‘Friendly Divorce’ Championed As Solution To Covid Court Delays
Expert family lawyers are urging couples to consider alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such as mediation, amidst a backdrop of courts still overwhelmed by delays caused due to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to The Economist, it now takes an average of 40 weeks to resolve a private dispute involving children. The court service estimates the backlog […]
Book Review of Narcissism and Family Law: A Practitioner’s Guide 2021 by Dr Supriya McKenna and Karin Walker
I admit that I don’t or at least I didn’t believe in Narcissism. But even if narcissism is just a ‘flavour of the month ’term it’s ok because this is a very useful book and all family law practitioners ought to read, absorb and act on it. The book could easily be entitled, ‘How to […]
SQE: Qualifying work experience will offer trainees greater flexibility
Ahead of the 1 September launch of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), the Law Society has today unveiled guidance to answer common queries for law firms and organisations on qualifying work experience (QWE) for trainee solicitors. Under the SQE, candidates must complete two years QWE in order to qualify as a solicitor, as well as […]
Equality, diversity and inclusion update 2021
For some firms, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) has taken a back seat as a consequence of the Covid-19 lockdowns, but now that things are getting back to some semblance of normality it is important that all firms ensure their EDI policies and procedures are fit for purpose and operate effectively on a day-to-day basis, […]
46% of the British public don’t understand the legal aid system
New research by Bolt Burdon Kemp, has uncovered the key issues that are preventing people in the UK from getting proper access to legal services. A survey of 2,000 adults across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland found: 46% say they don’t understand the legal system or how they can get legal support. 51% say there […]
“No jab, no job” could land employers in trouble
Implementing a ‘no jab, no job’ policy brings serious pitfalls for business across England, a leading employment lawyer has warned. While it will be the law in England from November 11 for all staff and volunteers in registered care home settings to show proof they have received both Covid-19 vaccinations to enable them to continue […]
New Bill introduces changes to judicial review
The Judicial Review and Courts Bill, introduced to parliament on 21st July, is set to equip judges with the tools to give more tailored solutions in judicial review cases. It will also create a better balance between the rights of citizens to challenge executive decisions through judicial review and the need for effective government. The […]
How unexplained wealth orders help in the international fight against money laundering
Unexplained wealth orders were introduced four years ago to help tackle the problem of money laundering by high net worth individuals, often with foreign and political connections. Here, Ellen Sanchenko, Criminal Litigation and Regulatory specialist solicitor at Ronald Fletcher Baker LLP, explains how they work – and whether they are operating as intended. The concept […]
Does the law on predatory marriage need to change?
In recent years there have been calls for a change in the law to protect vulnerable adults from falling victim to what has become known as “predatory marriage”. This is due to a rise in cases where fraudsters have married vulnerable and often elderly individuals, without the knowledge of their loved ones, and are then […]
Marriage rates continue to fall
Latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that marriages are decreasing and couples are getting older. ONS figures for marriages in 2018 show that there were 234,795 marriages in England and Wales; a decrease of 3.3% compared with 2017 and the lowest since 2009. Marriage rates for opposite-sex couples were also the lowest on […]
“National investment” plan following FJG acquisition
Private Equity firm Blixt Group has invested in Essex based Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP solicitors (FJG). It is the first foray into the legal services sector for Blixt for whom FJG will “become a springboard for further acquisitions over the next 3 to 4 years.” The Blixt Group has indicated it has access to significant […]
Adoption Services – new strategy to deliver “excellence everywhere”
The Department for Education has published a new strategy, titled “Adoption Strategy – Achieving Excellence Everywhere”, which aims to improve adoption services across England. The strategy, which published last week, “is set to improve adoption services in England by putting in place better recruitment across the country and removing any unnecessary delays, through more training […]
More than half of family mediation vouchers have been used since launch
More than half of the vouchers offered through the family mediation voucher scheme have been used, benefitting hundreds of families. The £1m scheme, which was launched in March, is administered by the Family Mediation Council (FMC) on behalf of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and provides a £500 voucher to put towards the cost of […]
Legal oversight regulator’s arrangement processes are headed in the right direction
The Legal Services Board’s (LSB) proposed new rules and guidance for changes to regulatory arrangements are a significant improvement, the Law Society of England and Wales said today. The oversight regulator is seeking views from the ten approved legal services regulators on how they seek the LSB’s approval for alterations to their regulatory arrangements. The […]
How can firms achieve commercial success in the post-pandemic world?
Commercial success is the driving force for ambitious law firms and, speaking to our clients, it’s no surprise many have a renewed determination to re-evaluate current business practices and strategies in the wake of Covid-19. There has never been a better time to build on lessons of the past year, using technology to support agile […]
63% of professionals say more needs to be done to ensure remote hearings are fair
The President of the Family division has commissioned a survey about how the courts can use remote hearings on a more permanent basis going forward. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, all hearings have been heard remotely, but now that social distancing measures have been relaxed, the Family division is keen to establish if remote hearings are […]
Surrogacy: The Pathway for Future Families
This week is an important time for Surrogates as it marks ‘National Surrogacy Week’ and Anne-Marie Hamer at Spencer West LLP; Member of IDR focuses on how the area of Surrogacy law is there to shape the future, and what ‘the future holds for surrogacy around the world’. The future of family law will most […]
LawTech must comply with highest ethical standards
The Law Society of England and Wales has published the outcomes from its LawTech, Ethics and the Rule of Law discussion paper, unveiling a set of principles and guidance that would be beneficial for the solicitors’ profession. In the face of Covid-19, the justice system moved online, pushing the profession to modernise quicker than expected. […]
‘’It’s NOT okay not to be okay’’
I recently had the pleasure to attend a webinar to discuss the work the Group Transformation Division at Lloyds Banking Group have been doing to support colleague’s mental, physical & emotional wellbeing during this difficult period. The objective was to share experiences from different organisations and industries; at LBG we have a number of different […]
Will the new £48m adoption strategy really improve adoption services in England?
The new National Adoption Strategy is welcome news, but I wonder whether we have been down this road before. In May 2015 the Adoption Support Fund was rolled out, and whilst there have undoubtedly been improvements in the system it would seem that the government still has work to do. There have always been issues […]