A landmark judgment in Northern Ireland will have implications for the whole of the UK, after the Supreme Court overruled consent precedent set in Cheshire West. In a decision which has left many charities reeling,
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed the first intended actions to come out of recent client money consultations. “Higher risk” firms with a turnover of more than £600,000, or holding more than £2 million
The number of self-employed consultant lawyers within alternative legal service provider (ALSP) platforms has topped 5,000 – a 25% increase in just 12 months. The numbers have been revealed in the fourth Platform Firms Report
The Legal Aid Agency has called for greater capacity in areas across the country and has invited firms to submit bids to support access to legal advice and justice. Providers will deliver work under the
A quiet revolution is underway in family justice. In this episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast, James Evans, Head of Strategic Growth at Nova and trustee of the newly launched Separated Parenting Programme Directory,
The Law Society of England and Wales council has elected Jeff Lewis as its new deputy vice president. Lewis will take office in October 2026, become vice president in 2027 and president of the Law
All Business and Property Courts are set to become part of a new Business and Property Division of the judiciary. The changes – which will include the Property, Trusts and Probate list – are intended
Sophia Mellor qualified in 2007 and initially practised as a criminal solicitor. She later moved to practise in family law, holding a mixed caseload of private and public family law matters for several years. Sophia
Former president of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has been appointed patron of Family Rights Group (FRG), a charity focused on reform of the child welfare and family justice systems. FRG has spent 50
Scottish private equity firm Aliter Capital has completed its third law firm acquisition in two years, in a move which will see the creation of a new legal group with a headcount of 150 and
To help firms select technology that meets ongoing needs, Today’s Family Lawyer invited four experts to share their top tips on identifying and implementing the right combination of software. In the first of a three-part
Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) chair Anna Bradley has stepped down after eight years in the role, with the formal process for identifying her successor beginning on 1st June. In a statement published on the SRA
The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) has published it strategic plan for the next three years, building on its stated commitment that children should be able to say they have experienced
Decades of legal inaction have left millions of cohabiting couples in England and Wales “dangerously exposed”, a specialist family barrister has warned, and legal professionals should take matters into their own hands when advising clients.
The introduction of legislation criminalising the wrongful retention of children abroad is a welcome development, by a family law solicitor warns the change won’t protect families that are already affected. The newly enacted Crime and
The Law Society of England and Wales has welcomed the Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO) proposed model complaints resolution procedure (MCRP), but warned the organisation must be clear on how the strategy will be rolled out. Last
Sarah Dodds is a senior associate in Birketts’ Bristol office. She has more than a decade of experience in family law, with her case load comprising high-conflict child arrangements and complex financial remedy matters. The
A conference focused on small and mid-sized law firms is being staged by legal and professional services marketing firm Consortium in October. The Legal Conference 2026 will take place on Thursday 15th October 2026 at
June Venters KC has has called for lawyers to be “properly safeguarded” after a litigant subjected two professionals to a “total nightmare” via email and TikTok videos. Deputy High Court Judge Aidan Eardley KC recently
Over 1,000 CILEX lawyers have successfully obtained litigation practice rights, enabling them to carry out litigation without the need for supervision, in the wake of the Mazur judgment. CILEx Regulation (CRL), which oversees the education,
The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme has received the £7 million funding needed to extend it for a further 12 months, Justice Minister Baroness Levitt KC has confirmed. The scheme, which provides eligible couples with up
“Effectively procuring, adopting, and using technologies takes skill and resources” the Bar Standards Board (BSB) says in newly published guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in practice. Guidance on the use of Artificial Intelligence
The latest Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast turns its attention to one of the profession’s most persistent, and least openly discussed, challenges: the impact of maternity leave on women’s careers in law. While the legal sector
A man who used TikTok videos and emails to harass lawyers in a Family Court case has been issued with an injunction. The videos accused a barrister of “dishonesty and professional misconduct in very bald
Yael Selig is a partner and head of the Hampstead office at Osbornes Law. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the sector and is skilled in all aspects of family law with particular
A survey has revealed nearly two thirds of fee earners admit to using open source artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, potentially compromising client data and confidentiality. The research by legal software company Access Legal
Private client law, including wills, probate, tax, trust and estate-related advice is the most profitable area of law for small law firms, alongside litigation and dispute resolution, according to the latest Bellwether Report from LexisNexis.
A new legal careers platform promises to offer verified profiles for almost 9000 SRA-regulated firms, with dedicated career pages covering family law. LawBoard, which launched last month, includes a free salary benchmarking tool that gives
The government has announced a £12.4 million investment into fostering through a new Fostering Innovation Fund in a bid to make foster care “more accessible and inclusive across England”. The fund will support the modernisation
The Law Society of England and Wales is calling for a public consultation on the use of artificial intelligence in the courts and tribunals service. In its response the Civil Justice Council’s (CJC) consultation on
A landmark Court of Appeal ruling has delivered judicial clarity on domicile of choice, domicile of origin and forum disputes in international matrimonial proceedings. The judgment in Ferrara v Ferrara, in which UK law firm
The government’s efforts to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG) could be affected by the resignations of two of its most vocal advocates in protest at Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership of the Labour party.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has proposed a £50 increase in individual practising fees, taking the annual fee to £240. Compensation fund contributions are expected to be set at £120 for an individual solicitor and
The High Court has ordered the summary return of two girls to their home in Zimbabwe, following their removal to England by their mother in April 2025. National law firm Mills & Reeve represented the
Demand for Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Services (Cafcass) grew by 7.2% over the course of 2026, with 3,982 more cases being dealt with year-on-year from 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2025.
An Oxford-based family law firm is claiming a ‘UK first’ as it gears up to host a live, 24-hour question and answer session across its social media platforms. Family First Solicitors, which says it is