Family lawyer ordered to pay over £30,000 for sharing litigant’s address
A family law solicitor who used a private detective to find a litigant’s address and then passed it to his client has been fined £17,500 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and ordered to pay costs of £15,000. The tribunal found that sole practitioner Clive Wood obtained, and passed on, the litigant in person’s contact details […]
Law Society calls for public consultation on use of AI in courts
The Law Society of England and Wales is calling for a public consultation on the use of artificial intelligence in the courts and tribunals service. In its response the Civil Justice Council’s (CJC) consultation on the use of AI in preparing court documents, the Law Society said the “stakes are high when AI is used […]
Mr Justice Peel delivers Standard Orders update
A Standard Orders update has been delivered by Mr Justice Peel this week, actioning the work of the Standard Orders Group which continues to monitor legal and procedural development in family law and ensure the documentation remains up to date. Following the last update in May 2024, the latest Standard Orders to be updated relate […]
SRA shelves CILEX transfer after four year delay
Controversial plans to transfer the regulation of Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) members to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have been shelved. The SRA, in a draft 2026-27 business plan published last week, confirmed that “some activity [it] had anticipated progressing next year will need to be paused” as it seeks to “prioritise work […]
LSB calls for ‘urgent and immediate’ action from SRA, as it orders external audit of regulator’s compliance
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has summoned the Solicitors Regulation Authority to an in-person meeting before the end of May to seek assurance that it has the necessary expertise and oversight approach to deliver the urgent reform needed to address the challenges and complexities in the legal sector. The regulator has also been ordered to […]
FCA to probe claims management companies over ‘poor practices’
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is launching a review of the claims management market amid concerns that consumers are being failed by some claims management companies (CMCs) and law firms. The review is intended to “look at the root causes of poor practices”, such as aggressive marketing, misleading advertising and unfair exit fees. Other concerns […]
Victims and Courts Bill becomes law
The Victims and Courts Bill has received Royal Assent and has passed into law. The new legislation will restrict the exercise of parental responsibility by offenders sentenced for serious child sexual abuse, and where a rape has resulted in the birth of a child. It will also ensure that victims are not prevented from speaking out […]
SRA must ‘regain the trust’ of the profession and get back to the basics of regulation says new CEO
New Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) chief executive Sarah Rapson says the organisation needs to “regain the trust of solicitors, law firms and the wider public”. In a statement published on the SRA website, Rapson said the message is clear from the profession that the regulator is not getting the “basics of good regulation right” and […]
Assisted dying bill stalls in House of Lords but supporters hopeful of imminent return
Efforts to introduce assisted dying in England and Wales have run out of time after the bill stalled in the House of Lords – with supporters accusing peers of holding up the legislation. Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Kim Leadbetter, who had launched the private members bill and championed its progress through Parliament […]
Potanina v Potanin to go ahead in UK court, with final hearing ordered for November
A Russian oligarch can’t continue to block a court battle that could result in one of the biggest divorce settlements in history, the Family Court has ruled. Vladimir Potanin had sought to delay ex-wife Natalia Potanina’s Part III claim for nearly £5 billion pending the outcome of proceedings in Russia, which would bar his ex-wife […]
Supreme Court rules adoption orders are final and permanent
The Supreme Court has ruled that adoption orders cannot be revisited outside the formal appeals process, reinforcing that they are final and permanent decisions. In the matter of X and Y (Children: Adoption Order: Setting Aside), the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the appeal from the adoptive mother of two now-adult children, X and Y, who […]
New paternity leave reform ‘could reshape family law’
Changes to paternity leave, which became a day one right earlier this month, will have important implications for family law, and “place fathers and partners on a more equal footing from the outset”. Julian Bremner, executive partner and financial arbitrator at Rayden Solicitors, said the introduction of new provisions under the Employment Rights Act mark […]
Judges urged to write to children in updated family court toolkit
Family judges have been encouraged to write to children involved in court proceedings in an updated toolkit published this week. Before his retirement on Monday, the former president of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, shared advice for family judges, suggesting they write to children and young people involved in family court cases to communicate […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
New legislation will keep siblings connected in care
Children in care will be better supported to build and maintain relationships with their siblings under new measures brought forward in law by the government. All local authorities in England and Wales will be required to promote and facilitate contact for children in care who are separated from their siblings. The change puts sibling contact […]
LSB outlines plans to strengthen ethical standards but is warned over duplicating regulators’ efforts
The Legal Services Board has outlined how it intends to strengthen lawyers’ ethical standards in a statement of policy which sets out new expectations designed to reinforce lawyers’ role in upholding the rule of law. But while the Law Society has welcomed efforts to continue to maintain high ethical standards, it has raised concerns over […]
Lords Committee publishes call for evidence in Domestic Abuse Act inquiry
The House of Lords Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Committee has published a call for evidence in its inquiry considering the effective operation of the act and whether it is meeting its policy objectives. The committee is keen to hear from a diverse range of individuals and organisations on topics including: The extent to which the […]