Double Gold for consultant law firm
Consultant-style law firm Setfords are one of just 25 companies globally to achieve double gold accreditations as part of its Investors in People assessment; and the only law firm to have achieved the landmark. Investors in People is a recognised accreditation setting industry standards for people management and leadership. Following their silver accreditations for “We […]
Religious considerations when couples separate
Never talk about politics or religion… while the latest Today’s Family Lawyer podcast swerves the first, it tackles the second in a fascinating discussion with RWK Goodman’s Clizia Motterle and Farzana Iqbal. Divorce is a legal process not a religious one; however practitioners should be au fait with the cultural and religious background and diversity […]
Holland Family Law launches Early Neutral Evaluation service
Holland Family Law firm, based in Leicester, has announced the launch of its Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE) service available to anyone in the UK in need of family law advice. The new service is a confidential, flexible, non-biased type of alternative dispute resolution. ENE offers a way of settling family disputes, identifying early on what […]
CMA launches draft guidance for online divorce
The CMA has today opened a consultation on draft guidance for unregulated businesses which provide will writing, online divorce, and pre-paid probate services in the UK. The draft guidance is intended to help providers of these services to better understand, and comply with, consumer protection law. The CMA is now seeking views from businesses in […]
Family law market value hits £2bn – Discounted report offer
The value of the family law market in 2023 increased by 5.4% to pass £2bn for the first time. The growth was driven by advice for high net worth individuals, complex cases especially Children Act cases, and increased demand for advice on financial issues after a divorce; in large part attributable for the spike in […]
One expert is better than two
In BR v BR [2024] EWFC 11, Peel J in his role as head of the Financial Remedies Court delivered “a written judgment as one or two points of principle arise” on the use of single joint experts in financial remedy proceedings. This is an important decision for family lawyers on how cases should be […]
Family law update – changes to Family Procedure Rules strengthening non-court dispute resolution
As of April 29, 2024, significant amendments to the Family Procedure Rules (FPR) will enhance the approach to non-court dispute resolution in family law matters. These changes mark a pivotal shift towards encouraging parties to seek alternative methods for resolving disputes outside of traditional court proceedings. What are the Family Procedural Rules (FPR)? The Family […]
High profile firm support lawyer after online divorce mistake
A high profile law firm have pledged to support their employee after they filed an online divorce order for the wrong client. Vardags, based in London, has seen an outpouring of sympathy on social media, with many empathising with the mistake. The young lawyer who made the slip had clicked on the wrong client through […]
Paedophiles could be stripped of parental rights after mother spent £30K to protect young daughter
A new UK law could mean that convicted paedophiles who are parents could be stripped of their rights to see their own children. The proposed law change came after the BBC reported that a mother spent £30,000 in legal fees to stop her paedophile ex-husband seeing their daughter. Last November, Cardiff Family Court ruled in […]
The ‘Pathfinder’ Court for children – a hindrance or opportunity?
Private Family practitioners will be aware of how topical the new ‘Pathfinder’ Court is as an alternative process to the existing Children Act proceedings timetable. This is following successful pilots in North Wales and Dorset. Pathfinder consolidates the existing structure and aims to deal with cases in under six months. Concerns raised include the delay […]
Divorce in decline – marital bliss or a harsher reality?
Earlier this year it emerged that divorces have hit their lowest level since 1971, when the Divorce Reform Act came into being. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show there were 80,057 divorces granted in England and Wales in 2022, marking a decrease of almost 30 per cent on 2021. The implementation […]
Coercive and Controlling Behaviour – Where Are We?
As an experienced family lawyer, I have seen a noticeable increase in clients who come to see me who are suffering from domestic abuse, specifically coercive control, over the past few years. Coercive control is a form of abuse that is often hard to detect initially: The perpetrator slowly drills away at an individual’s self-esteem, […]
Ofsted report of Court advisory ‘outstanding’
Ofsted has published it’s full report of the full inspection of independent court advisory service Cafcass which took place earlier this year, and has judged all three areas of inspection to be ‘outstanding’- a marked improvement since their last inspection in 2018 where they were judged to be ‘Good’. Inspectors evaluated a range of […]
Bridging Communication Gaps: The Crucial Role of Intermediaries in Family Court Proceedings
Introduction Family court proceedings can be emotionally charged, complex and challenging especially when delicate issues like with whom a child will live, or complex family dynamics, are involved. Recognising the need for effective communication and fair representation, the role of intermediaries has become increasingly significant in family court settings. In this blog we delve into […]
Ellisons Solicitors offers employers tips on upcoming law on parental and carers leave
Julian Outen, Partner and Head of Employment at Ellisons Solicitors, delves into new legislation for parental leave and what it means for employees. From 6 April 2024, draft Regulations extend further the current right of employees on maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave who are at risk of redundancy, to be offered suitable available employment […]
Column: Cohabitation Laws in Practice
Gabrielle Thomas, a senior associate from Stowe Family Law explores the potential outcomes of a new cohabitation reform, set to be enforced by 2026. As the popularity of marriage declines, many couples now choose to live together prior to getting married, and some choose not to get married at all. In recognition of the shifting […]
Over 3,000 participants confirm growing success of Family Mediation Week initiative
New figures show the growing success of Family Mediation Week, with well over 3,000 people having participated in a series of webinars and face-to-face meetings held during the January 2024 event, almost doubling the corresponding figure for 2023. Family Mediation Week 2024 events, organised by The Family Mediation Council (FMC), provided information and support to […]
First things first – getting the basics right
I am excited to be writing this, my first blog, for Today’s Media. I qualified in 1996, and left private practice in 2012 to co-found The CS Partnership. The CS Partnership is a consultancy for law firms founded by ex-lawyers who wanted to help the profession deal with the modernisation it was facing. I am […]
Law firm acts on behalf of husband in spousal maintenance case, reducing cost by £50K
A Law firm acted on behalf of a husband in a spousal maintenance case, saving him £50K over the maintenance term. The outcome of the case shows a significant shift in how the Court handles maintenance disputes, which historically have leaned toward the recipient. Weightman’s, a firm based in Leicester, represented a husband in his […]
Law firms and leadership – the skill of profitable delegation
The Today’s Family Lawyer podcast welcome Dan Warburton on to discuss the topic of leadership. Dan works with law firms leaders and partners to elevate their leadership skills to enable them empower staff to be more efficient and effective. Dan describes his work as “the skill of profitable delegation;” to create leaders who can deliver […]