LAA says data breach goes as far back as 2007
The cyber attack on the Legal Aid Agency could have been bigger than first thought with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) now admitting it thinks data as far back as 2007 could have been compromised. The attack occurred on 23rd April 2025 and was first reported in early May this year. A subsequent update later […]
Inquiry into access to justice launched by Justice Committee
The Justice Committee has launched an inquiry into how advice and legal services are adapting to secure access to justice across civil, criminal, and family law. MPs on the cross-party Committee, which is chaired by Labour MP Andy Slaughter, will examine the current state of the legal services and representation market, and access to justice. […]
98% of family public law applications now submitted digitally – HMCTS
His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) say they received over 560,000 cases in the Family Court and held over 98,000 sitting days in the most recently published HMCTS Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25. The report identifies progress in work done within HMCTS since 2016 to digitise much of the service, with over 500,000 divorce […]
Twofold increase in the number of parental order applications for older surrogates
The number of parental order applications from older parents of children born through surrogates has increased markedly in recent years according to a freedom of information request. Although actual numbers will not be released for fear of identification of the individuals involved, there have been parental order applications from men aged 70-79 and women aged […]
Parliament hears of need for regulation of online fertility providers
A proposal to introduce a bill to regulate online providers of fertility and ancillary services by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has been introduced to Parliament under the ‘ten-minute rule’. The motion for leave to bring in a Bill was proposed by Caroline Dinenage, Conservative MP for Gosport and Chair of the Culture, […]
Government rolls out domestic abuse agenda with £53m investment in Drive Partnership
The government is to invest a further £53m into its pilot tackling domestic abuse perpetrators, rolling out to15 new areas by March 2026, with full roll-out across England and Wales to follow. The Drive Project has been piloted since 2016 to address the root causes of abuse, targeting perpetrators and using intensive one-to-one case management […]
LSCP urges regulators to act on unbundling as Tracker Survey finds numbers at record high
More people than ever are ‘unbundling’ legal services, with one in five consumers dividing the tasks that need to be carried with their solicitors. The highest incidences of the practice were found in probate, trademarks, employment and immigration law, where more than a third of consumers took on some of the legal work. The figures […]
Courts will take into account sustained coercive behaviour in deciding whether nuptial agreements are binding
In a decision that sees the third largest divorce settlement in English legal history, a wife has been awarded £230m after the court decided a post-nuptial agreement was signed without proper legal advice, financial disclosure, and under undue pressure. The case centres on wife PN and husband SA, a serial entrepreneur who had accumulated significant […]
Deprivation of Liberty orders ‘high’ over last 18 months
The number of Deprivation of Liberty (DoL) orders in the first quarter of 2025 is broadly consistent with previous quarters and remains ‘high’ according to the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (NFJO). The latest numbers have been published in the quarterly family court statistics which show 321 children were subject to DoL from January to March […]
Housing and immigration legal aid funding uplift but no word on family
A government consultation in civil legal aid funding for housing and immigration has recommended uplifts for providers; with a decision on an uplift for criminal legal aid for solicitors by up to £92m later this week. But there is no word on funding for family legal aid. The investment in housing and immigration could be […]
Supreme Court rules in favour of husband in Standish v Standish
The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal of a wife who argued the transfer of nearly £80m from her husband for the purposes of future tax planning was a shared asset and therefore subject to the ‘sharing principle’ in divorce proceedings. Lord Burrows and Lord Stephens have today delivered the verdict of the Supreme Court, […]
Divorce on the decrease as couples increasingly choose to cohabit
In the second full year of data following the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, so-called ‘No Fault Divorce’ (NFD), 74% of divorces are now processed under the regime. Implemented on 6th April 2022, there is evidence to suggest many couples had waited for the act to pass before initiating proceedings say the Office for […]
Amendment to Crime and Policing Bill will criminalise depiction of strangulation in porn
A campaign to tackle dangerous online pornography has succeeded in amending the Crime and Policing Bill to include criminalising the act of strangulation in pornography. Following the Independent Porn Review, conducted by Baroness Gabby Bertin, which identified dangerous sexual acts, including strangulation, have been normalised through pornography, the amendment will make it illegal for pornography […]
Councils instructed to exempt victims of domestic abuse from local connection rules
Deputy Prime Minister, The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner has told the House of Commons the government will exempt certain victims of domestic abuse and young care leavers from rules which require applicants demonstrate a strong link to a specific area to be eligible for housing and other services […]
Kinship carer allowance pilot invite local authorities to apply for funding
Local authorities in England and Wales have been invited to be part of a pilot to provide financial support to relatives or friends who step in to raise children when their parents cannot The Kinship Financial Allowance pilot will provide a weekly non-means tested financial allowance which will be paid at a rate equivalent to […]
‘Reverse mentoring’ toolkit promotes diversity within legal profession
A ‘reverse mentoring’ toolkit developed by LawCare and the University of Leeds aims to help law firms and legal organisations become more inclusive, supportive and fair places to work. The term refers to junior employees or people from under-represented backgrounds mentoring more senior colleagues to share lived experiences and challenge traditional hierarchies. ‘This approach helps […]
Spending review a ‘missed opportunity’ to redress £307m shortfall in VAWG funding
Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spending review was a missed opportunity to address the estimated £307m shortfall in spending on violence against women and girls (VAWG) say Refuge in a scathing attack on the government’s commitment to halve violence against women and girls within the next decade. “Today’s Spending Review should have marked a defining moment for […]
66% increase in the number of contested financial settlements
Rising living costs and have been attributed to a 66% increase in the number of settlements being contested as the number disputes arising from divorce awards hits a 15 year high. There were 76,000 divorces in 2023, a 30% fall in the number of divorces since 2021, and the lowest number in total since 1971. […]
Pilot to offer right to review before final decisions on prosecution for rape or serious sexual abuse cases
Plans to ‘restore confidence’ in the justice systems and help get victims the justice they deserve have been announced as a new pilot is launched to offer survivors of rape or serious sexual abuse the right for their case to be reviewed by a different prosecutor before any final decisions are made. The pilot is […]
‘Misunderstood’ compliance teams facing greater pressures
The role of compliance professionals in law firms is often ‘misunderstood’ by colleagues, leading to misconceptions and a lack of appreciation for their efforts; which are often undertaken at personal cost to individual mental health and wellbeing. Just 15% of compliance professionals consider their role to be perceived as ‘critical and valued’ by colleagues which […]