Divorce applications go online from today
From today all applications for divorce must be submitted online using MyHMCTS. The only exceptions are applications for civil partnership dissolution, judicial separation and nullity, which should be filed at the Bury St. Edmunds Regional Divorce Centre. HMCTS have confirmed they will continue to process paper applications during a transition period between Tuesday 14th September […]
Welsh Churches to consider Bill allowing same-sex marriage blessings
The Welsh Church’s Governing Body is considering a Bill set to authorise a service of blessing for gay and lesbian partnerships or marriages in Welsh Churches, this month. On 6 September the Welsh Church Governing Body will debate a Bill, allowing for the first time, same-sex couples to have their marriage or civil partnership blessed […]
Teetering on the brink of collapse?
If not teetering on the brink of collapse the public law family system and the Bar that serves it is, I respectfully submit, in crisis and in need of urgent care and attention. This article is a personal plea from a family practitioner who is exhausted, feels undervalued and ground down by the relentless and […]
Most lawyers want flexible working and less time in the office
A report from Thomson Reuters reveals that less than one in ten legal professionals want to return to working regular hours in the office, and would instead prefer to spend over two days a week working remotely. According to research by Thomson Reuters which analysed data from 2,500 legal professionals, 63% of lawyers are requesting […]
Cafcass launches the Together with children and families framework
Cafcass has launched its relationship-based practice framework called Together with children and families. The framework sets out the importance of working with children and their families, based on developing trusting relationships, where listening, understanding, clear reasoning, respect and integrity are prioritised. The framework is intended to help us to do our best work with children […]
Online divorce applications only from 13th September
Practitioners have been reminded that HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) will be returning any paper divorce applications after Tuesday 5th October as the shift toward digitisation continues apace. From Monday 13 September 2021, applications for divorce must be submitted online via MyHMCTS rather than the paper D8 form. HMCTS have confirmed they will continue […]
UK bank account fraud 25% up year on year
New research from Experian has revealed that bank account fraud is now tracking at its highest level for more than three years. Drawing on the latest data from the National Hunter Fraud Prevention Service, the analysis uncovered an alarming surge in fraudulent activity targeting British businesses and consumers. The fraud rate for current accounts rose […]
Tools for measuring your marketing success
Content marketing is one of the most effective tools there is in communicating with your target audience. Content can be easily tailored and maintained to achieve the results you are looking for. Legal articles that serve as pieces of content to populate websites, blogs, social channels, e-newsletters and more continue to be a great source of information when communicating with prospects to inform and create awareness, […]
CLA helpline changes to legal advice for family issues
Clients who call the Civil Legal Advice (CLA) helpline with a family issue will now be directed to face-to-face providers from 1 September. Callers to the CLA helpline with family issues will no longer be referred to specialist telephone advice from 1 September. Instead, they will be offered alternative face-to-face support arrangements with their nearest […]
Government shows support for Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse
As part of a wider look at what employers can do to enhance the support for domestic abuse survivors, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has now joined the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA) as a Beacon member. Becoming an EIDA Beacon will increase the support for employees who may have been victims […]
SQE: Landmark new route to qualifying as solicitor launches
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will today introduce the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), marking the beginning of the biggest change to how aspiring solicitors can enter the profession for almost 30 years. Aspiring solicitors will now be required to take two sets of centralised assessments designed to evaluate competence for entry to the profession, as […]
September divorce surge anticipated
Practitioners are predicting the usual September surge in divorces as the Summer holidays come to a close. The Ministry of Justice’s online divorce service showed its busiest day in 2019 was September 30. Statistics released earlier in the year show divorce petitions up by 2% in January to March 2021 compared to the same period in […]
£800k additional funding for mediation vouchers
The government have committed a further £800,000 of additional funding for Family Mediation vouchers; providing thousands more families with the opportunity to access up to £500 toward the cost of mediation. The aim of the scheme is to keep “easily resolvable” cases out of the already over-subscribed family courts system. The additional funding comes as […]
Home Office seeks responses to domestic abuse guidance
The Home Office has issued a consultation on draft statutory guidance for implementing the definition of domestic abuse and is calling for responses from relevant user groups. On 29 April the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 received Royal Assent and the aim of the consultation is to gather views on the domestic abuse guidance, to support […]
New Deputy Vice President for Law Society
Nick Emmerson has been announced as the new Law Society of England and Wales 2021 deputy vice president (DVP), following the recent election. He takes office as DVP on 14 October 2021 – becoming vice president in 2022 and president in 2023. Nick has been a Law Society council member since 2015 as the constituency […]
Cyber Essentials – simple, effective and affordable cyber security for the legal profession
Are you in the cyber hot seat? With reams of sensitive personal data and transactions that involve large sums of money, the legal sector is undeniably a massive target for cyber crime. Cyber Security – A thematic review published last year by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) reported the many costs of a cyber attack to a legal […]
Sole practitioner model “dying” according to research
Solicitors operating as sole practitioners and partnerships are a dying breed, according to a new analysis from Arden Partners plc revealing the changing shape of the solicitor market. Arden’s analysis of Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) data reveals that the number of sole practitioners operating in England and Wales has decreased by 47% in the past […]
Legal services sector recovering well according to ONS
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Index of Services for June reveals that the legal sector is recovering well following the pandemic. Although figures show that the services sector grew by only 1.5% between May and June this year, which is still below the 2.1% that was recorded in February 2020 and the last month of […]
Cafcass July figures reveal new cases slowing
There was an overall reduction in Cafcass demand in July as the number of new cases slowed, but open outstanding cases remained high. The latest children and family courts service (Cafcass) figures reveal that the number of new cases has slowed. There were 5,255 new cases in July 2021 which is 15.8% less than in […]
LSB confirm practice fee and Compensation Fund contributions to fall
The Legal Services Board (LSB) have confirmed that individual practising fees will be £266 in 2021/22… a £12 reduction from 2020/21 and a 17% reduction over the last 6 years. Despite an increase in the SRA’s funding requirement he continued rise in the number of practising solicitors means that individual fees will be less than […]