Having previously worked as a wedding photographer for 14 years, a change in family circumstances gave me a taste for family law, particularly in divorce, child custody and especially parental alienation.
I am now doing an LLM in Legal Practise with the aim to work within the legal industry, specialising in family law.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Last week saw the release of a report published by IGLYO, Dentons and Thomson Reuters Foundations, exploring the laws on legal gender recognition, focusing on the rights of young people in eight European countries. The
The case of Steinfeld and Another v Secretary of State for Education in 2017 had the Court of Appeal find that that the provision, whereby civil partnership was only available to same sex couples, was
It is not surprising to any divorce lawyer that when it comes to splitting finances in a divorce, things can become ugly very quickly. Surprisingly, large numbers of cases involve some form of distorting figures.
With the election manifestos being released this week, Resolution has been eagerly awaiting responses to their letter to all political parties, ‘urging them to prioritise much-needed family justice reforms in their election manifesto’. In their
November 20th marks World Children’s Day, a day to raise awareness of and support for children’s welfare across the globe; it highlights “the importance of a healthy childhood, and how we need to protect the
Too many family law solicitors, there is nothing new in hearing that a parent is trying to avoid paying child maintenance. From creating complex financial agreements, putting businesses in other names to even changing jobs
A charity supporting victims of domestic abuse and MP Trudy Harrison have backed the launch of the #getmhome campaign tomorrow, the 16 November, seeking to end the injustice in secret family courts. The campaign was
A growing trend sweeping social media and parenting forums, is that of a “baby-nup”; a pre-baby agreement drawn up by parents, that divides chores and expectations before the haze of sleepless nights and nappies. We
Social media, to many solicitors, is a useful tool for creating connections with others in the legal industry and catching up with industry news, even tweeting about recent legislative or political developments. However, when it
The Western Circuit Women’s Forum (WCWF) has made a number of recommendations to chambers in a best practice guide, Back to the Bar, a practical guide to help parents return to and thrive at the
A new trend is seeing divorcing parents no longer doing the swap over ritual of children but rather swap themselves. It may seem a rather strange concept to some, but it is certainly working for
The House of Commons Justice Committee has released its second report of 2019 into the Court and Tribunal Reforms amid serious concerns about the effect on access to justice and its efficient despatch of the
This week saw the much-awaited judgement from the Supreme Court regarding the use of inherent jurisdiction regarding the re-location of a child. Brief background to the case The original case was one where a married
Family courts have been encouraged to cooperate with reporters in a bid to become more transparent. Sir Andrew McFarlane, head of the Family Division, has released his final guidance on how courts should deal with
While women are increasingly better educated than men, they earn less, feel less financially secure, provide the bulk of unpaid care, have smaller pensions, face greater hardship in later life and struggle to pay for
An analysis of the number of newborns and infants in the family justice system in Wales has found that between 2015 and 2018, the number of newborn babies subject to care proceedings has more than
Further to our coverage of the Birmingham Law Society’s Bi-annual Family Law Conference, we look at the talk by Nicholas Allen QC regarding the benefits of arbitration over litigation. There are many known benefits to
The latest figures from the MoJ has shown increases in the number of mediation assessments for the quarter April – September 2019. Figures released have shown a 14% increase from the last quarter in the
Today saw a new Government legislation amendment allowing vulnerable migrant children, separated from their parents, to get quicker and simpler access to Legal Aid. The Legal Aid for Separated Children Order 2019 has allowed non-asylum
A new multi–million pound scheme looks to improve access to better housing, healthcare and employment opportunities for vulnerable young people leaving care. After his recent announcement regarding funding towards adoption support, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson
This week the Government confirmed that local authorities will have a duty to deliver life-saving support to survivors of domestic abuse, ending a postcode lottery for those ‘fleeing violent relationships’. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has
Continuing our coverage of the speakers at the Bi-annual Family Law Conference by the Birmingham Law Society, today we look at the talk given by Richard Hadley a barrister at No5 Chambers. Mr Hadley, a
Continuing our coverage of the Bi-Annual Family Law Conference by the Birmingham Law Society, we look at the key issues raised by speaker Lord Justice (LJ) Mr Keehan. Mr Keehan LJ led an interdisciplinary Working
Friday 18th October saw 3PB Barristers hosting the Bi-Annual Family Law Conference from Birmingham Law Society, with talks from the President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, Sir Michael Keehan and other experts in
October 10th saw World Mental Health Day and LawCare launching their ‘LawCare Champions’ scheme which aims to appoint legal professionals in the UK to act as mental health and well-being advocates within the legal community.