The ongoing case of Potanin v Potanina has taken an ‘unexpected’ turn after the The Court of Appeal overturned a previous decision to dismiss an application for leave under Part III Matrimonial and Family Proceedings
A family court has denied permission for a mother to relocate her child to Dubai, citing child’s welfare and the importance of maintaining his relationship with his father. His Honour Judge Willans made the ruling
45% of parents share details of their children online, known as ‘sharenting’, and overestimate the effectiveness of privacy settings, leaving them and their children vulnerable to cyber crime. The warning come from the University of
In this episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer podcast, host David Opie discusses the increasing number of disputes between separating partners when it comes to pets, and a new working group looking at amending legislation
Encouraging or assisting serious self-harm is to be a ‘priority offence’ in update regulations attached to the Online Safety Act. The government has introduced new regulations which require tech companies to be legally required to
Campaigners are calling for the urgent digitisation of adoption records in England as a television programme to on ITV has highlighted the scandal of mothers who were forced to put their children up for adoption
A new Ofqual-accredited paralegal qualification has been launched by The National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP). The Diploma for Senior Associate Paralegals is the first Ofqual regulated Level 5 paralegal qualification and joins NALP’s suite
UK courts will adhere ‘strictly’ to the Hague Convention in abduction cases warns a family solicitor after an unusual case saw a child returned to a country in which the parents only had temporary residence
The group suspected of hacking the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) may also have been responsible for the cyber attack on Marks & Spencers (M&S) according to retail trade press. Retail Gazette says the Scattered Spider
Nearly two thirds of lawyers are now using artificial intelligence to support the in their roles; but appear to be doing it off their own back with 17% of lawyers saying their firm has a
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) is proposing increasing its case fee from £400 to £600; in the first change to pricing since charges were first introduced in 2010. The Law Society of England and Wales have
A leading surrogacy lawyer has joined The International Family Law Group LLP (IFLG) as a Partner with a further Partnership announcement to be announced in the coming weeks. . Natalie Sutherland joins from boutique family
HM Courts and Tribunals service are seeking feedback from the family law community on updated guidance related to the allocation of work to magistrates. A review of the existing Allocation and Gatekeeping Guidance was commissioned
This episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer podcast features host David Opie in conversation with Grant Cameron – family lawyer, mediator, collaborative practitioner, and a partner at Trethowans. Grant recently concluded his tenure as Chair
More than half of UK law firms are unprepared for the new ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence coming into force under The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) in September, according to a new
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned scammers continue to target those most vulnerable in society and those over the age of 56 according to recently released numbers from the regulator. The warning comes as
Recently run roundtables to discuss the option of funding access to justice through interest on client account, first previewed in The Law Society Gazette, have created more questions than answers according to attendees. In July
New statutory guidance and a legal definition of ‘honour’-based abuse is to be introduced to provide greater protection for victims say the government. 2,755 ‘honour’-based abuse related offences were recorded by the police in England
The Government’s Safeguarding Minster Jess Phillips has admitted the Domestic, Abuse, Stalking, Harassment and Honour-Based Violence (DASH) assessment, used to decide which victims of domestic abuse get urgent support, doesn’t work in a recently published
The fourth year of a conference considering the impact of domestic abuse on family law practitioners and professionals from across the family community will return for its fourth year in Bristol. Watkins Solicitors is to
Midlands law firm Higgs has secured backing from August Equity, making it the first legal firm in the investor’s 48-strong portfolio. The Dudley-based firm, established in the Black Country in 1875, has 28 partners, 250
The High Court has refused a father’s application for the return of his 11‑year‑old son to Zimbabwe, holding that his court‑ordered contact amounted to access rather than rights of custody and so the removal was
Cumbria-based Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors has announced Managing Director Peter Stafford will retire at the end of September, concluding more than 25 years with the firm and a decade as Managing Partner. Stafford will be succeeded
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has acknowledged a ‘bug’ in its software used to manage civil, family and tribunal courts could have resulted evidence going missing, being overwritten or appearing to be lost. The
A high court ruling, heard by Mrs Justice Lieven DBE, has sentenced a father to six months in prison for repeated breaches of court orders relating to the abduction and continued retention of his daughter
The value of future inheritance planning has been outlined by wealth manager and financial advisers Quilter who estimate a working-age single homeowner in England with an average-priced home and ‘moderate’ pension pot could be liable
The Bank of England’s decision to reduce interest rates to 4% in recent weeks could signal the ‘starting gun’ for couples looking to divorce speculates one family law professional. Judit Kerese, Associate at Stowe Family
Several leading family law firms across the UK have announced significant developments, strengthening their teams and expanding services to better support clients navigating complex family matters. Ellisons Solicitors has enhanced its offering for separating couples
Physical and psychological abuse in relationships amongst younger people is reported to be on the increase according to new data by support services provider Refuge. In what is described as a ‘disturbing rise in domestic
A family court judge has been admonished for her behaviour following three separate complaints during referred to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office. Her Honour Judge Martine Kushner has received formal advice following the judicial conduct
A group of cyber hackers who claim to be responsible for the attack on the Legal Aid Agency has threatened to publish the data gathered through the cyber attack unless one of their members is
A sham trust hid significant assets a High Court ruling has found resulting in an award worth £15m being transferred from an ex husband to his wife. Mario Michael was a prolific property investor and
A man who was legally married to his previous partner and married a second is at the centre of an inheritance dispute following his death from cancer in 2020. Accountant James Dinsdale’s £1.8m estate is
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has refused to restore a solicitor to the roll after he was struck off in 2021 for a series of regulatory and supervision breaches that resulted in a £1.2 million fraud.
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has published enhanced guidance on remedies that sets out five questions to assess whether a remedy is appropriate. The updated guidance is aimed at supporting service providers to identify and apply
Decisions shared by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in July reveal 13 firms have been fined a total of £275,170 for AML breaches dating back to 2011 – with one firm fined £114,006. Amphlett Lissimore Bagshaws