Disbarred barrister that fraudulently obtained divorce from own wife loses appeal
A barrister that purposefully served his own divorce papers to the wrong address has lost an appeal challenging his disbarring at the High Court. Barrister, Ehi Ukiwa, was able to obtain a divorce on fraudulent grounds after he deliberately gave a court an incorrect address for his wife, enabling a person other than his wife […]
Knights announce acquisition of Archers Law LLP
Knights has announced the acquisition of one of the North East’s longest standing law firms for just over £5m, expanding their operations and adding a 17th location across the country. Archers Law LLP is a full service law firms established in Teesside in 1860. From it’s Stockton on Tees office it serves one of the […]
Review calls for reform of family court reporting
Reform of Family court reporting could see greater transparency of proceedings, a notoriously opaque and confusing system according to Sir Andrew McFarlane following the release of a review into transparency in the justice system. The senior judge said the reforms in 2009 to encourage greater reporting of family courts had failed and that more radical […]
Firms urged to review password hygiene as UK sees 116% increase in nuisance comms
New data from recent reports suggests that despite increased warnings to businesses and individuals to review cyber security measures, phishing scams and nuisance attacks are on the rise. A report released by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in conjunction with litigation firm Griffin Law, reveals that in the first six months of 2021 UK […]
Venturing Into The Realms Of World Surrogacy
With surrogacy statistics now showing that Parental Orders have increased four-fold in the last ten years in England and Wales, it is an encouraging sign that England and Wales are beginning to identify itself as a preferred choice of venue for surrogacy on an altruistic basis. In addition to that with the expected changes in […]
Landmark case sees Section 11 of Inheritance Act 1975 litigated
Thomas Sismey v Marissa Salandron This case is the first which sees section 11 of the Inheritance Act 1975 being litigated to trial, providing significant consequences for both estate, family and insolvency law. Imogen Halstead, barrister of No5 Chambers, acted on successfully defended the claim under section 11 in a ruling which involved new and […]
Current AML regime “does little to prevent money laundering”
Changes to the money laundering regulations should focus on increasing the effectiveness of efforts to tackle money laundering through a more risk-based and proportionate approach, said the Law Society of England and Wales in response to HM Treasury’s (HMT) call for evidence. The Call for Evidence is now closed and will consider the overall effectiveness […]
SRA sets out plans for 2021/22
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published its 2021-22 business plan, outlining its key areas of work for the coming year. Publication follows a consultation exercise earlier this year which saw more than 8,000 people have their say on the proposals through a range of virtual events, written submissions and online polls. In addition to […]
Resolution Awards 2021 crowns inaugural category winners
Family justice group Resolution today revealed the winners of the Resolution Awards 2021 during the final day of its Family Practice Conference. Alongside the already established John Cornwell Award, the inaugural Resolution Awards saw three new categories added to the line-up to celebrate the professionals who have supported families and children while championing the Resolution […]
Numbers of dropped domestic abuse cases surge
New figures reported by the BBC show a significant increase in the numbers of dropped domestic abuse cases due to expired time-limits. Data shows that almost 13,000 cases were dropped in England and Wales over five years after the authorities exceeded the six-month time limit to bring charges. Figures obtained by the BBC via a […]
Unbundling has “untapped potential” states LSCP
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has concluded that legal unbundling services should be promoted more proactively in a bid to reduce scepticism and encourage more firms to offer the service. Defined as “the separation of tasks within a package of legal services between the consumer and the legal service provider” in which the two parties […]
High Court dismisses 28 “copy and paste” divorce petitions
Twenty-eight divorce petitions filed by the same company have been dismissed by a family court judge after they were deemed to be identical to each other. The petitions were dismissed by Mr Justice Moor in the High Court after it was found that a specialist online divorce company, iDivorces, had copied and pasted template wording […]
Westminster-based Lee Bolton Monier Williams LLP appoint Access Legal
One of London’s oldest law firms is enjoying greater accessibility to data and applications after fully migrating to the cloud, supported by Oosha. The integrated cloud IT services provider, which is now part of law technology specialist Access Legal, was appointed by Westminster-based Lee Bolton Monier Williams LLP (LBMW) to help modernise its legacy IT system. […]
New Cafcass cases decreasing
Cafcass figures for September show a slow in total case demand although open active children’s cases remain high. In September’s Cafcass report, total year-to-date figures reveal a decrease of 3.5% in new case demand compared to the same period last year. This also represents a decrease of 9.5% in public law cases and 1% in […]
Financial Conduct Authority issues warning over remote working
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued new guidance to companies operating a remote or hybrid working model asking them to provide evidence that any lack of centralised location or remote working does not or is unlikely to affect the company’s ability to meet the threshold for the regulated activities it undertakes. The guidance states […]
Failure to introduce “proper risk assessments” number one AML failure
A review completed by the Solicitors Regulations Authority into law firm anti-money laundering failures has identified a 40% increase in the number of potential AML breaches reported to the SRA, with the number one area of non-compliance is not having a proper risk assessment in place for AML matters. The SRA has published its first […]
Clio Launches Brand-New Hub for Law Firms
Running a law firm can be one of the most rewarding undertakings a legal professional will undertake, and the right support and resources can make that experience all the more rewarding. That is why legal practice management software provider Clio has just launched a brand-new learning hub, called The Making of a Law Firm Hub. […]
Greener courts initiative
The Government is investing in a £40 million initiative to cut carbon emissions of courts across England and Wales. The investment will see a range of new measures designed to improve the sustainability of HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), making it more environmentally friendly, both now and into the future. Proposed measures include a […]
Mediation vouchers championed by Family Division President
At the Jersey Family Law Conference last week president of the Family Division Sir Andrew McFarlane revealed the extent of the success of the mediation voucher scheme launched in March 2021. The vouchers were introduced in the wake of the 2013 legal aid cuts which saw mediation referrals plummet. Through the scheme families can apply […]
Digital support rollout for HMCTS users
The digitisation of HMCTS, a £1bn programme of reform, is being supported by a new national service following an extensive pilot and tender process. Beginning in October, a £10m investment will see We are Digital manage a new national service, delivering support across England, Wales (including support in Welsh) and Scotland (for tribunals only). During the […]