Three in five (58%) legal professionals informally sampled have expressed concern that proposed AML reforms could affect legal professional privilege. The finding comes from a poll of 204 legal professionals, which was carried out during
Lee Henderson has joined the family department of London-based Osbornes Law as the third new partner in recent months, while south west firm Lodders has appointed family law specialist Helen Benussi as a partner. Benussi
The Law Society of England and Wales has outlined its opposition to proposals to create a Single Professional Services Supervisor (SPSS) for anti-money laundering which would sit under the supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will seek to separate the roles of Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) and Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration (COFA) from ‘individuals that can unilaterally determine or direct significant
Remuneration is too low to support a ‘sustainable legal aid practice’ and working conditions are ‘intolerable’ leading to system overload in the family legal aid system, according to a new report from the Bar Council.
The government has previewed its much anticipated Violence against Women and Girls strategy, announcing nearly £1 billion in funding over the next three years to invest in counselling, court guidance and children’s services to support
The General Council of the Bar (Bar Council) has announced a successor to current chief executive Malcolm Cree CBE, who is retiring after eight years at the head of the organisation. Jim Morris CB DSO
The Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast was launched in 2022 with the aim of introducing listeners to the organisations and individuals who contribute to the success of the family law sector. Over the previous four series,
A divorced artist who claims her ex-husband signed over their £1.5 million home to her via WhatsApp after their split is locked in a High Court test case fight to keep it. London-based painter Hsiao
To all victims and survivors of grooming gangs, As the newly appointed Chair and Panellists of the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, we are writing to you as our first formal act of this vitally
UK law societies have united to call for urgent ratification of a new treaty designed to protect lawyers this World Human Rights Day (10 December). They say that the Council of Europe Convention for the
The Law Society has welcomed the formal recognition of digital assets as personal property in the upcoming Property (Digital Assets etc) Act, which received Royal Assent last week. For the first time digital assets will
Digital assets are to be formally recognised in law after the Property (Digital Assets etc) Act received Royal Assent. Previously, many digital assets, including cryptocurrency or non-fungible tokens, had undefined legal rights. The updated legislation
A leading KC and a data expert have shared the human, financial and systemic fallout from the Legal Aid Agency’s system failure, and warned the incident is a breaking point for a system already under
Proposals outlined in the Law Commission’s ‘Evidence in sexual offences prosecutions’ published earlier this year have been taken forward by government with better support for victims of rape and fairer trials part of new proposals.
Divorcing couples are increasingly choosing to avoid court because of increased costs and long waiting lists for hearings, according to a new analysis from family law firm Pepperells Solicitors. The emotional and financial toll of
Stowe Family Law has partnered with Scottish firm Kee Solicitors in an effort to ‘become the first choice for family law’ and extend its service offering to more prospective clients. The partnership adds the ability
Christmas can be a tough time of year to stay sober; especially for those who struggle with addiction issues. In this latest Today’s Family Lawyer podcast two experts provide their views on how specialist services
The fourth annual Domestic Abuse Conference Bristol brought together almost 100 professionals and frontline workers from across England and Wales to share learning, strengthen partnerships and promote survivor-centred practice. The not-for-profit conference, founded and organised
The accidental publication of the content of the budget by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) nearly made more headlines than the content of Labour’s much-anticipated budget which threatened fireworks and delivered ‘no return to
Domestic abuse continues to cast a long shadow across England and Wales said one family law professional as the latest data on the prevalence of domestic abuse in society was revealed in the latest Office
Recruitment and retention; almost always one of the top three items on the agenda at every partners meeting. Collaboration between education and industry could help professionals bridge the gap and identify new recruits at an
A Whitehaven firm has been sanctioned for incorrectly retaining residual balances for almost 10 years, with one balance worth over £50,000. Brockbank Curwen Cain & Hall Limited was investigated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in
The government must act now to modernise wills, or risk leaving many people’s final wishes unprotected, the Law Society of England and Wales has said. In May 2025, the Law Commission published its report Modernising
The number of marriages and civil partnerships fell by just under 9% in the year from 2022 to 2023 according to recently published Office for National Statistics (ONS) data; reflecting an overall trend since the
News of further rollout of the Pathfinder Courts programme has been welcomed by family practitioners but sounded a note of caution about whether outcomes are being properly measured and investment in the service is forthcoming.
The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) has applied for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal against the Mazur judgment, the High Court ruling that legal executives cannot conduct litigation, even under supervision
The Bar Council has called for all family court cases involving domestic abuse to be brought within the scope of legal aid in a policy paper published this week. The body, which represents 18,000 barristers
Care leavers will be given more support by Government under plans to reduce the disproportionate number of vulnerable young people living in care who subsequently receive a criminal conviction or prison sentence. According to government
Private-equity backed law firm Fisher Jones Greenwood has appointed Charlotte Knappett, Head of Family Law, as its next Senior Partner. FJG is part of Lawfront, a national brand of law firms with regional focuses including
The Today’s Family Lawyer podcast explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on co-parenting through the eyes of family law professionals; with Sophie Lougher, Director and Senior Solicitor, and Kathryn Fanstone a Solicitor at Zeus
Anyone who becomes a company director or person with significant control (PSC) will now have to verify their identity with Companies House. Identity verification is now a compulsory part of incorporation and new appointments for
New powers will see government authorise designated bodies like AI developers and child protection organisations to scrutinise artificial intelligence (AI) models, and ensure safeguards are in place to prevent them generating or proliferating child sexual
The Pathfinder courts pilot is to be rolled out further across the Midlands at courts in Wolverhampton, Worcester and Stoke-on-Trent following its success in Dorset, North and South East Wales, Birmingham and West Yorkshire. First
In a test case following plans to revoke the automatic right of parental involvement in family proceedings a judge has been asked to determine the future of a three and a half year old child
Pathfinder courts, currently being piloted in South East Wales, North Wales, Birmingham and Dorset, are reducing the time it takes from court application to final order; in some cases more than halving it in newly