ALSP consultant headcount grows 25% in 12 months, topping 5,000
The number of self-employed consultant lawyers within alternative legal service provider (ALSP) platforms has topped 5,000 – a 25% increase in just 12 months. The numbers have been revealed in the fourth Platform Firms Report from Codex Edge. Last year, the report’s authors described ALSPs as “a fundamental part of the UK legal fabric” and […]
Private equity backed law group rebrands following latest acquisition, with ambitions for national footprint
Scottish private equity firm Aliter Capital has completed its third law firm acquisition in two years, in a move which will see the creation of a new legal group with a headcount of 150 and a combined revenue of £23 million. Full-service firm Orwins will be the new brand for Manchester-based BBS Law, acquired by […]
Threefold increase in solicitors seeking help, Solicitors Charity report finds
Three times as many solicitors sought help with their wellbeing last year than three years ago and increasing numbers of them are women, according to a new report. The Solicitors’ Charity’s Big Report 2025–2026 highlights what it says is increasing demand due to more complex issues related to overlapping pressures across financial, emotional, professional and […]
Journalists win Campaign of the Year award for securing family court transparency
The journalists who overturned a ban on naming judges in the case of 10-year-old Sara Sharif have won this year’s Press Award for Campaign of the Year. Hannah Summers and Louise Tickle were praised by the award’s judges for their “terrific and dogged journalism” in the pursuit of transparency in family courts. Their work was […]
‘Mistakes have been made’ – SRA chair steps down with apology to profession
Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) chair Anna Bradley has stepped down after eight years in the role, with the formal process for identifying her successor beginning on 1st June. In a statement published on the SRA website, Bradley said she had seen “very significant change in the legal sector” during her tenure, and it was the […]
Cafcass welcomes Child Focused Courts as central pillar to three year strategic plan
The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) has published it strategic plan for the next three years building, on its stated commitment that children should be able to say they have experienced an exceptional service wherever they are in the country and every time they engage with someone in the organisation. Sustaining […]
Legal profession can’t afford to wait for cohabitation reform, barrister warns
Decades of legal inaction have left millions of cohabiting couples in England and Wales “dangerously exposed”, a specialist family barrister has warned, and legal professionals should take matters into their own hands when advising clients. Arlene Small (pictured), a specialist family barrister and head of the family team at The Barrister Group, says “the legal […]
Court of Appeal overturns care order that had ‘no workable plan’ for child’s future
A care order has been overturned after the Court of Appeal found a recorder had over-estimated the benefit of parental bonds and had made an order with “no workable plan” for a child’s future. Allowing the local authority’s appeal in L (A Child: Placement and Contact Orders), Lord Justice Peter Jackson also said Recorder Calway had […]
Families already affected by child abduction not protected by new law, family lawyer says
The introduction of legislation criminalising the wrongful retention of children abroad is a welcome development, by a family law solicitor warns the change won’t protect families that are already affected. The newly enacted Crime and Policing Act 2026, which received Royal Assent on 29th April, extends the Child Abduction Act 1984 so that parents who […]
Law Society calls for clear plan to roll out ombudsman’s new complaints model
The Law Society of England and Wales has welcomed the Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO) proposed model complaints resolution procedure (MCRP), but warned the organisation must be clear on how the strategy will be rolled out. Last month, the LeO launched a call for input on its draft MCRP, a new framework aimed at improving the consistency […]
Home secretary launches international coalition to end violence against women and girls
Women and girls will be better protected against violence and abuse thanks to a new international coalition. The International Coalition to End Violence against Women and Girls brings together eight countries that will work together so that women and girls can live free from fear, the home secretary Yvette Cooper (pictured) announced last week. South […]
Family firms share latest successes
Family law firms across the country have been sharing their latest successes, with award wins, milestone anniversaries, promotions and new partners. International Family Law Group managing partner Lucy Loizou (main picture) is celebrating after being named global winner of the prestigious Contribution to Society Award at the CYDIA Awards 2026, and Family Lawyer of the Year […]
Conference to share insight for vital SME law firm market
A conference focused on small and mid-sized law firms is being staged by legal and professional services marketing firm Consortium in October. The Legal Conference 2026 will take place on Thursday 15th October 2026 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, bringing together leaders from UK law firms of 10-200 staff for a full day of practical […]
All change at the top for Taylor Rose and NLS
AIIC Group and National Legal Service (NLS) have announced a series of senior leadership changes to support growth plans. AIIC, the legal group behind law firms Taylor Rose, FDR Law and Kingsley Wood, has announced several leadership changes to define clearer separation between group‑level leadership and the leadership of Taylor Rose. Adrian Jaggard has stepped […]
EXCLUSIVE: KC calls for better safeguarding after litigant ‘ruins lawyers’ lives’
June Venters KC has has called for lawyers to be “properly safeguarded” after a litigant subjected two professionals to a “total nightmare” via email and TikTok videos. Deputy High Court Judge Aidan Eardley KC recently granted an interim injunction against David Protheroe-Beynon after June Venters KC, representing both claimants pro bono, told the court of […]
Over 1,000 chartered legal executives secure standalone litigation practice rights in the wake of Mazur
Over 1,000 CILEX lawyers have successfully obtained litigation practice rights, enabling them to carry out litigation without the need for supervision, in the wake of the Mazur judgment. CILEx Regulation (CRL), which oversees the education, qualification and practice standards of chartered legal executives, said 1094 professionals had obtained practice rights authorisations via the University of […]
Misconduct reports up 58% in two years, says SRA
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has revealed a 58% increase in misconduct reports “placing significant pressure” on the number of investigations it is having to undertake. In the six months to the end of April 2026, the SRA reviewed 8,955 reports about potential misconduct (at an average of 1,493 new reports a month). This constitutes […]
Legal Ombudsman decision results in £13,000 compensation bill for divorce lawyer
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has published its latest raft of public interest decisions, revealing “serious failings in the delivery of legal services”. The six new decisions reveal failures to provide clear advice, carry out essential checks and manage cases effectively have led to tangible and, in some instances, irreversible consequences for the individuals involved. All […]
Family mediation voucher scheme extended as FOI request shows uptake doubled since launch
The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme has received the £7 million funding needed to extend it for a further 12 months, Justice Minister Baroness Levitt KC has confirmed. The scheme, which provides eligible couples with up to £500 towards professional mediation costs, was launched in response to the court delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Its […]
BSB produces guidance on the use of AI for barristers
“Effectively procuring, adopting, and using technologies takes skill and resources” the Bar Standards Board (BSB) says in newly published guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in practice. Guidance on the use of Artificial Intelligence and Other Technologies has been published in response to the increasing use of AI tools across legal practice, recent cases […]