Guidance for family judges on how to write to children in family court proceedings
The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has published guidance for family judges on when, how and why to write to children in family court proceedings. The toolkit is the product of a collaboration between the judiciary, children and young people and other professionals who work in and around the family justice system. […]
Success of Family Mediation Week spurs FMC to redouble work to boost mediation’s profile
Family mediators are redoubling efforts to raise the profile of the benefits of their profession, as new figures highlight increased participation in January’s Family Mediation Week. The aggregated figure of 3,770 participants in this year’s series of 17 webinars represents a 19 per cent rise on 2024’s corresponding event, despite there being fewer webinars this […]
Lawyers impatient for firms to invest in technology and innovation – report
LexisNexis® Legal & Professional released a new report – Innovating the client experience: Law firms can offer much more than legal expertise – which reveals a sharp demand from lawyers for greater tech investment. The survey of 800+ UK legal professionals found in-house legal counsel will need their external counsel to be cost-effective (74%), responsive […]
More than 100 child sexual abuse image crimes being recorded by police every day
Recently published Home Office data revealed police forces across England and Wales recorded 38,685 child sexual abuse image offences last year (2023/24), an average of more than 100 every day. A separate Freedom of Information request the NSPCC submitted showed that of the 7,338 offences last year where law enforcement recorded the platform used by […]
Law Society ‘slams’ SRA proposals to remove client accounts
The Law Society of England and Wales has warned against the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) proposal to move away from client accounts to third-party managed accounts. This forms part of the Law Society’s response to the SRA’s consultation on client money in legal services, which was launched following the collapse of the firm of Axiom […]
One in 10 couples who split over the age of 50 use property wealth to fund the cost of divorce
One in 10 (11%) couples who divorce after the age of 50 use money from their property (e.g. from the sale of a family home or equity release) to fund the cost of their divorce, according to new research from Legal & General . The research, which explored the financial impact of divorce in later-life, […]
Growth of ‘non-traditional’ families prompts lawyers to rethink services
The growing needs of ‘non-traditional’ families has prompted law firm Birketts to launch a Modern Families service to provide legal advice beyond the realms of conventional family law. Birketts will serve the needs of a wide range of individuals through its Modern Families Team, by widening its practice to include specialist advice on fertility treatment, […]
‘Delegate Now to Supercharge Your Profits’ – read our third and final exclusive extract
In a series of short excerpts from a new book, Dan Warburton shares his insight on how law firm owners and senior managers can increase their profits by being better at delegating their workload. In the first extract Dan explains how he has developed his methodology, before outlining how firms might approach management and what […]
Don’t waste precious time and resources on intermediate court, warns Law Society
An additional court structure is not the answer to the backlog crisis, the Law Society of England and Wales has warned. The Law Society’s submission to the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts sets out steps that could be taken to reduce demand and increase capacity including: Introducing a presumption that certain groups of offenders […]
13% increase in support calls to mental health helpline
Mental health and wellbeing charity LawCare says it experienced a 13% increase in support requests last year compared to 2023, with 2024’s number its highest on record. Stress and anxiety (39%) were the most common reasons people contacted the charity, followed by career concerns (15%) and workplace bullying and harassment (10%). In it’s recently published […]
Family Justice Council Guidance on Neurodiversity in the Family Justice System for Practitioners
The Family Justice Council (FJC) has published guidance for legal practitioners working with neurodivergent users of the Family Justice System. The guidance can be found on the Neurodiversity in the Family Justice System guidance page. The guidance follows almost two years of work drawing together the existing regulatory framework and setting out best practice, with contributions from […]
Government push to inform victims of their rights
The Victims’ Code sets out in clear and simple language what victims can expect from the criminal justice system, including the level of support they are entitled to. Research shows that while young adults are more likely to be victims of violent crime, too many are unaware of their rights – with just one in […]
The funding gap risking the future of domestic abuse services in England
A new report published by Women’s Aid reveals the severity of the £321 million funding gap faced by domestic abuse services. Life-saving services have been forced into using organisation reserves and reduce areas of work as a result of this gap, sparking concern over their future. 15% of respondents to the Women’s Aid annual survey, […]
The Family Mediation Trust launches fund to tackle domestic abuse in family mediation
The Family Mediation Trust has announced the launch of the Family Mediation Impact Fund (FMIF), a new grant program dedicated to driving innovation and advancing practices in family mediation. With a clear focus for 2025, the fund aims to transform how mediators assess and assist families impacted by domestic abuse, fostering groundbreaking solutions to this […]
Growing public awareness of family mediation for separating couples offers ‘real promise for reducing costly court conflict’
Two thirds of people are aware that family mediation is an option to help avoid court and resolve money, parenting, and property issues, should they face divorce or separation, according to a new survey of 1,027 people. But awareness of the process – which family mediators say is growing – is yet to switch into action, with […]
Better protection for victims due to new law on sexually explicit deepfakes
The measure, which was announced earlier this month, has been tabled by the Government as an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill currently before Parliament, to ensure the new law is on the statute book as quickly as possible. The new offence will target heinous abusers who create these artificial images either for […]
Celebrating 200 years of the Law Society
As the Law Society of England and Wales marks two centuries since its inception in 1825, new research reveals public views on the legal profession, the justice system and the use of technology. Public confidence in solicitors remains the cornerstone of the legal sector’s continued success as almost eight in 10 adults in the UK […]
Family court reporting provisions to extend to all family courts in England and Wales
Following the success of the family court reporting pilot, the Family Procedure Rule Committee has approved a proposal to rollout the reporting pilot nationally, through changes to the Family Procedure Rules and new practice directions. The statutory instrument required to make those changes was signed at the end of December 2024. The effect of this […]
ABS fined more than £25,000 for AML failings
A Birmingham law firm has been fined more than the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) stated £25,000 for ‘traditional’ firms for anti-money laundering (AML) failures because of it’s status as an alternative business structure (ABS). Tyndallwoods Solicitors, has been fined £27,813 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for failing to implement proper anti-money laundering (AML) measures […]
Influence the future of mental health in the legal sector
LawCare, the mental health charity for the legal sector, has launched its new “Life in the Law 2025” surveys and invites you to take part. There are two separate surveys: one for individuals in the legal sector, and another for organisations, such as law firms, chambers, and in-house legal departments. The surveys are anonymous and take approximately […]