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

I recently had the pleasure to attend a webinar to discuss the work the Group Transformation Division at Lloyds Banking Group have been doing to support colleague’s mental, physical & emotional wellbeing during this difficult

The new National Adoption Strategy is welcome news, but I wonder whether we have been down this road before. In May 2015 the Adoption Support Fund was rolled out, and whilst there have undoubtedly been

A major call for evidence has been launched by the Government seeking views on the best ways to settle family, business and other civil disputes away from the court room. The Responses will shape future

A report investigating the feasibility of post-pandemic remote hearings in the family courts has been published by Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. Commissioned by the President of the Family Division in anticipation of the easing of

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Crime Survey for England and Wales showed that there were an estimated 4.6 million fraud offences in the year ending March 2021, a 24% increase compared with 2020 figures.

Channel 4’s “Dispatches” has revealed how family courts can order the police to forcibly remove children, who are not in danger, from loving homes. The programme showed disturbing and never before seen footage of police

Professional jobs are on the up, but the lack of diversity is stalling progression in professional services. Hybrid and flexible working could provide an opportunity to change the current status quo in the legal profession,

Our ‘Technical Corner’ brings you information that will help you to continue to grow and develop in your career. This month’s technical corner article comes from Amy Bell, Director at Teal Compliance If you have

The fines levied by the SRA on 13 firms in recent weeks continue to demonstrate a fundamental lack of understanding around responsibilities when it comes to the money laundering regulations. The firms in question had

The latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice show that disputes regarding the arrangements for children following their parents’ separation are now taking an average of 40 weeks to resolve; a startling rise of 35%

The House of Commons Justice Committee has published published its latest report on the Future of Legal Aid In its latest report, the Justice Committee discusses the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act

A major independent study into innovation in the legal sector has revealed that while the majority of law firms are making increasing use of day-to-day technology, the development of bespoke legal technology is largely focussed

Whilst complex and sophisticated cybercrime stories continue to make all the headlines on personal data theft, experts warn that the risks to our personal privacy are often much closer to home. In fact, right inside

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has announced a major shake-up of the Competition and Markets Authority’s powers. The CMA has been instrumental in the drive toward greater pricing transparency for consumers and more recently has intervened

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published its annual reports on its operational work during 2019/20. The reports cover areas such as its regulatory role, preventing money laundering, and enforcement. Key facts highlighted within these

The Legal Services Board has published a response to the submissions it received to its discussion paper on quality indicators. Published in February 2021, the paper prompted a wide-ranging debate over what quality means in

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched formal enforcement cases against Amazon and Google in relation to possible breaches of consumer protection law. The CMA has concerns that Amazon and Google have not been

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has issued fines to seven practices that have failed to comply with anti-money laundering (AML) requirements. The firms affected are Manchester practice Law Together LLP, Telford-based Picasso Legal Limited, Smooth