Dispensing with a surrogate’s consent in difficult circumstances
Surrogacy has been on the family law radar for several years now as an area in need of reform. Intended parents of children born via a surrogate are left worryingly vulnerable with the status of parenthood upon the child’s birth, whether or not either or both parents are biologically related to the child. In England […]
Increase in fees for family proceedings
In early April 2025, and subject to parliamentary approval, the Ministry of Justice will increase 171 court and tribunal fees to account for changes to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The income generated from these uplifts will help to support the efficient and effective running of His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS). Most notably […]
Autism, Masking and Child Arrangements Orders
Having been involved in two keenly disputed Children Act cases recently where the parents have vastly different experiences of their autistic child, I thought it would be helpful to explore how autism may present and the factors to be considered when seeking Child Arrangements Orders for such children. Autistic children may “mask” (hide their feelings […]
Life in the law – have your say before 21st March 2025
Podcast host David Opie is joined by CEO of the charity LawCare, Elizabeth Rimmer, to discuss their latest “Life in the Law” surveys which are now open for completion until Friday 21st March. LawCare supports and promotes mental health and wellbeing across the legal services sector. They have 2 main focuses. Their first is in […]
Children’s Mental Health: a consideration for family law practitioners every week
In 2015, the charity Place2Be launched its first Children’s Mental Health Week and this now takes place in February each year (3-9 February 2025). Those who work in the family law sphere witness firsthand some of the difficulties that children, sadly, experience with their mental health. Children often struggle to come to terms with the […]
10 point guide to prenuptial agreements
For those who have current or future wealth to protect or who are marrying for the second or third time perhaps, arranging a prenuptial agreement could be an essential part of the “wedmin” leading up to the big day. In this short guide, we outline 10 questions we often get asked to help dispel some […]
Let’s be clear: The Transparency Reporting Pilot for financial remedy proceedings
One of the most important considerations for anyone with significant wealth, or who has a public profile and who is getting divorced, is the subject of confidentiality and privacy. It is often a key factor of any such client who is considering where and how to get divorced, and it is something that matrimonial solicitors […]
High Court judge rules on existence of twins – legal comment
“This is an unusual case.” Just over six months ago that is how Mrs Justice Arbuthnot opened her 74-page Judgment in a perplexing case case – AA v ZZ [2024] EWHC 2008 (Fam) – where the Family Court was tasked with ascertaining whether or not the respondent had given birth to twins. This was what had […]
“Delegate Now to Supercharge Your Profits”
The Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast welcomes back Dan Warburton, a law firm consultant and trainer who specialises in helping individuals delegate work more effectively; in the process junior staff are elevated, the individual has a happier work/life balance, and ultimately the firm can be more profitable. It’s a soapbox Dan has jumped on before having […]
The next generation of family lawyers
It is well known that there are now many different routes to qualification. It is encouraging that law firms are embracing these routes which are likely to provide your team with depth given the flexibility of such career paths and how these can be taken at different stages, allowing your team to gather the life […]
Find out how much UK law firms spending on marketing activity
The Professional Services Marketing Survey, conducted annually by the Law Firm Marketing Club, aims to collect valuable insights directly from law firms about their marketing and business development (BD) activities, ensuring an accurate, firsthand perspective instead of relying on guesswork. We ask firms to share key information on their marketing budgets, the size and influence […]
Cohabitation and the Case for Legal Reform
As family law professionals will well know, the myth of the common law marriage still prevails, and there is a huge education piece needed to ensure that those in cohabiting relationships understand they are not entitled to the same protections. A survey conducted by Stowe Family Law revealed that nearly half of people mistakenly believe […]
The important role of intermediaries in court proceedings
In the latest Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast host David Opie discusses the role of intermediaries in the justice system with Lucy Osmond, Lead Practitioner at Communicourt. With over a decade of experience in facilitated communication, Osmond sheds light on the essential work Communicourt does in supporting HMCTS and ensuring that all court users can effectively […]
Fifteen years on – The impact of Radmacher on UK prenups and divorces
It is now some fifteen years since the UK Supreme Court gave its landmark decision in the case of Radmacher v Granatino [2010] UKSC 42 on the use and effectiveness of prenuptial agreements. In doing so it moved the emphasis on to holding the parties to their bargain when setting out the principle that “the court should […]
Proposed changes to financial procedure
Family law has been very slow to change in the past, although a major shift took place in April 2022 when ‘no fault’ divorce (including dissolution of civil partnerships) was introduced. Not surprisingly, the focus then turned to the linked financial issues and once again, the Law Commission was called upon to investigate the current […]
Private judging becomes the norm for resolving financial aspects of divorce
Wealthy couples are increasingly by-passing the public, slow and chronically underfunded family court system to resolve the financial aspects of their divorce with the help of a private judge, especially in London, according to law firm Kingsley Napley. Although the introduction of No-Fault-Divorce in April 2022 has reduced acrimony around the dissolution of a marriage, […]
Jenny from (her agreed share of) the Block: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s mediation settlement
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have reportedly settled their well-publicised divorce through mediation, with an agreement being reached in September 2024 after their official separation in August 2024. The pair married in July 2022, following an almost 20-year separation since they called off their first engagement in January 2004. Divorce papers reveal that neither party […]
Mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse: Legal comment
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse [IICSA], chaired by Professor Alexis Jay, published its final report in October 2022 in which it recommended the introduction of legislation that places certain individuals – ‘mandated reporters’ – under a statutory duty to report child sexual abuse [CSA] (i.e. any act that would be an offence under […]
The State of Mediation
Norman Hartnell was among the first family mediators in England and Wales, qualifying in 1989. In 1999, he co-founded the Devon Family Mediation Agency, later Devon Family Solutions Ltd. Here, he shares how mediation has evolved. Training: Then and Now Mediation training used to be holistic, combining legal, relationship, and emotional skills. Solicitors, psychologists, and […]
Building a profile using social media
Launching the latest series of the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast, host David Opie is joined by Head of the Family Department at Chester-based Oliver & Co Solicitors Alex Reagan to discuss the firm’s proactive approach to marketing to help build the firm’s profile. Having launched a social media series called Family Fact Friday the firm […]
