Family Law changes and Regulation Roundup 2019-2020
It’s been a turbulent year, notwithstanding the Covid-19 pandemic, as the legal industry has been forced to rapidly adapt in order to maintain business continuity, while also adhering and adjusting to new laws and legislation over the past 12 months. Prior to Covid-19, the legal landscape was already changing at a rapid pace. With the […]
Deadline approaching for end of EU Family Law
31 December 2020, New Year’s Eve, will mark the end of EU Family Law, as the UK ends its transition from the European Union. Traditionally, you’d think the change in law would come into effect when Big Ben strikes 12, but in fact it comes an hour earlier at 11pm (GMT). For all new proceedings […]
Pandemic impacts on Family Law Practitioners’ mental health
Today’s Family Lawyer wanted to mark and recognise World Mental Health Day today (10th October) to raise awareness of the importance of good mental health and well-being in the family law sector and legal industry as a whole. Mental health has been endemic in the legal profession for some time, and the well-being of practitioners […]
Resolution launches wellbeing programme for World Mental Health Day
Resolution, the family justice membership body, has today launched a major new initiative to tackle the growing concerns over practitioners’ wellbeing, and is encouraging professionals to provide their views in a major new survey. The move comes ahead of World Mental Health Day, on 10th October, and follows the results of a snap poll run […]
Moore Barlow launches ‘The Surrey Initiative’ seeking family law reform for out-of-court options
Top 100 UK law firm Moore Barlow has launched “The Surrey Initiative” seeking a reform to the Family Procedure Rules (FPR) that will substantially encourage awareness and adoption of out-of-court dispute resolution options in both private law children matters and financial remedies. The proposed reform to Part 3 of the FPR would see cases directed […]
Award-winning international children lawyer, joins The International Family Law Group LLP
The International Family Law Group LLP is delighted to announce that James Netto has joined as a partner. James is a specialist solicitor in domestic and international children law matters; he is highly regarded as an international parental child abduction expert, representing parents and children in Hague and non-Hague abduction matters. He also handles international […]
SRA disclose a flurry of email scam alerts in days
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have issued eight separate email scam alerts impersonating law firms in a matter of days. All eight scams were reported on 5th, 6th and 7th October where emails had been falsely claiming to be from a law firm or an individual working for the business – with four of them […]
Divorce levels dip as lock down takes toll on Family Courts
Family Court data released by the Ministry of Justice has revealed that divorce rates have dipped as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown restrictions. Between April and June 2020, 56,867 new cases were started in the family courts. This was a 13% decrease during the same time frame in 2019. The data […]
SRA publishes latest business plan with key priorities
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has announced the publication of it’s latest 2020-21 Business Plan which outlines their primary deliverables and key areas of work for the next 12 months. Prior to the publication of the plan, a consultation process was carried out earlier in the year which saw more than 10,000 people have their […]
Pandemic hits Family Courts hard
The latest statistics released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has revealed the detrimental impact the coronavirus pandemic had on all areas of the family law sector. The data showed that between April and June 2020, 56,867 new cases were started in the family courts. This was a 13% decrease during the same time frame […]
Advice for family lawyers: hosting online meetings
When the UK first went into lockdown during March 2020, a huge emphasis was placed on the importance of online meetings. The business community as a whole had to quickly become comfortable with appearing in front of a camera. Not only that, but we also had to become accustomed to the fact that normal life […]
Firm believes threat of no-deal Brexit is causing divorce settlements to be lowered
The threat of a No Deal Brexit is now being used to reduce the value of some larger divorce settlements, says Boodle Hatfield, the leading private wealth law firm. In a recent high net worth divorce hearing, a judge ordered that the value of a jointly owned business should be discounted by 10% to allow […]
Lawcare Launches Ground-Breaking Research Study ‘Life In The Law’
Legal mental health charity LawCare has announced a new ground-breaking research study ‘Life in the Law’ ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10th October. The charity has teamed up with leading academics in the field Dr Emma Jones (University of Sheffield), Professor Richard Collier (University of Newcastle), Caroline Strevens (Reader in Legal Education, University […]
Something old, something new: the Law Commission’s proposed changes to outdated wedding laws
In 1836 the Marriage Act was enacted. This was the same year that Charles Darwin returned to the UK after his second voyage on HMS Beagle, Dickens’ first novel was published, and the last hangings in the UK for arson and robbery occurred. The Marriage Act 1836 is the source of the main laws which […]
Sir Robin Knowles CBE awarded with PPR Outstanding Achievement Award 2020
The Professional Paralegal Register is delighted to announce that the PPR Outstanding Achievement Award was given to Sir Robin Knowles, CBE at the National Paralegal Awards virtual ceremony on Friday 18 September. The award was given in recognition of Sir Robin’s life- long commitment to the legal profession, continuing work on access to justice for […]
Birketts Family Law team welcomes award-winning Senior Associate
Top 100 law firm Birketts have bolstered the largest Family Law team in East Anglia by appointing award-winning Senior Associate, Rachel Frost-Smith. Most recently recognised as Lawyer of the Year 2020 at the Cambridgeshire Law society awards, Rachel first qualified as a solicitor in 1990. She worked at a Magic Circle City law firm advising […]
New Huddersfield Firm Continues To Thrive
Holden Smith Law Firm was founded by David Bancroft, James Smith and Jamie Megson in February 2019. As a firm it specializes in property, litigation, family and wills and probate. Being a relatively new and smaller law firm, the Covid-19 pandemic hit them hard, with the firm forced to suspend most of its operations and […]
The Law Society Responds To IUA
Recently, we published that the International Underwriting Association of London (IUA), the trade body with the responsibility for underwriting professional indemnity insurance (PII) have written an open letter of the industry warning them about their PII renewals. The trade body was concerned that professional indemnity insurance (PII) “could become unsustainable” if underwriters couldn’t cancel policies where […]
Stress of Pandemic Leads To A Huge Jump in Divorces
The Coronavirus pandemic could be directly responsible for an impending surge in the divorce rate in the UK. New data released by comparison site, The Law Superstore reveals that demand for legal services relating to divorce was 30% higher in May and June 2020 than in the final quarter of 2019. Registrations for quotes for […]
National Paralegal Awards 2020 Winners Enjoy A Virtual Celebration
The cream of the crop of the paralegal profession was celebrated at the annual National Paralegal Awards hosted live by the Professional Paralegal Register on last Friday 18th September. Now in its second year, the awards ceremony, is one of the showpiece events in the legal sector calendar, highlighting the important role paralegals play within […]