Legal mental health charity LawCare has today released the findings of its research study Life in the Law. The research into wellbeing in the profession captured data between October 2020 and January 2021 from over

In July HMCTS confirmed that the use of its online divorce portal will be made mandatory for legal representatives from 13 September 2021 (although it will remain possible for some types of application to be

Meetings between the Government and regulators are set to discuss potential changes to the current redress structure, if the performance of Legal Ombudsman services does not improve. The LSB will hear initial feedback on whether

Following a consultation into court costs earlier this year, fees will increase from the end of this month. The costs of some Family Court applications are set to increase, in line with inflation, following the

An Industry Working Group of experts has been formed to improve standards, reliability and security in electronic signatures. The Ministry of Justice has published details of a newly-formed Industry Working Group of experts that aims

After a year and half of homeworking, the shift in guidance on 19 July 2021 recommending a return to the office has left many members of the legal profession facing a dilemma. While some will

The Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision (OPBAS) has released its latest report on progress made in tackling money laundering by regulators over the past year. While this year’s report acknowledges that professional body

As of 13 September, all new divorce applications must be made via the MyHMCTS portal. Paper applications will no longer be accepted. I welcome this change, provided the portal is up to the task. Over

The will of HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh is to be sealed for 90 years following an order of the president of the family division. Sir Andrew McFarlane, president of the family division

The National Paralegal Awards, hosted by the PPR is taking place on Thursday 23rd September 2021. This event is a virtual award show and is free to attend by registering here This year there are

A report conducted by law firm RPC has revealed that fines for data protection breaches issued by The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the latest financial year have increased by 1580% compared to the previous

Cost limit increases for emergency civil legal aid certificates came in to effect on 13 September 2021, but certificates for investigative representations are excluded. The government has increased the cost limit for emergency civil legal

Leading family set 4PB is moving to a new address – St Martin’s Court, Paternoster Row. The move comes as the set found it increasingly needed a more modern and accessible space with far better

The Department for Education has announced a £20 million support package to help low-income and vulnerable families in England by improving access to early education, health and care services. The £20 million package will include

The latest Cafcass figures for August indicate a decrease in new cases, both year-to-date and compared with July’s demand, but the number of open outstanding cases remains high. The number of new Cafcass cases recorded

At the beginning of 2021 the law changed concerning how international couples divorce. At the time, there was a lot of worry that the changes in law would lead to divorces involving international couples becoming

Robert Buckland has been replaced as Justice Minister by Dominic Raab in Prime Minster Boris Johnson’s latest cabinet reshuffle. Buckland, who is MP for South Swindon, is the eighth Justice Secretary since 2010 when the

Today, the Legal Services Board (LSB) launched a consultation on a draft statutory statement of policy on empowering consumers. Developed following engagement with the legal services regulators and others across the sector, it outlines how

Most law firms made it through the pandemic unscathed. Around three quarters of responding firms said their revenues and profits were level with or higher than their projections for 2020-21. Despite national restrictions and market

From today all applications for divorce must be submitted online using MyHMCTS. The only exceptions are applications for civil partnership dissolution, judicial separation and nullity, which should be filed at the Bury St. Edmunds Regional

The Welsh Church’s Governing Body is considering a Bill set to authorise a service of blessing for gay and lesbian partnerships or marriages in Welsh Churches, this month. On 6 September the Welsh Church Governing

If not teetering on the brink of collapse the public law family system and the Bar that serves it is, I respectfully submit, in crisis and in need of urgent care and attention. This article

A report from Thomson Reuters reveals that less than one in ten legal professionals want to return to working regular hours in the office, and would instead prefer to spend over two days a week

Cafcass has launched its relationship-based practice framework called Together with children and families. The framework sets out the importance of working with children and their families, based on developing trusting relationships, where listening, understanding, clear

Practitioners have been reminded that HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) will be returning any paper divorce applications after Tuesday 5th October as the shift toward digitisation continues apace. From Monday 13 September 2021, applications

New research from Experian has revealed that bank account fraud is now tracking at its highest level for more than three years. Drawing on the latest data from the National Hunter Fraud Prevention Service, the

Clients who call the Civil Legal Advice (CLA) helpline with a family issue will now be directed to face-to-face providers from 1 September. Callers to the CLA helpline with family issues will no longer be

As part of a wider look at what employers can do to enhance the support for domestic abuse survivors, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has now joined the Employers’ Initiative on

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will today introduce the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), marking the beginning of the biggest change to how aspiring solicitors can enter the profession for almost 30 years. Aspiring solicitors will

Practitioners are predicting the usual September surge in divorces as the Summer holidays come to a close. The Ministry of Justice’s online divorce service showed its busiest day in 2019 was September 30. Statistics released

The government have committed a further £800,000 of additional funding for Family Mediation vouchers; providing thousands more families with the opportunity to access up to £500 toward the cost of mediation. The aim of the

The Home Office has issued a consultation on draft statutory guidance for implementing the definition of domestic abuse and is calling for responses from relevant user groups. On 29 April the Domestic Abuse Act 2021

Nick Emmerson has been announced as the new Law Society of England and Wales 2021 deputy vice president (DVP), following the recent election. He takes office as DVP on 14 October 2021 – becoming vice

Are you in the cyber hot seat? With reams of sensitive personal data and transactions that involve large sums of money, the legal sector is undeniably a massive target for cyber crime. Cyber Security –

Solicitors operating as sole practitioners and partnerships are a dying breed, according to a new analysis from Arden Partners plc revealing the changing shape of the solicitor market. Arden’s analysis of Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Index of Services for June reveals that the legal sector is recovering well following the pandemic. Although figures show that the services sector grew by only 1.5% between May