Unexpected fall in divorces – contrary to coronavirus ‘break-up boom’ predictions
The number of applications to divorce in the UK has unexpectedly fallen by 8% to 108,900 in the year to September 30 2020 from 118,100 in the previous year, contrary to popular belief that marriage break-ups would spike during the Coronavirus lockdown, says Wilsons, a leading private client law firm. Many commentators, in the UK […]
PM unveils new national lockdown
Tonight, Monday 4 January 2021, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that England will follow Scotland into a lockdown. Although the measures don’t come into effect officially till Wednesday, the PM implored people to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives and start the lockdown immediately. The Prime Minister has been facing […]
New year, new lockdown?
News that the coronavirus pandemic continues to pick up momentum again, continues to worry everyone across the board. Prime Minister Boris Johnson appeared on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show on Sunday to discuss the possible introduction of a Tier 5 in England. It appears tougher restrictions are still needed due to the rising number of […]
Giving consideration to the divorce process
In the media January is always associated as ‘Divorce’ month, as people tend to break away from the family unit after celebrating one final Christmas. Camilla Hooper, Associate at Cripps Pemberton Greenish, has shared her thoughts with Today’s Family Lawyer on the divorce process. With the relative simplicity and success of the Government’s online divorce […]
A Quick Guide to Divorce/Dissolution in England/Wales and Scotland
Following the Villiers decision, reinvigorating forum shopping (Villiers v Villiers [2020] UKSC 30), and with the implications of Brexit now a reality, family law practitioners must ensure that they are aware of the significant differences in family law between England/Wales and Scotland. We highlight some of the main differences in divorce/dissolution law. This article does […]
Family Law Industry – Looking forward to 2021
We have certainly had a turbulent ride in 2020 with the pandemic causing unprecedented chaos and disruption and changing the legal landscape. Today’s Family Lawyer asked professionals and organisations in the industry their predictions for 2021 – and what they think will happen in the sector in the coming year. Elaine Richardson, co-chair of the […]
Technological advances and rise in non-court dispute resolution could boost family justice system efficacy
For obvious reasons, there is a prevailing and overwhelmingly negative view of 2020 and how it has impacted families and the legal system that has been designed to protect them. Despite this, there have been positive consequences for family law within the last year, some of which might not have happened had it not been […]
LSB pushes legal regulators to drive up performance and improve governance
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has published annual reports on the performance of the eight legal services regulatory bodies. Each organisation regulates different types of lawyers and carries out its responsibilities in different ways. Nevertheless, they have the same responsibilities under the Legal Services Act 2007 (the Act) and are assessed against the same 27 […]
UK law firms working in France can continue post 31 December transition
News that international law firms operating in France as UK limited liability partnerships (LLPs) will be able to continue practising at the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December without restructuring was welcomed by the Law Society of England and Wales after months of behind the scenes talks. The French government has confirmed […]
Merry Christmas everyone!
Everyone at Today’s Family Lawyer would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. We thank you for all of your support during this year. We wish you many happy returns and all of the best for 2021. Here are a selection of some of the festive pictures we were sent.
A look back on Family Law in 2020
No-one could have predicted this year and how it has turned out and I am sure I speak for many that it is a year that we would be happy to see the back of. Turn the clock back 12 months, and not many people would have been prepared for the consequences a worldwide pandemic […]
‘Life isn’t fair’ so we tell our children
Is it really too easy to get a divorce in England and Wales? Mr Ayeh-Kumi seems to think so, as it has recently been reported that he has launched legal action in the High Court to overturn England’s ‘easy’ divorce laws, saying his ex-wife breached his human rights by securing a divorce on grounds that, […]
Cafcass publish latest Annual Report and Accounts
Cafcass’ Annual Report and Accounts for 2019-20 provides a summary to Parliament and the public on their activity for the financial year, including their work, their aspirations and their performance. Cafcass said: “Our Annual Report and Accounts for 2019-20 are now available here. They provide a summary to Parliament and the public on our activity […]
Surrogacy during a global pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic brought with it disruption to all walks of life. This has certainly been the case in respect of international surrogacy arrangements where surrogates, intended parents and the children born to such arrangements, have found themselves in a state of limbo, often in different jurisdictions for unknown periods of time. It is not […]
2021 sees implementation of SQE
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) will be introduced on 1 September 2021. The purpose of this exam is to enable more people to gain access into the legal profession by replacing traditional routes into law. The Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA) state on their website: “As the SQE gets closer to implementation, we plan to publish […]
Bringing value into the matrimonial pot during Covid-19 – protecting assets held in Trust
This article was co-written by Sean Hilton, Senior Associate and James Lister, Partner at Stevens & Bolton LLP The events of this year have had wide-ranging consequences, some of which are yet to be felt and some that are likely to be felt more keenly in the year ahead. However, according to the most recent […]
MyHMCTS using Multi-Factor Authentication
As more and more legal service processes are being digitised, the need to protect client’s personal data is becoming more important. To help keep their systems safe and secure, HMCTS have introduced multi-factor authentication to their online case management system MyHMCTS. The extra protection step was implemented last month, but as more and more people […]
Commonly misunderstood terms in Family Law
Knowledge is power, and having this essential tool is a key factor when it comes to family law. The language involved can often seem intimidatory and can leave people feeling confused, frightened, and even excluded from their own negotiations. Having a clear grip on the language of family law will help you through the process […]
Family professional gives her views on latest family court statistics
The Ministry of Justice have released the latest family court statistics from July to September 2020. Jan Galloway, Partner at Moore Barlow commented on the statistics. She said: “It’s a sad reality of Covid that domestic violence cases have increased by 26% in this period. This is a note of caution to us all in […]
Breaking News : Chancellor extended furlough scheme for an extra month
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has extended the furlough scheme for an extra one month until the end of April next year. Rishi said the move would provide “certainty for millions of jobs and businesses”. The further extension will mean the government will continue to pay 80% of the wages of workers who have been furloughed. Mr […]