Category : Opinion

I have previously written about the SRA’s proposed closure of the Solicitors Indemnity Fund. The overwhelming response to the SRA’s consultation which ended in February 2022 was for the fund to remain open and as a result the fund was given a further year until September 2023. Since February 2022, the SRA have been consulting further. […]Read More

New research has revealed that uptake of domestic abuse case handling training by police forces in England and Wales is patchy at best, with nine forces having trained zero of their officers. Indeed, just one force – Lancashire police – has trained all its officers in the training recommended by the College of the Policing, […]Read More

Extended feature: commentary on Jennings v Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority [2022] EWHC 1619 (Fam) To mark National Surrogacy Week (1st to 7th August), Natalie Sutherland, partner at Burgess Mee Family Law, considers recently reported cases that deal with the tricky issues arising out of surrogacy. These cases often tackle novel aspects of this modern […]Read More

The Law Commission of England and Wales has announced recommendations to reform wedding laws, which it says is to give couples more choice over where and how their wedding takes place. Current law The Marriage Act 1949 governs weddings in England and Wales. It details everything from the types of ceremonies, the type of building […]Read More

When I speak to service providers I often get asked to advise them on what their approach should be if, having received a complaint from a client, they find that things had gone wrong and they have to uphold the complaint. How should they then put things right? At the Legal Ombudsman our approach, when […]Read More

An investigation by BBC News has discovered that at least 120 children in care have been illegally placed in unregulated homes in England. Chief-executive of Become, a charity for children in care, Katharine Sacks-Jones, claimed the discovery was “a national scandal”. 50 local authorities admitted to placing 120 children in unregulated homes. However, this number […]Read More

A Scottish family law expert has issued a warning to those considering a “DIY” sperm donor agreement instead of going through regulated clinics.  Tom Quail, family law specialist at Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP, says as the unregulated sperm donation market continues to grow and more people opt for private arrangements, greater awareness of the […]Read More

It is vitally important that people who may not have capacity to make decisions about their care do not lose essential protections, the Law Society of England and Wales said in its response to the UK government’s consultation on proposed changes to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) Code of Practice. Law Society president I. […]Read More

Shaun Jardine of Big Yellow Penguin has teamed up with The Thriving Company to gain insights into how different pricing approaches affect professional services firms’ profitability. Results will be circulated to the participants of the survey in mid-September. Participants will gain access to insights that will help them improve profitability, as well as gain more […]Read More

Funding provided to charities and legal advice centres in civil and family legal disputes is welcomed by the Law Society of England and Wales, who warned there must be proper investment in the whole legal aid system to provide effective access to justice. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has pledged around £4 million to charities […]Read More

New research jointly commissioned by the Legal Services Board (LSB) and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) explores the attitudes of the public and solicitors towards using technology to deliver legal services. It showed that the public is generally willing to use technology that is well-established and familiar to them such as video consultations (66%), and e-signatures […]Read More

The ONS has published an article looking at the role of hybrid working in future: Is hybrid working here to stay? – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk). Sarah Coles, senior personal finance analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown, gave her thoughts on the merits of hybrid working: “Hybrid working promises the best of both worlds, but as prices rise, […]Read More

The Justice Committee published the UK government’s response to its report into court capacity last week. Sustained investment is required to enable the overstretched justice system to recover from years of underfunding and cuts, exacerbated by the pandemic, warns the Law Society of England and Wales. Court backlogs and legal aid “Courts are now operating […]Read More

The fight for law firms to retain top performers and attract new talent remains a constant challenge, according to new research from legal recruiter Clayton Legal. Alongside multi-faceted socio-economic factors and a changing competitive environment, firms are also competing with the fact that there are fewer active candidates on the market, as well as some […]Read More

As an experienced psychotherapist, FMC family mediator and accredited Child Inclusive Mediator I am frequently contacted by family lawyers to assist in working with parents or caregivers in contentious or entrenched situations regarding disagreements concerning arrangements for children. In these situations I always suggest I meet with the children in Child Inclusive Mediation (CIM).  Child […]Read More

As awareness about Menopause is rising in the public arena, it has highlighted the question of how the menopause should be treated at work and what employers should be doing to support their employees affected by the menopause. Women in the age bracket of 40 to 55 are the fastest-growing demographic in the British workforce […]Read More

In March 2021, I. Stephanie Boyce made history as the 177th, the sixth female, the first black office holder, the first person of colour and the second in-house solicitor in almost fifty years to become president of the Law Society of England and Wales – the independent professional body for solicitors. She and Lisa Harker, […]Read More

The Law Society of England and Wales has appointed Ian Jeffery as chief executive who will take up his position in September. Interim chief executive Gerry Walsh will remain in post until then. Ian Jeffery joined Lewis Silkin in 1990 and qualified as a solicitor in 1992. He has extensive experience in information technology and intellectual […]Read More

The UK government must shore up the beleaguered legal aid market if more generous eligibility criteria are to benefit people on lower incomes, solicitors’ leaders have warned. The Law Society of England and Wales today published updated legal aid deserts maps to accompany its response to the Ministry of Justice consultation on changes to the […]Read More

Solicitors’ leaders are concerned about the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) plans to increase its fining powers by more than 1,000%, as they respond to the SRA’s 2022/2023 business plan and budget consultation. Law Society of England and Wales president I. Stephanie Boyce offered her support for several key elements of the business plan: “In principle, […]Read More