Profile: Francesca Cozens, senior associate at Knights
Francesca Cozens is a senior associate in the Family team at Knights. She advises on all aspects of family breakdown, with particular expertise in divorce, financial matters, and complex children cases, including international relocation and step-parent adoption. Francesca is a qualified collaborative solicitor and Resolution-accredited specialist in both complex financial and property matters and children […]
Costs Orders in Children Act proceedings – the continued exception or a developing trend?
Jane Keir, Holly Shaw and Georgina Prest from Kingsley Napley LLP examine the decision in Mahmoud v Glanville and explain the implications for future costs orders. Costs orders in children proceedings remain unusual. The general rule is that each party bears their own costs, reflecting the court’s focus on the child’s welfare and the […]
How can law firms select the right technology? Part 2: Who is making decisions, and are they the right people?
To help firms select technology that meets ongoing needs, Today’s Conveyancer invited four experts to share their top tips on identifying and implementing the right combination of software. In the first of a three-part series, the experts explore how a fragmented decision-making process and an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality can lead […]
What’s driving the rise in pre-nups in the UK?
Pre-nuptial agreements are no longer the preserve of the super-rich. Their use is rising rapidly, particularly among younger generations, and the once-controversial contracts are now seen as a sensible way to plan for a responsible future. Jack Dodd, associate solicitor in the family law team at Blacks Solicitors, and Sarah Ward, head of family law […]
From conflict to co‑parenting
A quiet revolution is underway in family justice. In this episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast, James Evans, Head of Strategic Growth at Nova and trustee of the newly launched Separated Parenting Programme Directory, explains why a long‑standing gap in support for separated families has finally been closed. For years, high‑quality parenting programmes have […]
Profile: Sophia Mellor, partner at Blythe Liggins
Sophia Mellor qualified in 2007 and initially practised as a criminal solicitor. She later moved to practise in family law, holding a mixed caseload of private and public family law matters for several years. Sophia now specialises in financial remedy matters following divorce and in private law children work. She is the head of the […]
Are applicants still abusing ex parte non-molestation order applications after DS v AC?
Tom Gilchrist from 42BR Barristers examines the legal landscape following DS v AC [2023] EWFC 46, and asks if applicants are still abusing ex parte non-molestation order applications. Non-molestation orders made under section 42 the Family Law Act 1996 are seen as draconian orders, as they can criminalise conduct that is not usually, in of […]
Operational drag: The hidden barrier between law firms and sustainable growth
Damian Reed, head of brand and marketing at QualitySolicitors, explains how firms can use AI as an administration asset to improve margins and enhance reputation, rather than view the technology as a problem to be dealt with. There is a peculiar tension sitting at the heart of many independent law firms right now. Revenue […]
Why the lack of regulated homes puts local authorities between a rock and a hard place
Following a warning from the children’s commissioner that England’s use of unregulated placements for vulnerable children has become a ‘national scandal’ – with cases rising by more than 370% in five years – Kirsty Thyer, director at The Family Law Company, explores the legal duties local authorities owe to children in care and says the […]
How can law firms select the right technology? Part 1: Can we leverage what we have now?
To help firms select technology that meets ongoing needs, Today’s Family Lawyer invited four experts to share their top tips on identifying and implementing the right combination of software. In the first of a three-part series, the experts explore how a fragmented decision-making process and an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality can […]
Transparency or intrusion? Navigating media scrutiny in the family courts
Family law solicitor Lucy Hitchen explores the debate surrounding transparency in the family justice system – an area she says is in need of greater clarity and consistency. Few areas of the legal system attract as much public curiosity – or provoke as much discomfort – as the family courts. Questions surrounding divorce, finances, […]
Pathfinder risks delaying justice, not delivering it
The Pathfinder pilot scheme is a necessary response to sustained pressure on the family courts. Its emphasis on early information-gathering and reduced adversarialism is well understood. However, in practice, there is a growing concern that the model risks prioritising speed over evidential robustness, potentially storing up issues for later challenge rather than resolving them at […]
Profile: Sarah Dodds, senior associate at Birketts LLP
Sarah Dodds is a senior associate in Birketts’ Bristol office. She has more than a decade of experience in family law, with her case load comprising high-conflict child arrangements and complex financial remedy matters. The majority of Sarah’s clients have international connections and she has a wealth of experience dealing with cross-border children matters, including […]
Why the issues raised in M (A Child) will damage public trust
The removal of an adopted child because the mother was in a new relationship with a violent criminal accused of child-sex offending has focused attention on the need for comprehensive and trustworthy background checks. Tom Wright, senior associate in the family team at Birketts LLP, says the issues raised by M (A Child: Adoption: Duty […]
Why education is the key to improving access to arbitration – Sir Jonathan Cohen
Sir Jonathan Cohen, barrister and a former High Court judge, explains the importance of arbitration in family law disputes and asks why this valuable resource remains under-utilised. A new campaign by the Family Lawyers Arbitrators Group (FLAG) aims to improve public understanding and awareness of family arbitration as an effective alternative to court litigation […]
X and Y (Children: Adoption Order: Setting Aside)
Helen Nettleship, barrister at 42BR Barristers, explores the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of X and Y on non-molestation orders. When the Supreme Court handed down judgment in the matter of X and Y (Children: Adoption Order: Setting Aside) UKSC/2025/0039 on 22 April 2026, dismissing the appeal from the Court […]
Delays after the decision: When Family Court orders get stuck in the system
The distressing impact of delays in the Family Courts doesn’t end after the case is heard, Sean Hilton and Phoebe Starbuck say. The partner and solicitor at Stevens & Bolton examine the ongoing financial and emotional impact of court delays, even after orders have been made. Delays within the family courts are no longer […]
The ‘motherhood penalty’ and the legal profession
The latest Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast turns its attention to one of the profession’s most persistent, and least openly discussed, challenges: the impact of maternity leave on women’s careers in law. While the legal sector is not alone in perpetuating the motherhood penalty, the measurable career disadvantage experienced by women after having children, the podcast […]
Profile: Yael Selig, family law partner at Osbornes Law
Yael Selig is a partner and head of the Hampstead office at Osbornes Law. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the sector and is skilled in all aspects of family law with particular expertise in handling complex financial disputes and children arrangements. Yael is a qualified mediator and collaborative lawyer. She is also […]
What actually is ‘reasonable financial provision’ for the purposes of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act?
If someone’s will (or lack thereof) does not leave a certain class of people with reasonable financial provision, a claim may potentially be made under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (‘the Inheritance Act’). But what does ‘reasonable financial provision’ actually mean? In the first of a regular series from 42BR Barristers, […]