New figures issued by HMRC reveal that in April 2021, an incredible £10.4 billion was held in Child Trust Funds (CTFs) of which £374 million remains unclaimed in matured accounts. CTFs started maturing in September
LawTech continues to play an important role in cementing the UK’s position as a leading global legal centre, the Law Society of England and Wales said following the publication of LawTechUK’s Impact Assessment report. Law
Fixed fee divorce specialists, Fair Result scooped the SME Legal News award for The UK’s Most Innovative Divorce & Family Law Firm 2022. The SME Legal News awards were held virtually on Friday the 27th
Deploy legal advisers in GP surgeries to ensure access to justice for the vulnerable, think tank recommends Advisers stationed at GP surgeries, council offices, libraries, and other convenient locations can help more people get more
The UK has started its free trade agreement (FTA) talks with Mexico, with solicitors’ leaders hoping negotiators will lock in current legal services market access and increase trade in other sectors. The International Trade Secretary
More victims of rape and sexual offences will be spared the stress of being cross-examined in court under a measure rolled out to a further 14 locations. The scheme, which has already been successful in
Revised sentencing guidelines that clarify how courts in England and Wales should sentence offenders convicted of arranging or facilitating sexual offences against a child were published this week by the Sentencing Council following consultation. Under
Kinship carers must be given access to non-means tested free legal advice to ensure they know their rights and can secure a child’s future, avoiding the need for them to be taken into the care
Many small law firms are thinking big when it comes to the tech they need to see them through another period of profound change. But the latest research from LexisNexis’ Bellwether report shows that 47%
Given by Helen Adam, Mediator and chair of the Family Solutions Working Group, this online event was hosted as part of the Family Justice Council’s annual interdisciplinary conference, which was held in Bristol on Wednesday
Tory MP Nickie Aiken has launched a campaign demanding new workplace legal protections for employees undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF). It comes as women are increasingly facing discrimination and being sidelined at work for undertaking
The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), often referred to as “Clare’s Law”, was implemented across all police forces in England and Wales in March 2014. It means members of the public can ask the police
Solicitors acting for Coodes’ Mental Health and Community Care Team say its workload has more than doubled over recent months, with an exponential increase in cases as a direct result of the Covid pandemic. At
The Law Society of England and Wales has responded to the Queen’s Speech, which took place on Tuesday, announcing a range of new bills and reforms. Bill of Rights Law Society president I. Stephanie Boyce
Chaired by Lisa Harker, Director of Nuffield Family Justice Observatory Young people’s experiences of extra-familial risks and harms (EFRH) – including exploitation, abuse or criminality – may be both a cause and consequence of trauma.
Lawyers slash marketing budgets and headcount in 2021 with outsourcing and digital marketing embraced New research amongst law firms and accountants with more than 15,000 employees reveals that marketing and business development budgets were cut
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has launched a public consultation on its 2022-23 Business Plan and budget, including details of the work it plans to focus on in the coming year, continuing its commitment to
Latest figures from the ONS show that in 2020, there were 103,592 divorces granted in England and Wales, but with the new no fault divorce law that came into force on the 6th April, this
A world-first Legal Advisory Report and Policy Guidance just published advises medical institutions and professionals practicing in transplantation medicine on their international legal responsibilities to prevent complicity in organ trafficking and forced organ harvesting –
Peter Fish and Catharine Seddon appointed as members of the Board of the Children’s and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass). The Rt Hon Dominic Raab – Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary
London law firm Stephenson Harwood has offered staff the option to work from home permanently – but remote workers will see their pay cut by 20%. According to the BBC, the firm recruited workers from
Kingsley Napley is pleased to announce four new partners at the firm as part of its annual promotions round. This brings the total number of partners at the firm to an all-time high of 72,
HMCTS has issued guidance on its new divorce service including an overview of the changes to divorce law following the implementation of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020. A range of materials are available
The High Court of England and Wales has launched the recruitment round for the 2022/23 intake of the Judicial Assistants (JA) scheme. The role of JA offers those in the early years of their professional
The legal age of marriage and civil partnerships in England and Wales is to be raised from 16 to 18 and penalties are to be introduced for those facilitating underage marriages. The Marriage and Civil
New data and research released by the NSPCC paints a worrying picture of the abuse and neglect faced by children. The NSPCC has published new data relating to the usage of their NSPCC Helpline from
Solicitors maintained services to their clients through successive lockdowns and many reported solid business performance for the first year of the pandemic, according to the Law Society of England and Wales law management section Financial
Join the biggest annual gathering of family justice professionals, Friday 20 May – Saturday 21 May. For the first time since 2019, Resolution’s flagship National Conference will be held in person, in Birmingham. This year’s
Following a recent divorce case Mr Justice Mostyn has advocated for a costs cap in family cases. In Xanthopoulos v Rakshina Mr Justice Mostyn described how the parties had already incurred costs of more than
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) have released new guidance to tackle common and repeated mistakes seen in the aftercare of patients receiving support under
Figures released by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) reveal that the introduction of no fault divorce has prompted an influx of new applications, with 3,000 recorded since the new Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020
A new document outlining the government’s position on, and work to support male victims of crimes considered violence against women and girls has been published by the Home Office. The document updates and replaces the
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced a consultation on revised legal guidance which aims to tackle the notion that there is a typical victim of domestic abuse. The guidance lists a number of ways
Following consultation on the future of post six-year run-off cover, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has announced that it will seek a further 12-month extension to the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) – to September 2023
Requests for personal information can now be made through a new digital service. A new digital service allowing individuals to request personal information is now available which aims to improve the user experience for subject
Yesterday, 6th April, marked the arrival of the widely anticipated “no fault” divorce to the family law sector. Changes to the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act, and the resulting option for couples to choose a