Family
Private equity owner sells family law giant to global investor
The largest family law firm in the country, Stowe Family Law, has been sold by its private equity owner to a global investment giant entering the legal market for the first time.
AI “could help allocate work to conveyancers”
Artificial intelligence is being developed for “triage and work allocation” in law firms and particularly for conveyancing, a director of the SRA has said.
Regulators “must warn lawyers against taking advantage of LiPs”
Legal regulators must warn lawyers that they will face action to stop them unethically taking advantage of vulnerable litigants, a charity has urged.
SRA to probe competence of family law and landlord and tenant solicitors
The SRA is to examine how family law and landlord and tenant law specialists maintain their competence amid increasing reports about their practices.
Litigation funder stymied as divorcing couple drop proceedings
Financial remedy proceedings to which the Court of Appeal said a litigation funder could be a party so as to protect the £1m it was owed by the wife have now been dropped with the money still owing.
Solicitor rebuked for leaving client unrepresented at hearing
A solicitor who withdrew from a Family Court hearing over a fee dispute so late that he left his client no chance to find a replacement has been rebuked by the SRA.
“No vision” on use of AI by family justice system
There is currently “not a vision” for how people in the family justice system, clients and professionals, can “safely harness” the benefits of artificial intelligence, research has argued.
Judge uses new power to “encourage” ADR in absence of agreement
The High Court has used new powers to “encourage” the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in family proceedings in the absence of agreement between the parties.
Charitable family law ABS encourages model for other practice areas
A not-for-profit family law alternative business structure is looking at other sectors where it could help vulnerable and under-represented people are not eligible for legal aid.
Online portal fault allowed couples to divorce too early
A fault in the digital divorce system allowed 67 members of the public to apply for their divorces earlier than they were allowed to by law, it emerged last week.
Blog
Why is Andrew Malkinson still paying for a crime he didn’t commit?
Like many in my profession and beyond, I have been moved by the case of Andrew Malkinson, the man who spent 17 years in prison for an awful crime he did not commit.
What is tech bloat and why is it a problem for law firms?
Too many law firms are adopting shiny new tech without first retiring their legacy systems, causing duplication and unnecessary costs.
The civil courts and the digital divide
Despite the government’s decision to increase Ministry of Justice funding, its budget for 2025-26 is still 14% lower in real terms than in 2007-08.
