Law Society supports Mental Health Bill’s vital reforms but more work ahead
The Law Society of England and Wales has backed the amendments to the Mental Health Act 1983, which is a positive step towards ensuring that essential mental health services guarantee dignity, respect and access to justice for all. This comes as the Mental Health Bill goes into its report stage in the House of Lords […]
Rise in foreign surrogacy sparks calls for UK legal crackdown
The growing number of Britons using foreign surrogates to have children has raised concerns among campaigners, who warn it is introducing commercial surrogacy into the UK “through the back door”, as reported by The Times. Between 2018 and 2024, more than 1,500 applications were made in England for legal parental orders for babies born to […]
New 1,500-place prison opens as government grips crisis
HMP Millsike is the first of four new jails to be built as part of the Plan for Change to create 14,000 extra prison places by 2031. This extra capacity will help put more violent offenders behind bars, make streets safer and ensure the country never runs out of cells again. Last summer, the government […]
Tackle criminal court backlogs to ensure ‘swift access to justice for all’
Tackling the criminal court backlogs will help ensure the public can access the swift justice that everyone needs, says the Law Society of England and Wales. Investment into the criminal justice system could help free thousands of victims, witnesses and defendants from limbo as new figures published today by the Ministry of Justice show a […]
Guardiola to divorce using “one couple, one lawyer”
Manchester City Football Club manager Pep Guardiola and his wife Cristina Serra are reported to be to be using the ‘one lawyer, one couple’ divorce process following their recent announcement they will be separating. The couple, who have been together for more than 30 years, and married 10, are beginning divorce proceedings with the couple […]
Oligarch’s ex-wife faces £2m legal bill in high court battle against divorce lawyer
Tatiana Soroka, the former wife of Russian billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov, is facing a £2 million legal bill as she pursues a negligence claim against Baroness Shackleton of Belgravia and her law firm, Payne Hicks Beach, as reported by The Times. Soroka, 52, has accused Shackleton – one of Britain’s most well-known divorce lawyers – of […]
Family Mediation Trust grants funds to enhance domestic abuse screening in mediation
The Family Mediation Trust (TFMT) has announced that the Family Mediation Council (FMC) has been awarded funding through the Family Mediation Impact Fund to develop a resource aimed at strengthening domestic abuse screening and assessment within family mediation. This initiative, supported by a £10,000 grant, will provide family mediators with a standardised tool to assess […]
Most UK adults believe emotional abuse in childhood can have a lasting psychological effect but one in six cannot spot the signs
New findings reveal that 94% of UK adults who took part in the survey believe that emotional abuse in childhood can have a lasting psychological effect well into adulthood. The NSPCC commissioned a YouGov survey that found that on average almost one in six (17%) UK adults could not correctly identify examples of emotional abuse. […]
Legal aid fees must increase to protect this vital public service – The Law Society
The Law Society of England and Wales welcomes the government’s proposed changes to increase legal aid fees. The changes will lead to the highest rate increase after nearly 30 years of underinvestment in our justice system which unfairly penalises our communities. While the planned fee increases are a step in the right direction, it is […]
Sexual predator’s sentence extended after intervention by Solicitor General
A sexual predator who raped a 10-year-old he groomed on social media has had his sentence increased after the Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby KC MP, intervened. The Court of Appeal increased Ryan Sutton’s sentence by three years after his case was referred by the Solicitor General under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme. The court […]
HMCTS publishes case study on digital divorce
Recognising the need for modernisation, HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) launched a digital divorce service, revolutionising the way couples apply for divorce. Since its digital transformation, the divorce application process has significantly improved. Over 511,000 applications have been made online, streamlining the experience for both the public and legal professionals. Key benefits include: Calls […]
Firm celebrates 50 years with 50 act of kindness
East of England law firm, Hegarty, has celebrated its 50th year in business with 50 acts of kindness, raising £16,000 for four local charities. The firm, which provides conveyancing, private client and family services, and corporate legal services from its offices in Market Deeping, Stamford, Oakham, Peterborough, and Bourne, set themselves the target of raising […]
Domestic Abuse Commissioner warns UK justice system is failing survivors
The UK Government has published its initial response to Shifting the Scales, a report by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, which exposed critical failings in the criminal justice system’s handling of domestic abuse cases. However, the Commissioner has raised serious concerns over the government’s approach, warning that a lack of urgency and […]
SRA says no final decision on scrapping client accounts has been made
A senior executive at the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has reassured solicitors that no firm decision has been made regarding the potential removal of client accounts, as reported by The Law Society Gazette. The recent SRA consultation, which closed at the end of February, raised the spectre of the end of client accounts and solicitors […]
Billionaire Michael Fuchs loses legal battle over divorce settlement
Michael Fuchs, the billionaire property tycoon who once held a stake in Manhattan’s iconic Chrysler Building, has suffered a significant legal setback in his prolonged divorce dispute, as reported by The Times. The latest ruling from the High Court found that Fuchs attempted to avoid paying his former wife, Alvina Collardeau-Fuchs, by setting up a […]
Study finds wives’ poor health increases divorce risk
A new study examining divorce among older couples has found that when wives experience poor health, marriages are significantly more likely to break down – whereas husbands’ health struggles have little impact on the likelihood of divorce, as reported by The Times. The study tracked more than 25,000 heterosexual couples aged 50 and older across […]
Ofcom launches investigation into social media firms over child abuse failures
Social media companies, including Elon Musk’s X, are set to be investigated by Ofcom for their failure to prevent the spread of child sexual abuse material online, as reported by The Telegraph. The UK regulator will announce on Monday that it is prioritising enforcement action against online child sexual abuse, examining how social media platforms […]
Government reactivates emergency prison measures amid overcrowding crisis
The Government has reintroduced emergency measures to address prison overcrowding, despite an early release scheme aimed at easing pressure on the system, as reported by The Telegraph. Labour’s Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has reactivated Operation Safeguard, requiring police stations to set aside cells for prisoners due to a surge in jail numbers over the past […]
Oxford most searched area for divorce and family lawyers, research reveals
New research has revealed the UK areas searching for divorce lawyers the most, with Oxford coming out on top. The study by family law firm Reiss Edwards analysed data from Google on over 350 keywords relating to divorce lawyers and solicitors and measured this against populations of UK towns and cities to see which had […]
Celebrating 200 years of the Law Society in Bristol
As the Law Society of England and Wales celebrates its bicentenary in Bristol on 13th March, they reflect on the significant impact solicitors in the Southwest region have had on the legal landscape, the local economy and community. The legal profession in the Southwest grosses over £1.5 billion annually, demonstrating the importance of the sector […]