‘New Ways for Families’ provides essential skills and support for positive parenting amidst divorce
“New Ways For Families” programme coaches separating parents in simple conflict resolution skills to avoid high conflict hell for their children. When their relationship breaks down and parents decide to separate, their own feelings of hurt or anger or shock often see their children being fought over rather than put first. Children need their parents […]
Knock knock knockin’ on hearing’s door – what happens when the press come to the family court?
Due to the nature of family law disputes, hearings in the family court often contain information which is “private”, intimate, personal, and/or sensitive. While press attendance of family court hearings has been a possibility for many years, in reality the press have tended not to take up this opportunity given the restrictive rules around publication […]
Family courts: A broken system
To try and better manage the rising numbers (27% increase) of private children law applications and cope with understaffing, the family courts in London have reintroduced prioritisation protocols used during the pandemic. Private children law proceedings are those involving private individuals: parents, grandparents, step-parents. In conjunction with Cafcass (the body that provides social workers to […]
The Body – are you in breach of contract?
Imagine you have a contract with your body – “The Body”. You are obliged to take care of it, and feed, water and rest it. The Body is required to be resilient, stay healthy and in workable (preferably good!) condition. The agreed outcome is that you can function on a day-to-day basis with relationships, work, […]
The ever changing landscape for a family lawyer
When I think I’m starting to get comfortable in my role as a family lawyer (but should you ever be comfortable?) then boom (!) another process comes into play to keep me on my toes. Resolution Together (RT) is a model that most family lawyers will now be familiar with. If not, you need to […]
The Human Touch – Why choosing a solicitor should not just be about the potential client
Choosing a solicitor is one of the most important decisions an individual can make – but do people really spend enough time to find the right firm? In many cases, legal services are required at a time of emotional distress, even trauma. From divorce or probate following a family death, to moving house or dealing […]
The Ombudsman’s Corner: October 2023
Can the Legal Ombudsman look into complaints about negligence? A common enquiry I receive from service providers through our Technical Advice service is whether we can investigate complaints about negligence. Specifically, complaints in which the client has alleged professional negligence, or where the service provider’s view of the complaint is that the matter is one […]
Domestic abuse orders: Worth the paper they’re written on?
The BBC recently reported on Police failings to enforce court orders to protect victims of domestic abuse.“Court orders to protect domestic violence victims from their attackers are “not worth the paper they’re written on”, the BBC has been told.” A wide range of orders can be used in domestic abuse situations. The protection offered by […]
Million dollar footballer with no assets?
You may have seen the news about the separation of Achraf Hakimi, professional football player for the Moroccan national team and Paris Saint-Germain with a net worth of around $24 million, and his wife, Hiba Abouk, a Spanish actress. The pair are said to have been dating since 2018, before marrying in France in 2020. […]
UK and US pledge to combat AI-generated images of child abuse
The US and UK have committed to developing and funding new capabilities to stop the spread of sexually exploitative AI-generated images of children. The UK and US have united to combat the rise of child sexual abuse images generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) programmes. The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, along with the US Homeland Security […]
Recognising financial abuse in a relationship
The Telegraph has posted an interesting article on financial/economic abuse, and how to recognise when you are in such a relationship. In England & Wales, such behaviour can result in criminal prosecutions. Under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, domestic abuse includes economic abuse, which means any behaviour that has a substantial adverse effect on the […]
The Family Courts are failing domestic abuse survivors
In July, Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, released her report on the need for change in the way domestic abuse is understood and dealt with in the Family Court system, entitled “The Family Court and domestic abuse: achieving cultural change”. In the 77-page document, Ms Jacobs set out how survivors of domestic abuse feel […]
Deprivation of liberty orders – “Care or incarceration?”
Court measures which place children under severe restrictions due to concerns about their welfare are being used to deprive them of their liberty according to the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (NFJO). NJFO has identified 1,249 children in the year to June 2023 were subject to deprivation of liberty orders (DoL) and live with severe restrictions […]
Innovation in family law
Every year in the UK, around 280,000 children see their parents separate. How those separations happen will affect the rest of those children’s lives. The negative effects of poorly handled divorce and separation on children are extensively documented. The Children Act of 1989 sets out a vision that promotes parental responsibility, with child welfare at […]
The Perfect Lawyer
Following a short break over the Summer, the Today’s Family Lawyer podcast returns with host David Opie speaking with Simon McCrum. There isn’t much Simon McCrum doesn’t know about running a law firm having been there, done it, and got the t-shirt. In this discussion Simon shares a little about his background and how he […]
Parental responsibility as a form of coercive control
Ordinarily, the law expects those with parental responsibility to work together to reach agreements in children’s best interests. Ultimately, if those with parental responsibility cannot resolve a dispute, the court can be asked to make a decision as a last resort. It is very rare for parental responsibility to be taken away or restricted. But […]
Atonement and post separation endeavour: Wife keeps £1m gift from husband after his affair and will receive a share of his business’ future profits
The case of CG v DL would have been a “paradigm case for equality” but for the issue of post separation endeavour and whether the wife should share in the husband’s business going forwards. Deciding how to approach the husband’s hedge fund business was “much the hardest issue in the case” for Sir Jonathan Cohen. The wife […]
Work life matters: Communication
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard my clients’ people say “communication in our company isn’t very good”. Now they may well mean what they say, but when I probe and ask for a bit more detail and nuance, it’s often lacking. Moaning about poor communication is sometimes the easy way out. […]
Help me! My client is a nightmare
This happens more than any of us would like to admit. Clients come in all types and whilst we strive to be empathetic, professional, and deliver excellent service, it must also be acknowledged that sometimes it can be difficult not to get a bit miffed. The truth is there are certain clients who are going […]
Mind your language!
Although technically the role of a family lawyer is not to minimise conflict, but to advise a client on the law, and the impact of taking (or not taking) a certain course of action, undoubtedly it is what all family lawyers ought to do, and it is essential when there are children involved and there is a […]