Freelance journalist wins reporting restrictions challenge in family proceedings
A High Court judge has agreed to release redacted documents from family proceedings to a journalist from The Observer despite some of the material containing information which could only be considered in closed court for reasons of national security. The journalist may also publish the fact that one of appellants is a serving member of […]
Assisted dying bill stalls in House of Lords but supporters hopeful of imminent return
Efforts to introduce assisted dying in England and Wales have run out of time after the bill stalled in the House of Lords – with supporters accusing peers of holding up the legislation. Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Kim Leadbetter, who had launched the private members bill and championed its progress through Parliament […]
Taylor Rose fined £160,000 by SRA
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has fined Taylor Rose more than £160,000 for compliance failures including failing to return client money promptly. The SRA directed the firm to pay a financial penalty of £160,059 and ordered to pay costs of £1,350. The regulator said it had fined the firm for failing to have effective systems […]
King appoints new president of the Family Division
The Rt Hon Lord Justice Stephen Cobb has been appointed President of the Family Division by the King. His appointment, which follows the retirement of Sir Andrew McFarlane on 13 April 2026, was made on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor following the recommendation of an independent selection panel. Lord Justice […]
News has ‘blind spot’ to VAWG coverage, with just 1.3% of global stories on the issue
A new report which aims to shine a light on the global under-reporting of violence against women and girls claims news media has a “blind spot” when it comes to coverage of the issue and is calling for improved reporting. At a time when a series of high profile cases have hit news media, including […]
Law Society issues Mazur practice note
A new practice note aimed at providing guidance on how firms can ensure they are compliant with the recent Mazur decision has been published by the Law Society of England and Wales. The practice note includes advice on how firms can make sure that only those authorised to do so carry on the conduct of […]
Government study will explore how AI transcripts can improve family court experience
HM Courts & Tribunals Service will test using artificial intelligence to produce court transcripts in a move intended to improve access to justice for victims and families. The new study will see if the Ministry of Justice’s in-house AI, Justice Transcribe, could meet required accuracy standards while reducing transcription time and costs. The findings of […]
Victims and bereaved to get more time to challenge lenient sentences
Victims and bereaved families will have longer than ever to challenge sentences they don’t feel fit the crime they’ve suffered, in measures unveiled in the government’s reformed Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme. Victims and their bereaved families will have up to six months to ask for a sentence to be reconsidered, rather than being strictly limited […]
UK Family Law Report forecasts steady growth for sector, reaching £2.9bn by 2029
The UK Family Law Report 2026, the 12th edition of the annual research report from IRN Legal Reports, forecasts steady growth for the sector, with a forecast of 6% growth in 2026 and a compound annual growth rate of 5.8% between 2025 and 2029. The market value is expected to reach £2.9 billion over the […]
Japan’s new joint custody legislation will make ‘significant difference’ to nationals divorcing in UK
Landmark legislation in Japan has enabled separating parents to be jointly responsible in custody proceedings, in a move which is set to benefit UK divorce cases with an international element involving the country. Until the change, Japan was the only G7 country that did not recognise the legal concept of joint custody. The amendment now […]
Deprivation of liberty applications up 12.5% in 2025
Ministry of Justice figures have revealed a high of 1,440 deprivation of liberty (DoL) applications in 2025, up 12.5% since the previous year. Quarter four data in the Family Court Statistics Quarterly release reveals 379 children were subject to DoL applications, up from 321 in the same period in 2024. The 2025 figures were higher than 2024 in […]
Awards, acquisitions, launches and promotions in the latest round-up of family law news
Family lawyers are celebrating a raft of successes this month, with award wins, new service launches, acquisitions and promotions across the country. UK Top 150 law firm Trethowans has won the Innovative Marketing Award at the Legal Growth Awards for its The Candid Divorce Lawyer podcast, which aims to make discussions about divorce, separation and […]
Shortage of refuge places as demand outstrips supply – Women’s Aid
The latest Family Court Statistics Quarterly for October to December 2025 shows a “concerning” rise in the number of domestic violence remedy orders applied for, up 5% in the final quarter of 2025 compared with Q4 2024. The number of orders made increased by 2% to 9,260 over the same period. There were 36,376 applications […]
Family mediation voucher scheme ‘extended to March 2027’
The Ministry of Justice has committed to extending the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme into 2027, the Family Mediation Council (FMC) has confirmed. In a statement welcoming the news, Helen Anthony, CEO of FMC, said: “The continuation of the successful family mediation voucher scheme is important, as it will ensure that many more families on low […]
Landmark case on parental responsibility: Lessons from the Court of Appeal in Re J, Re M, and Re P (Loss of Responsibility)
The Court of Appeal has handed down its judgment in the landmark case of Re J (Loss of Parental Responsibility), [2026] EWCA Civ 344. The International Family Law Group LLP represents the lead appellant in three conjoined appeals relating to the issue of parental responsibility; this judgment is without doubt a ‘must-read’ for family practitioners […]
High Court to decide whether home on aristocrat’s family estate forms part of ex-wife’s £1.2m trust
An aristocrat is engaged in a complex High Court battle to prevent trustees of his ex-wife’s £1.2 million income fund from selling a cottage on his family’s 11th century rural estate in Somerset. Sir Benjamin Slade, 7th Baronet of Maunsel, was married to Lady Pauline Slade for 12 years before their divorce in 1994. As […]
Court of Appeal rules on ‘extraordinary’ Copinger-Symes case
The Court of Appeal has ruled on the case of the former manager of the rock band INXS and her £14 million legal battle with her ex-husband and multimillionaire mother, in a case described as “extraordinary” by family professionals. The former European manager of 80’s band INXS, Maria-Christina Copinger-Symes, an estranged member of a hugely […]
Nuffield FJO calls for outcomes-based measures in family justice
The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (Nuffield FJO) is calling for the introduction of shared measures of success across the family justice system, arguing that current metrics – focused on system efficiencies such as the length of proceedings – do not capture the outcomes that matter to children and families. In a briefing document published this […]
‘Property Act removes uncertainty over digital assets’ – Sir Geoffrey Vos
The Property (Digital Assets etc) Act 2025 has removed legal uncertainty and resolved private law impediments to new technology, Master of the Rolls Sir Geoffrey Vos (pictured) says. Speaking at a reception on 12 March to mark the passing of the Property Act 2025, Sir Vos explained: “The Property (Digital Assets etc) Act 2025 must […]
Family Solutions Group report calls for children to be at heart of provision
A new report calls for the creation of a Commissioner for Separated Families to represent families in government consultations, coordinate “fragmented” policy and keep the welfare of children at the heart of provision. Currently, four million children are growing up in separated families in the UK. The Family Solutions Group (FSG)’s Putting Children First report says the […]