President of the Family Division Sir Andrew McFarlane retires from the judiciary
Sir Andrew McFarlane is retiring from the judiciary and as President of the Family Division, President of the Court of Protection and Head of Family Justice after a long and distinguished career guiding the Family Court through significant change and progress. The Family Court exists to help families resolve disputes quickly, with the minimum of […]
Legal sector growth at 15 year high
Law firms in England and Wales experienced rapid, sector-wide growth in 2025, with average earnings up by 11.2% compared with a 6.1% increase in 2024. The figures, released yesterday in the Law Society’s new annual Financial Benchmarking Survey, reveal the highest rate of growth for the sector in more than 15 years. Year-on-year fee growth […]
‘Judiciary should take note of landmark Scottish decision which held abuser criminally responsible for partner’s suicide’
A solicitor has called for courts in England and Wales to take heed of a landmark decision in Scotland which held an abuser criminally responsible for the suicide of his partner. Lee Milne, 40, was sentenced to eight years last week after prosecutors proved his 18 months of abuse was a significant contributing factor in […]
LeO receives 6.1% budget increase to tackle ‘staggering’ increase in complaints
The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) has published its 2026-27 Business Plan & Budget for the Legal Ombudsman (LeO), which includes a strong emphasis on preventing complaints from arising and reducing unnecessary escalation. Complaints have risen almost 30% year-on-year and the LeO expects to receive 7,675 new complaints in 2026-27, representing a 174% increase since 2019-20. The level […]
Government study will explore how AI transcripts can improve family court experience
HM Courts & Tribunals Service will test using artificial intelligence to produce court transcripts in a move intended to improve access to justice for victims and families. The new study will see if the Ministry of Justice’s in-house AI, Justice Transcribe, could meet required accuracy standards while reducing transcription time and costs. The findings of […]
Monisha Shah appointed chair of the Legal Services Board
The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Monisha Shah as chair of the Legal Services Board for four years from 1st April 2026. For the last 12 months, Catherine Brown had acted as interim chair of the oversight regulator after the unexpectedly short tenure of Alan Kershaw who stepped down in February 2025 after […]
Victims and bereaved to get more time to challenge lenient sentences
Victims and bereaved families will have longer than ever to challenge sentences they don’t feel fit the crime they’ve suffered, in measures unveiled in the government’s reformed Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme. Victims and their bereaved families will have up to six months to ask for a sentence to be reconsidered, rather than being strictly limited […]
UK Family Law Report forecasts steady growth for sector, reaching £2.9bn by 2029
The UK Family Law Report 2026, the 12th edition of the annual research report from IRN Legal Reports, forecasts steady growth for the sector, with a forecast of 6% growth in 2026 and a compound annual growth rate of 5.8% between 2025 and 2029. The market value is expected to reach £2.9 billion over the […]
Nuffield analysis of changing needs of young people sheds light on future of family justice system
Analysis from the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory exploring future needs of the family justice system suggests there will be an increase in international origins and ties, a more ethnically diverse range of families, more parents with disabilities and an increase in pressure on mental health services. The complexity of the changing needs of the population […]
Japan’s new joint custody legislation will make ‘significant difference’ to nationals divorcing in UK
Landmark legislation in Japan has enabled separating parents to be jointly responsible in custody proceedings, in a move which is set to benefit UK divorce cases with an international element involving the country. Until the change, Japan was the only G7 country that did not recognise the legal concept of joint custody. The amendment now […]
Shikha Datta appointed head of family law at Andrew & Andrew Solicitors
Hampshire law firm Andrew & Andrew Solicitors has appointed Shikha Datta as head of its newly established family law department, as the firm continues its growth and expansion of services. Datta brings over 25 years of experience in family law, advising clients on achieving the best possible outcomes in both financial and children-related matters. Her expertise […]
Satisfied clients aren’t leaving reviews in growing ‘advocacy gap’, report finds
A survey of legal services clients has found that although the vast majority (84%) are happy with the service they receive, 66% said they would never leave a review. Access Legal surveyed 1,000 clients who have used conveyancing, wills and probate, family law or personal injury legal services in the last two years for its […]
Lawfront adds Reading-based Field Seymour Parkes to portfolio
Private equity backed consolidator Lawfront has announced the acquisition of Reading based Field Seymour Parkes, taking the total number of firms under its ‘regional leaders’ banner to seven. Field Seymour Parkes joins regional firms Farleys, Fisher Jones Greenwood, Nelsons, Slater Heelis, Brachers and Trethowans as the Blixt-backed Lawfront continues to add to its growing portfolio […]
LSB confirms Richard Blakeway as chair of Office for Legal Complaints
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has confirmed the appointment of Richard Blakeway (pictured) to the post of chair of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) after an open competition. The appointment follows Blakeway’s appearance before the Justice Select Committee for pre-appointment scrutiny last month, and has been approved by Sarah Sackman, the minister of state […]
Court of Appeal overturns Mazur in ‘most consequential judgment for legal services in recent history’
The Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) in its appeal against Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys, which limited the extent to which legal executives and paralegals can conduct litigation. In a statement released following the ruling, CILEX chief executive Jennifer Coupland said it was “the most […]
Mazur overturned: Legal sector reacts
Law firms and practitioners have responded to the Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn the decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys, which limited the extent to which legal executives and paralegals can conduct litigation. Following the Court of Appeal’s judgment, CILEx Regulation said its priority would be to support those who had been affected […]
Deprivation of liberty applications up 12.5% in 2025
Ministry of Justice figures have revealed a high of 1,440 deprivation of liberty (DoL) applications in 2025, up 12.5% since the previous year. Quarter four data in the Family Court Statistics Quarterly release reveals 379 children were subject to DoL applications, up from 321 in the same period in 2024. The 2025 figures were higher than 2024 in […]
Awards, acquisitions, launches and promotions in the latest round-up of family law news
Family lawyers are celebrating a raft of successes this month, with award wins, new service launches, acquisitions and promotions across the country. UK Top 150 law firm Trethowans has won the Innovative Marketing Award at the Legal Growth Awards for its The Candid Divorce Lawyer podcast, which aims to make discussions about divorce, separation and […]
New allocation guidance relating to children in the Family Court
The president of the Family Division has issued guidance on allocation and gatekeeping in respect of proceedings relating to children in the Family Court, in accordance with rule 21 of the Family Court (Composition and Distribution of Business) Rules 2014. This guidance applies to all proceedings relating to children issued in the Family Court on […]
Legal tech sees 35% increase in external investment as government invests £4.5m in incubator
LawtechUK, a Ministry of Justice-backed initiative supporting technology startups in the legal sector, has secured further funding to enable it to continue operating for the next three years. The programme, currently delivered in a partnership between CodeBase and Legal Geek, will receive an additional £4.5 million over the next three years. Last year, UK-founded lawtech […]