What A Conservative Government Means To Family Law
The Conservatives’ ‘less is more’ approach to the election campaign has more than paid off gaining 47 seats and taking a majority government with 364 seats in the House of Commons whilst also relegating the Labour Party to their worst defeat since 1935. With the largest win since the Thatcher Governments, we look back at the Conservative manifesto to […]
Legal Aid Agency Statistics
Statistics released by the Legal Aid Agency have shown that the agency has achieved impressive results when it comes to processing applications for civil legal aid. There were over 480,000 applications for legal aid between 2018 and 2019, and the LAA has boasted that 91% of civil applications were processed within 20 days, and 100% of criminal […]
McKenzie Friends Giving “Worrying, Biased And Misleading Advice”
A study by Birmingham City University and University of Leeds has found that McKenzie Friends (MFs) give ‘biased and misleading’ advice in family law. Researchers examined 170 threads from three Facebook groups used by MFs to discuss family law cases, found ‘many negative attitudes expressed towards lawyers, social services and the court system’, compared to a few positive comments. The research was undertaken […]
EU Enforcement Law On Child Support Maintenance To Poland
TKF, as he is known, moved to live in Northern Ireland leaving his wife (from whom he had separated in about 1998) and two sons then aged seven and one. His wife claimed child support maintenance through the Polish courts which ordered that TKF should pay for his sons. He claimed later not to have had notice of […]
The Challenges Of Verifying Identity When The Client Is Abroad
“As fraud becomes increasingly sophisticated, digital identity checks can play a vital role in protecting both conveyancing firms and clients from identity theft and related scams” – The Council of Licensed Conveyancers ‘CLC Conveyancing Tech Guide’ Verifying a client’s identity is time-consuming and adds significant cost to the bottom line, but what are the challenges […]
Law Society Predict Significant Family Law Changes By 2027
The Law Society are urging the legal sector to embrace modernity by adapting to a more ‘deregulated environment, stronger commercial pressures and increasing adoption of technology.’ Employment in the legal sector is predicted to fall 13% by 2027, according to the Law Society’s Strategic Workforce Planning reports. Despite the number of legal professionals in England […]
Advising Grandparents Of Their Rights
A recent Reddit post had social media at loggerheads recently. A father had asked for opinions on a ‘list’ he had drawn up before the birth of his first baby, stating the dos and don’ts for guests when they came to see the newborn. New parents can be anxious about their tiny bundle, often worrying about […]
2019: Buoyant Legal Sector And Rising Importance Of Legal Tech
TheCityUK has released its ‘Legal Excellence, Internationally Renowned: UK Legal Services 2019’ report; showing the strength of the legal service sector in the UK and high international credentials. “TheCityUK is the industry-led body representing UK-based financial and related professional services. In the UK, across Europe and globally, we promote policies that drive competitiveness, support job creation and ensure […]
Adoption Rates Falling Whilst Number Of Children Looked After Increases
Figures released by the Department of Education have released worrying results regarding the number of children looked after (CLA) as well as the rates of adoption in the UK in 2019. Since 1994 there has been an increasing trend of the number of CLA, rising 4% in the last year alone. On the 31st March 2019 there was a record number of CLA, a total […]
Parental Alienation
Parental alienation appears to be being taken more seriously by courts, with the emotional harm to children being recognised and various ‘tools’ being used by the courts to ensure children are not alienated from an innocent parent. Looking at parent forums, such as Netmums and Separated Dads, there are countless stories where one parent is […]
University From Down Under Taking Advantage Of Less Restrictive SRA Rules
The College of Law Australia and New Zealand (not affiliated with the previously known College of Law England and Wales, now The University of Law) has set up in London as a practice based training provider, looking to provide courses for the forthcoming Solicitors Qualification Exam (SQE). Partnering with US firm BARBRI, who offers bar review courses, the newly […]
Large Decrease In Divorce Applications Due To ‘Administrative Reasons’?
Recent figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) have shown a large decrease in divorce rates in 2018, the lowest rate in 48 years. In 2018 there were 90,871 divorces of opposite sex couples, a decrease of 10.6% on the previous year. The downward trend has also been consistent with the decline in […]
Zahra Pabani Is Irwin Mitchell’s New National Family Law Partner
Zahra Pabani has joined Irwin Mitchell’s Family Law team after leaving her previous position at Shakespeare Martineau. Zahra has over 20 years’ experience in advising clients on family and divorce law. She has a particular interest in helping clients protect their wealth. Her expertise in acting for professionals and high-net-worth clients on protecting their personal and business assets before and after a […]
Today’s Family Lawyer Sponsor Paralegal Award
We are delighted to announce that Today’s Family Lawyer publication are sponsoring the Family Law Category at the upcoming National Paralegal Awards 2020. The deadline for nominations is fast approaching, and people are being urged to submit their entries before the cut off on Friday 13th December 2019 at 5pm. Karen Babington, Director of the […]
General Attorney Appeals Landmark Case Regarding Islamic Marriages
This month saw Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox, intervene in a case whereby a family court judge had decided a woman in a faith marriage, was entitled to apply for maintenance payment after a separation, despite the fact the marriage was not legal. Nasreen Akhter and Mohammed Shabaz Khan had a Nikah, an Islamic wedding ceremony, in front of 150 guests in 1998, but in 2016 […]
Over a Quarter of Law Firm Websites Unsecure
Law firms are failing in their efforts to tackle the rising risk of cyber crime. Even with £millions continuing to be fraudulently redirected, with the associated reputational impact and knock on effect on professional indemnity insurance premiums, most law firms have not implemented even the most basic security measures. The research has been undertaken by a leading […]
Domestic Abuse Figures And Party Manifestos
Figures released by the ONS have found that the latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales have shown little change in the cases of domestic abuse in recent years, despite an increase of 24% in the numbers of domestic abuse-related crimes between March 2018 – March 2019. The increase in recorded cases […]
Focus On Pro-Bono
The benefits of pro-bono work have existed throughout history, not just for clients who are unable to afford legal advice and who’s lives can be changed by a solicitor providing a service for free; but also to the solicitors dispensing the advice, knowing what a difference they can make. The Law Society encourages all legal professionals to […]
Litigants In Person Need You (And Here’s Why)
We have all experienced litigants in person (LIP), they have flooded the system for various reasons (it’s not all blamed on legal aid cut backs), and they affect the daily practice of family law. How many times do you find yourself explaining to a client that your estimate of how long it will take to resolve their issues […]
Family Law Awards 2019
Tonight, 27th November 2019, saw the Family Law Awards take place at the prestigious Ballroom South Bank in central London. It was a night for hundreds of family law professionals to network and celebrate the ‘important work of family lawyers and celebrate their many successes and outstanding achievements.’ This year’s winners were chosen by a […]