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 […]
AI to identify complex stalking behaviours at an early stage
A £300,000 grant will support the efforts of Cheshire Police to invest in artificial intelligence to build capability to identify complex stalking behaviours at an early stage. The grant, submitted by , has been awarded by the Police STAR (Science, Technology, Analysis and Research) Fund and will be used to build the capability to analyse […]
Marketeers ‘present’ but not ‘leading’ law firm business development strategy
Law firms continue to invest in marketing and business development activity, but the evidence suggests only one in five firms involve their marketing teams in actively driving the strategic growth of the organisation. An overall increase in the numbers of staff involved in marketing and business development is heavily weighted toward larger firms, and growth among […]
VAWG rights groups raise concerns over ‘landmark’ sentencing reforms
Sentencing reforms announced in the last week in the wake of the review by former Justice Secretary David Gauke, have been described as ‘landmark’ by the government but those campaigning for the rights of those impacted by domestic abuse and sexual violence are concerned the reforms don’t provide adequate protection for survivors. Recommendations for a […]
1 in 4 experience domestic abuse as ONS better captures the experience of victims
It is estimated one in four adults have experienced some form of domestic abuse since the age of 16, an increase from previous figures which estimated the number was closet o one in five, after the the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said it had ‘improved’ the way it collected data on victims of domestic […]
Communication is key when dealing with delays, says Legal Ombudsman in new guidance
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has set out its expectations for service providers when dealing with third-party delays, which stress the importance of effective communication. The LeO says almost half of the complaints it receives are about communication and delays, with a ‘common feature’ being whether the delay could have been caused or influenced by a […]
NAO gives damning verdict of family courts as 4000 children still in proceedings 2 years on
The lack of a joined up approach to family law proceedings is part of a wider issue of accountability within the courts service which is causing harm to families and costing millions according to a damning report by the National Audit Office (NAO) into family courts. With responsibility for family justice shared between the Ministry […]
Consultant model ‘a fundamental part of the UK legal fabric’
Alternative legal platform providers, otherwise known as consultant-model law firms, continue to demonstrate ‘importance that lawyers are placing on autonomy, work-life balance, and the ability to build a practice supported by strong infrastructure’ say the authors of a report into the size and structure of the market. The sector hit over 4,000 practitioners last year, […]
Guidance on the use of covert recordings in family proceedings published
Guidance on the use of and admissibility of recording secretly made to provide evidence for family law proceedings has been published by the Family Justice Council; recognising the sparsity of advice in this complex area of law. Covert recordings in Family Law proceedings concerning children: Family Justice Council Guidance’, follows an increased use of covert […]
Largest deal to date see PE-backed group grow to £130m
Private-equity backed Lawfront have announced the acquisition of Southern-based Trethowans taking the total fee income for the group to over £130m. The thirteenth acquisition is part of the group’s strategy to acquire large regional firms with ‘strong’ brands in their localities. In recent months Lawfront have added south-east focused Brachers LLP, North West-based Farleys, and […]