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

There was an overall reduction in Cafcass demand in July as the number of new cases slowed, but open outstanding cases remained high. The latest children and family courts service (Cafcass) figures reveal that the

Expert family lawyers are urging couples to consider alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such as mediation, amidst a backdrop of courts still overwhelmed by delays caused due to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to The Economist, it

I admit that I don’t or at least I didn’t believe in Narcissism. But even if narcissism is just a ‘flavour of the month ’term it’s ok because this is a very useful book and

Ahead of the 1 September launch of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), the Law Society has today unveiled guidance to answer common queries for law firms and organisations on qualifying work experience (QWE) for trainee

New research by Bolt Burdon Kemp, has uncovered the key issues that are preventing people in the UK from getting proper access to legal services. A survey of 2,000 adults across England, Wales, Scotland and

Implementing a ‘no jab, no job’ policy brings serious pitfalls for business across England, a leading employment lawyer has warned. While it will be the law in England from November 11 for all staff and

The Judicial Review and Courts Bill, introduced to parliament on 21st July, is set to equip judges with the tools to give more tailored solutions in judicial review cases. It will also create a better

Unexplained wealth orders were introduced four years ago to help tackle the problem of money laundering by high net worth individuals, often with foreign and political connections. Here, Ellen Sanchenko, Criminal Litigation and Regulatory specialist

In recent years there have been calls for a change in the law to protect vulnerable adults from falling victim to what has become known as “predatory marriage”. This is due to a rise in

Latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that marriages are decreasing and couples are getting older. ONS figures for marriages in 2018 show that there were 234,795 marriages in England and Wales; a decrease

Private Equity firm Blixt Group has invested in Essex based Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP solicitors (FJG). It is the first foray into the legal services sector for Blixt for whom FJG will “become a springboard

The Department for Education has published a new strategy, titled “Adoption Strategy – Achieving Excellence Everywhere”, which aims to improve adoption services across England. The strategy, which published last week, “is set to improve adoption

More than half of the vouchers offered through the family mediation voucher scheme have been used, benefitting hundreds of families. The £1m scheme, which was launched in March, is administered by the Family Mediation Council

The Legal Services Board’s (LSB) proposed new rules and guidance for changes to regulatory arrangements are a significant improvement, the Law Society of England and Wales said today. The oversight regulator is seeking views from

The President of the Family division has commissioned a survey about how the courts can use remote hearings on a more permanent basis going forward. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, all hearings have been heard remotely,

This week is an important time for Surrogates as it marks ‘National Surrogacy Week’ and Anne-Marie Hamer at Spencer West LLP; Member of IDR focuses on how the area of Surrogacy law is there to

The Law Society of England and Wales has published the outcomes from its LawTech, Ethics and the Rule of Law discussion paper, unveiling a set of principles and guidance that would be beneficial for the