Affordable Justice has appointed divorce lawyer Samantha Harrison to its growing team of solicitors offering affordable family law legal services to women throughout the UK. Samantha has particular expertise in domestic abuse matters, divorce and
His Majesty The King, on the advice of the Lord Chancellor, has approved the appointment of five commissioners to the Judicial Appointments Commission. Those appointed are: Christopher Bones (lay Commissioner) Anthony Harnden (lay Commissioner) Clare
LawtechUK, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) backed initiative, has opened access to the first LawtechUK Ecosystem Tracker (LET) featuring over 350 lawtech companies which are active in the UK. The LawtechUK Ecosystem Tracker has been
The Ministry of Justice’s consultation document, “Increasing the use of mediation in the civil justice system,” outlines an approach for handling small claims disputes. The objective is to alleviate pressure on courts and provide swifter
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has published information about the number of children subject to applications to deprive them of their liberty under the inherent jurisdiction of the high court (DoLs applications) in their Family
Legal aid statistics for July to September 2023 have been released – showing that the number of times a suspect receives legal help from a solicitor in attendance at the police station has increased from
Thames Valley law firm Blandy & Blandy has appointed Clare Clarke as a partner in its leading Family Law team. Claire brings over 20 years’ experience as a specialist Family lawyer and has previously worked
Thousands of children face being evicted from their homes and spending Christmas in temporary accommodation when early legal advice could have avoided this, the Law Society of England and Wales said. The latest statistics from
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has announced the appointment of Liz Coll and Adhir Ramdarshan to the Legal Services Consumer Panel (the Consumer Panel). Liz Coll will take up appointment from 1st January 2024 for
Rising backlogs in the family court system continue to delay justice for families and children, The Law Society have said. New quarterly statistics published by the Ministry of Justice show a growing crisis in the
The UK government has launched a free interactive guide to help businesses spot and tackle domestic economic abuse. Survivors of domestic abuse are at an increased risk around Christmas and, on average, it is reported
The Department for Education has published comprehensive guidance for teachers on how best to support pupils questioning their gender in schools. This includes requests from pupils for “social transition” which can include requests to change
87 organisations and practitioners from across the child welfare and family justice systems are uniting in a call to the Ministry of Justice to urgently plug the gaps in legal support available for families where
In response to the Justice Select Committee’s inquiry on the work of the County Court, the Law Society of England and Wales has expressed concern about rising delays and a poorly maintained court estate. The
Thousands of kinship carers are set to be better supported as the government launches the first ever national kinship care strategy, ‘Championing Kinship Care’. The strategy shines a spotlight on the incredible kinship carers –
In light of Family Mediation Week at the end of January, Today’s Family Lawyer interviewed Caroline Bowden, Family Mediation Council Board Member. The interview aims to highlight the importance of family mediation, its impact on
Mike Freer MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, has approved the reappointment of Flora Page, as a non-lay member of the Legal Services Board, for 4 years from 1st August 2024. Flora Page has been
The letter from the Chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel announces a review into child sexual abuse within the family environment. It gives details including: why the panel has announced a national review
Coodes Solicitors has been shortlisted for the Family Law Team of the Year category at the first British Family Law Awards 2024. The Southwest law firm has been recognised for their team-based approach to practice
The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory’s “Born into Care” research by Swansea University and Lancaster University continues to highlight increasing numbers of babies entering care in England and Wales. The new study tracks what happens to
New data shows recorded offences of adults neglecting, mistreating, or assaulting children have doubled over the last 5 years, according to the NSPCC. The NSPCC are concerned that the number of child cruelty offences is
A mother, known as “Amy” for privacy, recently won back custody of her three children in Leeds Family Court after a challenging 14-month separation. The court initially removed the children due to concerns about Amy’s
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) found fertility treatment outcomes varied widely for Black, Asian and ethnic minority patients. HFEA data shows significant differences by ethnic group in the use and outcomes of fertility
The Court of Appeal handed down judgment in Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, holding for the first time that the court can lawfully stay proceedings for, or order, parties to engage in a
The vast majority of victims of domestic homicide were in touch with the police, health services and other public agencies before their death, according to research published by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and Manchester Metropolitan
Cafcass, in collaboration with local partners, has successfully resolved key challenges in the family justice system in Greater Manchester, leading to the deactivation of its prioritisation protocol from 1st December. This change reinstates the standard
The Law Firm Marketing Club’s “What Clients Want Research 2023” report, sponsored by Moneypenny, reveals that nearly half (47%) of law firms fail to make a good first impression, suggesting a significant area for improvement.
As the curtain falls on another eventful year, we pause to appreciate the milestones we’ve achieved and the compelling stories we’ve brought to our readers. Your unwavering support has been the cornerstone of our success,
AlphaBiolabs is supporting vulnerable families with its annual 12 Days of Christmas campaign. The business – a provider of legal DNA, drug and alcohol testing services in the UK – is making donations across 12
Hundreds of lawyers signed up to be Qualified Legal Representatives after the landmark Domestic Abuse Act banned abusers from interrogating their victims in family and civil courts. Cross-examination is, instead, carried out by these court-appointed
A Nottingham-based legal practice has doubled its headcount, increased its turnover by 130%, and is on target to reach seven figures by the end of next year, after its founder completed the Help to Grow:
A new survey has revealed that the amount of friendly or amicable divorces is almost as common as the number of hostile divorces – which specialist lawyers say is due to the introduction of several
Mani Basi, Barrister at 4PB, has recently released his book: A Practical Guide to Exercising the Inherent Jurisdiction in Family Law Proceedings. We recently asked him to delve deeper into why he decided to write
The Victims and Prisoners Bill had its report stage and third reading on Monday 4th December 2023 and was passed. It will now proceed to the House of Lords for consideration. A Bill to make
Women’s Aid launch 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign calling for urgent investment in specialist domestic abuse services. On International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls, Women’s Aid is
The Home Office are seeking views on the definition of child to parent abuse (CPA). The Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan committed to developing a sector agreed definition and updating the guidance for frontline professionals in