The new secretary of state for justice, Alex Norris, is being urged to strengthen family mediation and protect legal aid provision by the Family Mediation Council (FMC). In a letter from the organisation, FMC chair
A report into the differing guidance provided by regulators in the wake of the Mazur case has highlighted how “insufficient cross-regulator engagement” resulted in inconsistent interpretations of the Legal Services Act and the subsequent guidance
Safeguarding minister Natalie Fleet has stepped down from her role with immediate effect. Announcing her departure on social media, the Labour MP for Bolsover said: “Honour of lifetime to be Minister for Safeguarding. Quickly found
The Court of Appeal has ordered a retrial of a high-profile divorce dispute involving allegations of hidden wealth, non-disclosure, false evidence and contested ownership of a multi-million-pound former matrimonial home. The original decision, handed down
Newly formed private equity backed legal services firm Orwins has announced its latest acquisition, with Newcastle-based Clarke Mairs joining the group. Formed earlier this year and backed by Scottish PE firm Aliter Capital, Orwins was
A Justice Committee report has called for urgent government intervention into legal aid to increase fees and enable better access to justice. Access to Justice: Legal Aid calls for the findings of 2022’s Legal Aid
Research published by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) shows while there are now more children’s homes than ever before, homes are getting smaller, are often not in the right
A petition to change surrogacy law to recognise intended parents from birth will be debated in parliament after hitting the threshold for signatures. The petition, which calls for families who have children via a surrogate
Private equity house CKM3 has invested in Oxford-based Hedges Law through a new legal services vehicle, Oak Legal Group, it has announced. Oak Legal Group formally launches as a “deliberate step to build something fundamentally
A West Midlands firm has introduced a fixed-fee pathway for fathers navigating child arrangements on separation or divorce. The service from Higgs LLP brings together legal advice, mediation and, where needed, access to specialist representation
Following the accession of Andy Burnham to Labour leader, the Law Society of England and Wales has called on the new prime minister to work with the legal sector to support growth across the country.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has signalled it will shift a greater proportion of contributions to the Compensation Fund on to individual solicitors following its consultation on the 2026/27 business plan. Where currently 50% of
Author and comedian Harriet Beveridge will share Olympic-winning performance strategies at The Legal Conference 2026. The co-author of the best-selling book Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?, which tells the story of the Olympic
Proposals by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to introduce mandatory ethics training for all solicitors would be “unworkable and costly”, the Law Society of England and Wales has said. Further plans to re-introduce requirements to record
Divorce coach, five-time bestselling author, founder of the International Divorce Coach Centre of Excellence, and an advocate for domestic abuse awareness, Sara Davison joins the Today’s Family Lawyer podcast for a wide ranging discussion exploring
An independent review of the Legal Service Board (LSB) commissioned in the wake of regulatory failures including Axiom Ince and SSB Law has concluded the organisation has “lost its way in recent years” and has
One in four people who signed prenuptial agreements said they did so after being put under pressure by a partner or parent according to new research. The survey of 1,000 UK adults aged 18 and
Lawyers could be sanctioned for not using artificial intelligence (AI) where it has the potential to improve professional ability, and for misusing AI where its use throws up errors and hallucinations. A Legal Statement on
The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has made amendments to the tables of Delegated Authorities in relation to cases under the Child Focused Model (previously known as Private Law Pathfinder). From 15th July, an interim measure
A father and son dispute being heard in London’s High Court is “a stark reminder” of the risks of agreeing significant family arrangements without clear legal documentation, a private wealth dispute expert has warned. Kate
Consumers are the “elephant in the room” in the client account debate with an “overwhelming majority” saying they do not want their lawyers to keep the interest on client money, according to the latest Legal
Listed law firm Knights saw underlying revenue increase by 28% to £207.7 million and underlying profit before tax increase by 19% to £33.2 million, according to its latest results. The hugely acquisitive firm said it
The latest Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast turns its attention to a role that is often misunderstood and undervalued in the courts system; that of intermediaries. Intermediaries play an important role in supporting better, and more
Complaints about family law represented a tenth of the complaints received by the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) in the last reporting period, with an overall increase in all complaints of 36% in 12 months. Residential conveyancing
The prime minister has apologised to an estimated 185,000 mothers, adopted people and their wider families on behalf of the British state for its role in historic forced adoptions in England and Wales. Between the
The investors who backed Taylor Rose to the tune of nearly £5 million have defended the firm after it was reported private equity pulled out of a potential acquisition, citing the firm’s exposure to client
The European Court of Human Rights has rejected an application brought by a trans man who wanted to be recorded as his child’s legal father in the UK. The case challenged a legal framework that
Proposals to reform client accounts and use the interest to capitalise the justice system, including legal aid, could be affecting the appetite of private equity to invest in law firms. An article in the Sunday
The Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration (COFA) at failed law firm PM Law has been disqualified from holding senior and compliance roles in law firms under section 99 of the Legal Services Act 2007,
The Law Society of England and Wales has backed reforms of solicitors’ costs rules, but warns the proposals must be underpinned by “robust evidence”. The warning comes amid concerns that plans to expand the Legal
Family justice body Resolution has announced the finalists for the Resolution Awards 2026. The Resolution Awards celebrate the individuals, teams and organisations who embody the values at the heart of Resolution’s Code of Practice. The
Fifteen family law barristers and team members at specialist matrimonial chambers 1 Hare Court are celebrating after being recognised for their excellence. Thirteen of the team have been ranked as Top Recommended 2026 in Spear’s
Firms supporting people to buy, trade and hold crypto will need to meet clear standards under landmark rules set out by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). All firms must meet financial resilience requirements including capital
Children are at risk of cyber-bullying, sexual abuse, radicalisation and exploitation through their use of online platforms, according to a new ‘evidence pack’ that brings together the latest research, data and practice examples to improve
The government will make it a criminal offence to subject members of the LGBT+ community to conversion practices designed to forcibly change someone’s sexual orientation or transgender identity. Conversion practices, often involving physical, sexual, economic
The latest Quarterly Family Court Statistics paint a “stark picture of our justice system”, Law Society vice president Brett Dixon said, in response to figures which show an increase in the number of new family