Court of Appeal rules local authorities cannot authorise child’s deprivation of liberty without court approval
A local authority cannot consent to the deprivation of a child’s liberty under its statutory duties, the Court of Appeal ruled. The Court of Appeal heard submissions on behalf of the parties in respect of the Children’s Guardian’s appeal of Mrs Justice Lieven’s decision in June 2024. The Court was also very helpfully assisted by […]
MPs urge government to confirm timeline for cohabitation reform
A cross-party group of MPs is urging the government to confirm its plans for cohabitation reform, following a 2024 manifesto pledge to strengthen legal protections for women in cohabiting relationships, as reported by The Law Society Gazette. Labour MP Andy Slaughter, chair of the House of Commons Justice Select Committee, has written to Lord Ponsonby, […]
Labour shelves gender reform plans amid reform UK surge
Labour has put plans to simplify the legal process for gender recognition on hold, The Times has learned, as the party shifts focus in response to Reform UK’s rising popularity. During last summer’s election, Labour pledged to replace the current panel of doctors and lawyers who approve gender recognition certificates with a registrar system, aiming […]
UK becomes first country to create new AI sexual abuse offences
Children will be protected from the growing threat of predators generating AI images and from online sexual abuse as the UK becomes the first country in the world to create new AI sexual abuse offences. AI tools are being used to generate child sexual abuse images in a number of sickening ways including by “nudeifying” […]
Risk series launches for law firm managers and compliance professionals
A new training series aimed at risk managers, compliance officers and senior leaders in law firms has been launched by Today’s Media, the publishers of Today’s Family Lawyer. It will be hosted as part of the extensive training available through Today’s Training; which provide ongoing competence/CPD training for practitioners through partnerships with industry experts. The […]
High Court orders husband to pay £750k for wife’s divorce costs
A High Court judge has ordered a husband to pay £750,000 towards his wife’s legal costs but cautioned against any excessive or disproportionate spending. Deputy High Court Judge Nicholas Allen KC, presiding in SM v BS (Legal Services Payment Order), ruled that while the wife required funding to secure legal representation, she could still be […]
Open Justice: Strengthening transparency and upholding the rule of law
The Ministry of Justice has released its consultation outcome on Open Justice, following a comprehensive Call for Evidence conducted between May and September 2023. The initiative sought insights from legal professionals, the judiciary, media representatives, businesses, academics, and the general public to explore how the government can uphold and enhance transparency in the justice system. […]
‘Delegate Now to Supercharge Your Profits’ – read our third and final exclusive extract
In a series of short excerpts from a new book, Dan Warburton shares his insight on how law firm owners and senior managers can increase their profits by being better at delegating their workload. In the first extract Dan explains how he has developed his methodology, before outlining how firms might approach management and what […]
Don’t waste precious time and resources on intermediate court, warns Law Society
An additional court structure is not the answer to the backlog crisis, the Law Society of England and Wales has warned. The Law Society’s submission to the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts sets out steps that could be taken to reduce demand and increase capacity including: Introducing a presumption that certain groups of offenders […]
SRA clamps down on AML failings with fines totalling £66,000
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has flexed its regulatory muscles with a series of fines levied on firms and individuals for failure to comply with money laundering regulations. Fines totalling over £66,000 have been levied since the beginning of February alone. These cases serve as a stark reminder to legal practitioners of the importance of […]
13% increase in support calls to mental health helpline
Mental health and wellbeing charity LawCare says it experienced a 13% increase in support requests last year compared to 2023, with 2024’s number its highest on record. Stress and anxiety (39%) were the most common reasons people contacted the charity, followed by career concerns (15%) and workplace bullying and harassment (10%). In it’s recently published […]
LSB set out strategic priorities for 2025/26 amid budget concerns
The Legal Services Board (LSB) is consulting on the content of its business plan and budget for 2025/26, highlighting five key priorities for the super-regulator. In its final board meeting on 2024 it reaffirmed its commitment to the Reshaping Legal Services strategy, aimed at achieving fairer outcomes, stronger confidence, and better services across the legal […]
New £13m police centre to tackle violence against women and girls
A new intelligence-led national policing centre will put the experiences of victims of child sexual abuse, rape and sexual offences, domestic abuse and stalking at the heart of police investigations – backed by more than £13 million of government funding. The National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection, run by the National Police Chiefs’ Council […]
Thousands of children to be supported thanks to multi-million expansion of innovation in family courts
The £12.5 million funding boost comes as new figures published show the Pathfinder scheme is resolving cases faster, with family court backlogs reduced by half in pilot areas. The Pathfinder pilot works by bringing together local authorities, police and support services to gather and share information on cases as early as possible. This saves children […]
Coercive control offenders to face stricter supervision under multi-agency protection rules
Offenders convicted of controlling or coercive behaviour, and sentenced to 12 months or longer, will now be automatically managed under multi-agency public protection arrangements. This means agencies are legally required to cooperate to better manage the risks posed by these serious offenders, recognising the significant harm this kind of offending can cause. For the first […]
UK introduces new laws to tackle AI-generated child abuse images
The UK government has announced four new laws aimed at tackling the growing threat of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM), as recently reported by The BBC. The Home Office says the UK will be the first country in the world to make it illegal to possess, create, or distribute AI tools designed to generate […]
20% of all police-recorded crime was related to violence against women and girls – report
The National Police Chiefs’ Council reported that, in 2022-23, 20% of all police-recorded crime was related to violence against women and girls. Violence against women and girls can have long-term impacts on victims, affecting them physically, mentally, socially and financially. Over one in four women are estimated to be victims of sexual assault or attempted […]
New reforms to support victims of child sexual abuse
The Government is delivering on recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) to make it easier for victims to gain an apology and to pursue claims in the civil court. The three-year time limit for victims to bring personal injury claims will be removed. So will the burden of proof that currently […]
‘Delegate Now to Supercharge Your Profits’ – read our second exclusive extract
In a series of short excerpts from a new book, Dan Warburton shares his insight on how law firm owners and senior managers can increase their profits by being better at delegating their workload. Over the course of the next three weeks Today’s Family Lawyer is serialising Delegate Now to Supercharge Your Profits with a weekly […]
Brachers joins Lawfront
Lawfront announces that Brachers has joined the fast-growing legal services group, a development bringing another client and growth focused firm into the Group and taking revenue to over £100m. Brachers is a firm in the South East, based in Maidstone and Canterbury, with a “strong reputation for excellent client care and high-quality services”. This is […]