‘A stark reminder for families to consider mediation’, says Rollits
With the average family court case duration being 46 weeks in 2023, law firm Rollits, says, that it is “a stark reminder for families to consider mediation”. Statistics show that this is at an all term high. With Family Mediation Week being this week, there is already a lot of news and attention on mediation. […]
Diary Of A Legal Aid Lawyer: Client Communication
Is it time to reimagine your new client communication? It is nearly three years since we created our new client call team, transforming the way new clients connect with our family lawyers. Changing our approach was about enhancing client experience whilst at the same time adding to our conversion rates and, ultimately, our bottom line. […]
Cohabitation: A Contentious Probate Perspective
The legal implications of cohabitation have been making headlines recently, with a number of changes to the entitlement of cohabitees to bring them more in line with married couples and civil partners. In 2017, we saw the Supreme Court disapply the requirement for pension nomination forms to be completed for cohabitees to benefit. The following […]
UK signs up to Hague 19 Convention
The UK government has signed up to the Hague 19 Convention, meaning judgments made in courts in England and Wales will be recognised internationally in future. As a result, UK citizens and businesses will be spared time and money on cross-border disputes. Firms caught up in time consuming international legal disputes will be spared time […]
Addiction and coparenting
Addiction and coparenting – how to arrange drug and alcohol testing in the context of childcare disputes and other legal proceedings involving children. Concerns surrounding a parent’s substance abuse are a common safeguarding issue raised in children proceedings before the family court. Understandably, all involved in decisions as to the arrangements for a child’s care […]
The Common Objections and Barriers to ADR and How Family Lawyers can Overcome Them
As family lawyers we all understand the benefits of using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to help our clients reach solutions, but unfortunately ADR methods can often be misunderstood, meaning we often face barriers when talking to clients about ADR. Some of the more common objections include cost concerns, lack of understanding and a general worry […]
Marketing Your Law Firm in 2024: Strategies for Standing out in 2024
With 11,500 law firms in the UK differentiation can be a constant challenge. When it come to legal services marketing, law firms in 2024 must adopt innovative marketing strategies to distinguish themselves. Legal Growth, a marketing agency specialising in law firms, highlights key approaches to ensure your firm not only competes but excels in this […]
No more ‘Old Skool’
Those of us who have represented children often in the Family courts are used to the phrase “gillick competent , which of course refers to any under 16 year-old who has the capacity to make a relevant decision (‘subject matter competence’). Children of course (not just adults) have Article 8 ECHR Human Rights ( a […]
IVF Hurdles
The advancement of science and technology has created options with IVF treatment enabling more couples than ever to start a family. However, there are issues with accessing this treatment. There are additional hurdles and costs for those in a same-sex couple to overcome. These hurdles have created an inequality between same-sex and heterosexual couples, making […]
Tackling predatory marriages – a game of whack-a-mole
‘Look how far you’ve come’ is the cutting barb thrown by Marcia Roy, wife of media mogul Logan, at Willa, girlfriend of Connor Roy, in HBO’s Succession. Willa’s retort of ‘Well look at us both, right’, is a wry acknowledgment of their shared status in the family as ‘gold diggers’. While Logan and Connor are […]
The impact of the housing crisis on divorcing couples
The housing crisis has been dominating the news for months. High mortgage rates, extortionate rental prices and generally a lack of affordable housing have been building to a peak and having an impact on millions of people in the UK. For separating and divorcing couples, the housing crisis is quickly becoming one of the primary […]
Thank you and Happy Holidays
Thank you to all our Today’s Family Lawyer readers, subscribers and contributors for your support in 2023. It has been another busy year in the family law world with too many stories to mention. We look forward to continuing to bring you the very latest news, views, insight, and best practice from across the profession […]
The changing views on post adoption contact
There is no doubt that the adoption of a child is a life changing event. Whilst it may be tempting to view the child’s new life with their adoptive family as a “fresh start”, it is becoming more widely recognised that there may be benefits to children in maintaining a link with their biological family. […]
Turn conversations into clients
Death, divorce, debt. More often than not, we do not seek out a lawyer when things are going well. When clients require legal services or representation, they are potentially immersed in some of the most stress-laden tribulations of their lives. Irrespective of whether it’s a personal or business-related matter, it is imperative that clients perceive […]
6 key reasons why SME law firms should develop a sustainability strategy for 2024
As environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues become a priority for businesses the world over, sustainability and ESG planning are important considerations for SME law firms. According to the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) who identify key areas of ESG risk by market and discipline, there are a number of concerns that SME law firms […]
Q&A with Mani Singh Basi following his new book
Mani Basi, Barrister at 4PB, has recently released his book: A Practical Guide to Exercising the Inherent Jurisdiction in Family Law Proceedings. We recently asked him to delve deeper into why he decided to write the book. This is your second book of 2023, tell us more about why you decided to write another book? […]
Top tips for recruiting the right family lawyer
It is an exciting time when the need arises to expand the team. It means the team is growing, the volume of work is increasing to warrant a new member and therefore profitability, and a new personality can be a great addition for the wider team dynamic and the firm as a whole. The NQ […]
The benefits of collaboration in family law matters
There are lots of people we can bring into family matters that will add value and help the solicitor along the way; and potentially save the client time and money. To discuss the topic of collaborative family law Stacey St. Clair a partner in the family team at Debenhams Ottaway joins Today’s Family Lawyer host […]
How DIY Divorces Can Backfire
DIY Divorces are becoming increasingly popular – partly because the process itself was simplified through the introduction of No-Fault Divorce, but partly because couples believe than in working matters out on their own, they save money. The cost-of-living crisis, housing crisis and the instability of social environments generally has directed more people down the route […]
Why is it important to talk about dementia and how can Dementia Friends help?
With people living for longer, dementia is one of the greatest health and care challenges faced by society today. Dementia is likely to affect most of us one way or another during our lifetime. 1 in 3 people will develop dementia during their lifetime and it is estimated that 1 in 3 people will care […]