The lack of a joined up approach to family law proceedings is part of a wider issue of accountability within the courts service which is causing harm to families and costing millions according to a
There are unverified reports of up to 2.1m people’s records being accessed by the group responsible for the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) cyber attack confirmed last week. Those affected are thought to be people who
Enquiries about a person’s sex and gender could be ‘justified’ according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in the wake of the landmark judgment passed down by the Supreme Court. Hospitals, sports clubs
Alternative legal platform providers, otherwise known as consultant-model law firms, continue to demonstrate ‘importance that lawyers are placing on autonomy, work-life balance, and the ability to build a practice supported by strong infrastructure’ say the
Guidance on the use of and admissibility of recording secretly made to provide evidence for family law proceedings has been published by the Family Justice Council; recognising the sparsity of advice in this complex area
The Law Commission has published its much-anticipated report into the modernisation of Wills law and testamentary freedom in which it outlines reform recommendations including the enablement of electronic wills; the abolition of the law that
The Law Commission has published its latest report on Wills and Private Client reforms. This isn’t the first time the Commission have tackled this field, the first time being in 2017 which resulted in a
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has said it will continue to ‘ratchet up the consequences’ of non-compliance with anti-money laundering regulations, as it released details of fines totalling almost £100,000 in the first two weeks of
Private-equity backed Lawfront have announced the acquisition of Southern-based Trethowans taking the total fee income for the group to over £130m. The thirteenth acquisition is part of the group’s strategy to acquire large regional firms
The owner and manager of former London-based law firm Kingly Solicitors has been fined over £4 million for ‘serious’ and ‘intentional’ misconduct in the largest penalty the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has ever issued. Nurul
The 21st London Legal Walk is expected to be the largest to date in its 21st year; and the Solicitor’s Charity is calling on professionals to lace up their walking shoes and join them to
One in ten people have no cash saving and one in five have less than £1,000 to draw upon in an emergency according to research conducted by the Financial Conduct Authority. The regulator said it
The Scottish Parliament has voted in favour of moving the assisted dying debate forward by a count of 70 to 56, with one abstention. The bill, which was tabled by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur,
A sperm donor has lost his High Court case to be named on birth certificates with the judge ruling it was likely the proceedings were started to support an immigration application. Self-styled “Joe Donor” Robert
The upcoming Law Commission Report on Wills is due to be published on Friday 16th May and it is thought it could recommend changes to rules where a Will is revoked in the event of
It has been confirmed the government will not take forward a any proposed bill to introduce reform to surrogacy law in a blow for campaigners keen to update the current outdated legislation. Despite what appeared
New guidance for the role of Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) and updated guidance for Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) has been published to provide consistency of support for victims say the government. The guidance
In this latest Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast host David Opie welcomes Laura Tanguay and Lucy Birch from Birketts LLP to discuss the launch of their Modern Families service. Lucy Birch is a senior associate in
The government have said they are committing £20m to support victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence through a series measures announced this week. £6m will go to fund helplines across 8 charities, including: Refuge
The Law Society of England and Wales has hit back at the introduction of a ‘CILEX Chartered Paralegal’ as part of amendments to CILEX’s Royal Charter which provides formal recognition for CILEX paralegals. The Law
Paralegals will receive formal recognition under amendments to CILEX’s Royal Charter which bestows the title of CILEX Chartered Paralegal to professionals who can demonstrate they have worked in a legal role for over five years
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is seeking views on its new draft business plan, which it says will require a 23% budget increase in response to a legal market that is ‘changing rapidly’. The final year
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has identified family law children’s cases as an area of inspection in its next round of inquiries announced this week, drawing on the work of the National Audit Office (NAO),
The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has confirmed it has been the victim of a cyber attack but has said it could not confirm what, if any, information had been compromised. It has acknowledged it was
The newly introduced Victims and Courts Bill will ‘help victims get the justice they deserve’ say the government introducing a string of new measures including an express statutory power for judges to order offenders to
Greater cross-border collaboration and communication in cases involving adults who lack capacity has been formalised between the relevant judiciary with the publishing of a new protocol. Signed representatives from Scotland (Paul Cullen The Rt Hon
Knights has announced the acquisition of Essex-based law firm Birkett Long, for an initial £10 million. The deal will bring around 90 lawyers and 10 financial advisers to Knights, who will join an existing team
Changes to anti-money laundering guidance submitted to HM Treasury have been formally ratified and published in the latest Legal Sector Affinity Group (LSAG) Anti-Money Laundering Guidance for the Legal Sector 2025. LSAG, which is made
Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast host David Opie welcomes Kate Daly, co-founder of amicable to discuss the evolution of the business since it launched in 2015; to a point where it now is one of the
Scammers have targeted a conveyancing firm and posted fake one-star reviews after the founder refused to provide sensitive and personal information. Rose Davis, founder and Director at Davis & Co Property Lawyers, has warned firms
With National Stress Awareness Month starting today (1st April) a new report has identified the legal sector reporting ‘notably higher stress levels compared to other professional services,’ calling on employers to do more to help
Manchester City Football Club manager Pep Guardiola and his wife Cristina Serra are reported to be to be using the ‘one lawyer, one couple’ divorce process following their recent announcement they will be separating. The
East of England law firm, Hegarty, has celebrated its 50th year in business with 50 acts of kindness, raising £16,000 for four local charities. The firm, which provides conveyancing, private client and family services, and
SME law firm membership body LawNet has defended the model of law firms holding client monies and says it believes there are no ‘credible alternatives’ to the client account model in its submission to the
Podcast host David Opie is joined by CEO of the charity LawCare, Elizabeth Rimmer, to discuss their latest “Life in the Law” surveys which are now open for completion until Friday 21st March. LawCare supports
A prominent family lawyer has won her fight to recognise the rights of expectant parents who suffer a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy following the inclusion of bereavement leave in an amendment to the