Law firms have high levels of concern over the legal liability and regulatory penalties posed by lighter regulation under the government’s Leeds Reforms, according to a survey by compliance training provider Skillcast. When the reforms
The Law Society of England and Wales has responded to the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s report into the way domestic abuse is dealt with in the family justice system. ‘Everyday business: Addressing domestic abuse and continuing
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales has taken aim at what is described as ‘antiquated’ thinking amongst some of the legal profession when it comes to domestic abuse cases and the courts. The
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) faces enforcement action in the wake of its failure to properly regulate failed Sheffield law firm SSB Group; missing the opportunity to respond ‘effectively or efficiently’ despite more than 100
Population trend figures published the Office for National Statistics only serve to strengthen the case for cohabitation reform say family lawyers, with declining marriage and divorce rates and an increase in the proportion of couples
The Legal Services Board has confirmed it has received an application from CILEx Regulation to enable its regulated community to obtain standalone litigation practice rights and has said it will launch a review to examine
The campaign to eradicate the use of “Dear Sirs” in legal correspondence is celebrating after the Law Society updated it’s guidance on the ‘outdated and obsolete practice’ and instead recommended solicitors use language which is
The Law Society has inaugurated Mark Evans as the 181st president with Brett Dixon, vice president and Dana Denis-Smith, deputy vice president. Evans has spent the last 12 months as vice-president to incumbent Richard Atkinson.
National law firm Setfords, which supports over 650 lawyers in a platform-based consultancy model, has jumped 19 places to 76th in The Lawyer UK Top 100, making it the fastest-growing law firm in the rankings.
South coast law firm Steele Raymond has been ranked Top Tier in The Legal 500 rankings for the 21st consecutive year, as it continues to expand across the region. The 2026 guide recognises eight Steele
CILEX have confirmed the speaking line up for their annual conference taking place on Thursday 13 November in Birmingham. FutureLegal 2025 takes place at the Birmingham Conference and Events Centre, and brings together the CILEX
Headline speakers including Sir Geoffrey Vos, the head of civil justice for England and Wales, Sarah Sackman KC, the minister of state for courts and legal services, and the former prime minister of Denmark Helle
A public/private partnership has developed an online tool to support changing attitudes toward ‘destructive legal battles’ and encourage families to resolve their issues earlier and outside of court, where it is appropriate and safe to
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has published a statement in response to the fall-out from the High Court Mazur ruling that legal executives cannot conduct litigation, even under supervision from regulated professionals. Following claims that firms
Changes to the regulation of weddings away from buildings and onto individuals and officiants running the ceremony could be introduced in what the government is describing as the ‘biggest overhaul to marriage law since the
Cyber-flashing could become a “priority offence” under the Online Safety Act with social media platforms and dating apps to be required to take proactive steps to prevent users from seeing unsolicited nude images Cyber-flashing joins
There is an ‘alarming gap’ in the public’s understanding of inheritance laws after two thirds of cohabitees said they didn’t know what would happen to their estate if they died without a Will. A fundamental
The Intermediary Cooperative (TIC) has announced the appointment of Rachel Cohen as a new director to its leadership team. Cohen was one of the founders of TIC and served as a director for the first
In this episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast, host David Opie is joined by Peter Burgess, Founding Partner at Burgess Mee Family Law, and Hannah Budd, Partner at the Rosefield Divorce Consultancy, to explore
The family law team at south-east law firm Fisher Jones Greenwood (FJG) have retained their first tier status in the Legal 500 rankings for the 12th consecutive year. Led by Charlotte Knappett, the family team
The justice system is to benefit from an additional 1,250 Crown Court sitting days as part of plans to tackle the courts backlog. The additional capacity means the Crown Court will be able to sit
One of the UK’s longest established law firms has acquired a local rival in a move which ‘strengthens its presence across Cornwall and Devon’ after Coodes Solicitors acquired Christopher Key Solicitors. Coodes can trace its
The Law Society of England and Wales has hit back at proposals to place “substantial new burdens on legal practitioners’ over plans to require firms to conduct greater due diligence on pooled client accounts as
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has published the next round of its public interest decisions as part of efforts to create ‘greater transparency and accountability’ in legal services. In the latest naming and shaming, complaints relating
The legal sector faces a turning point as more than half of people responding to a survey on their mental health and wellbeing said they anticipated leaving their role within the next five years, and
There has been a 50% fall in the number of family mediators offering legal aid since 2018 meaning it is ‘increasingly difficult for the public to access legal aid for family mediation’ according to a
A Scottish court has ruled a separated couple who had previously cohabited could adopt the sibling of their adopted child in a ruling which could encourage English courts to adopt a flexible and more pragmatic
The latest Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show children continue to be ‘trapped’ by the courts system, with decision times on public law cases still in excess of the 26 week time limit. There were
The government’s ambition to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) lacks momentum amid calls for reassurance it remains a priority from Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales Dame Nicole Jacobs. The commissioner was
The continued impact of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, which resulted in the removal of eligibility for legal aid for the majority of private law cases in April 2013, has
Deprivation of Liberty orders vastly outnumber applications to place children in registered secure accommodation as a severe shortage of secure children’s homes bites say The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (NFJO). Ministry of Justice figures (MoJ),
Ward Hadaway has appointed 39 legal specialists across its Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle offices, as part of the Top 100 law firm’s long-term strategy to increase its market share and extend its client base.
Solicitors have heavily criticised the courts infrastructure in a damning new report by the Law Society of England and Wales describing the condition of court buildings as ‘shambolic’ with many in poor states of repair,
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has written to respondents to the consultation on the holding of client funds by solicitors to confirm it will not be taking any immediate action on removing client account from
More than half of UK adults are unaware marriage revokes a Will according to research conducted by charity consortium Will Aid. The annual campaign which returns in November, has conducted a survey of 2000 adults
Legal and professional services business Knights has announced it has launched a dedicated family law team in its Leeds office with the appointment of Senior Associate Ella Dodgson and Associate Rebecca Laffan. Dodgson joins from