed to avoid collapse. While the Budget announced funding for prisons, the Crown
South-west and London law firm Wilsons Solicitors has launched its new service which gives separating couples an opportunity to divorce amicably with just one lawyer. The new service is designed for couples who want to
March is the most popular month for divorce, shows new research from TWM Solicitors with 10,170 divorces filed in March last year alone – dispelling the myth that January is the most popular month for
Employees can expect their employers to take reasonable steps to protect them from sexual harassment as a new duty comes into force. Employers now have a duty to anticipate when sexual harassment may occur and
Law firm Ward Hadaway has welcomed 14 new trainee solicitors and one solicitor apprentice. The appointments form an ongoing part of the firm’s ambitious growth strategy, spearheaded by new managing partner Steven Petrie, who stepped
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published findings from its corporate strategy benchmarking research, which examines key audiences’ perception of its performance, despite continued warnings from the Law Society of England and Wales to focus
A 47-year-old man has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for creating and distributing sexually explicit deepfake images using the faces of real women and children, as reported by The BBC. Karl
The Legal Services Board (LSB) announces the appointment of barrister Elaine Banton as a non-lay member of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC). The LSB oversees the OLC, the board of the Legal Ombudsman, making
Armalytix has announced its strategic expansion into family law. By offering tailored financial tools and intelligence, Armalytix aims to “alleviate common challenges and make the financial discovery process faster and more effective for family lawyers”.
The UK government has released 1,100 additional prisoners early as part of its ongoing emergency plan to address severe overcrowding in jails across England and Wales. Under the scheme, offenders serving sentences longer than five
The UK government is set to review the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission’s report on surrogacy reform, titled “Building Families Through Surrogacy: A New Law,” which was published on
For the first time, the government has pledged to eradicate the backlog of decisions on modern slavery cases within 2 years, giving thousands of women, men and children who may have suffered traumatic sexual, physical
Gingerbread are asking for some key changes to improve the lives of the UK’s 2 million single-parent households, many of whom are struggling financially, in the new government’s first Budget on the 30th October. The
Family Rights Group is calling on the Government to transform the lives of children who cannot live at home with their parents, by putting kinship care provisions in the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, and into new
In a new pilot launched earlier this month, jurors in 14 Crown Courts across the country will be able to self-refer themselves for six free counselling sessions with specially trained counsellors, as well as access
With the second tranche of releases set to commence on Tuesday 22nd October, Refuge still has “serious concerns” that the SDS40 early release scheme is putting domestic abuse survivors’ safety in jeopardy. Responding to the
The Law Society of England and Wales has announced its new artificial intelligence (AI) strategy based on three pillars: Innovation, Impact and Integrity. AI is already driving Innovation across the legal sector. At the core
Specialists from Burgess Mee, the family and private wealth law firm, and Rosefield Divorce Consultancy launch a trauma collaboration and call for all family law professionals to be trauma-informed. As Burgess Mee co-founder and partner,
The domestic abuse charity Refuge is calling on the government to make tackling technology-facilitated abuse a key part of its plan to halve VAWG (violence against women and girls). To meet rising demand, Refuge set
Baroness Newlove responds to Victim Support’s new report Suffering for justice: Sexual violence victim-survivors’ experiences of going to court and cross-examination. On Thursday 10th October, Victim Support – a charity supporting victims of crime in
The Government intends to launch the Domestic Abuse Protection Notice (DAPN) and Domestic Abuse Protection Order (DAPO) pilot in November 2024. The pilot will operate in Greater Manchester, Croydon, Sutton, Bromley and with the British
As the world marks World Mental Health Day today (10th October), the Law Society of England and Wales urges the UK government to modernise the Mental Health Act and give patients better access to justice
Resolution is calling for a cultural shift across the whole family justice system to better meet the needs of victim-survivors of domestic abuse seeking to resolve their finances on divorce. Research from Resolution’s Economic Abuse
A couple in India has expressed their joy after a landmark ruling by the Delhi High Court granted them access to their late son’s frozen semen, allowing them to pursue surrogacy and have a grandchild,
In support of Baby Loss Awareness Week, RWK Goodman are inviting UK organisations to take part in their ‘Time for Action’ initiative. From 9th to 15th October, they are offering free access to our online
To coincide with Black History Month, the Law Society of England and Wales has published new guidance to support Black or minority ethnic students entering into the profession. The guidance provides advice on: Challenging assumptions
Survivors of domestic abuse continue to be robbed of access to justice, as growing numbers are forced to represent themselves in court, says The Law Society. According to the latest family court figures, 29% of
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has approved a rise in the contributions solicitors make to the Compensation Fund, despite serious concerns from the Law Society of England and Wales. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has
Resolution has announced the winners of its Resolution Awards 2024. Some 200 family justice professionals came together on Thursday 19th September to celebrate Resolution’s values and professional excellence across the community. Joshua Rozenberg, Britain’s best
Women and girls will be better protected under a new national strategy using advanced data analysis and algorithms to relentlessly target the most dangerous perpetrators of abuse. This initiative is part of an ambitious, unprecedented
This year, social media’s influence on relationships reached “unprecedented levels”, with an increasing number of couples citing digital issues, such as online infidelity, social media jealousy, and digital detachment, as significant reasons for their divorces.
A domestic violence survivor has described abusers as “domestic terrorists,” calling for domestic abuse and violence to be treated as a national emergency, as reported by The BBC. Rachel Williams, who was shot by her
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has committed to providing housing for veterans, young care leavers, and survivors of domestic abuse, while also pledging to introduce a duty of candour law in Parliament before April next