Family


NAO: Family justice at risk from “inconsistent political leadership”

21 May 2025

A “lack of consistent political leadership” – because of the high turnover of ministers chairing the Family Justice Board – has contributed to the continuing court delays facing families.


Judge condemns “continued saga” of excessive family law costs

8 May 2025

A deputy district judge and leading family law solicitor has condemned what he called the “continued saga” of “excessive costs” charged by family lawyers.


Family law market grows more strongly than expected

1 May 2025

The family law market grew more strongly than expected last year, taking its total value to almost £2.2bn as firms look to offer more holistic services and embrace AI.


Top family firm chooses employee ownership over private equity

28 April 2025

Leading specialist firm Family Law Partners has eschewed approaches from private equity houses to move instead to employee ownership.


Legal market’s strong growth in 2024 set to continue this year

28 March 2025

The UK legal services market grew by 10% to £52bn last year and is heading towards a strong 2025 too, according to new research.


Oligarch’s ex-wife drops negligence claim against former solicitors

28 March 2025

Top family law firm Payne Hicks Beach has expressed itself “pleased but not surprised” by the decision of a high-profile former client to drop her negligence action against it.


Top family firm “would be prejudiced” by split trial in negligence claim

19 March 2025

Top family law firm Payne Hicks Beach would be prejudiced by a split trial in the negligence action brought by the woman who secured the UK’s largest ever divorce award, the High Court has ruled.


High Court reinstates negligence claim against top family law firm

7 March 2025

A former client of a leading family law firm should be allowed to sue over its alleged failure to advise about its own negligence, the High Court has ruled.


Solicitor’s joy as miscarriage campaign set to succeed

5 March 2025

A solicitor campaigning for statutory leave for those suffering baby loss says she has been “crying my eyes out with tears of happiness” after learning the government is to change the law.


Law firm ordered to pay wasted costs after failing to instruct counsel

25 February 2025

A law firm was negligent in failing to prepare for a three-day hearing or instruct counsel for it, a Family Court judge has ruled in making a wasted costs order.


Many divorcees do not understand the law – even if they had a lawyer

21 February 2025

“Substantial proportions” of divorcees do not understand the law on how assets are split, even if they used a lawyer, the first research of its kind has found.


Family mediator accreditation: can we simplify the process?

21 February 2025

For family mediation week in January, the Family Mediation Council suggested making a pledge. Mine was to the FMC itself: to make the accreditation process more straightforward.


Court rejects divorcing husband’s conflict claim against solicitors

17 February 2025

The Family Court has rejected a divorcing husband’s claim that his wife’s solicitors are conflicted out of acting for her because of past work they did for the couple.


Judge slams “disordered and chaotic” state of family case

31 January 2025

An exasperated Family Court judge has adjourned a final hearing, saying the case was in such a “disordered and chaotic state that it is simply impossible to proceed in a fair way”.


Separating couples “know about mediation but go to lawyers”

31 January 2025

Awareness of family mediation as an alternative to legal advice is not matched by action, with nearly half of people saying their first professional port of call in a divorce would be a lawyer.

Page 1 of 9 Page 2 →

Blog


GEO – the impact of AI on digital marketing for law firms

GEO represents the biggest change in online business generation that I can remember. You cannot afford to stick with the same old engine optimisation techniques.


What the law can learn from fintech’s onboarding revolution

Client onboarding has always been slow. It’s not just about the paperwork and manual workflows; it’s also about those long AML checks and verifications.


Civil enforcement – progress at last with CJC report

‘When do I get my money?’ is a question that litigators acting for successful parties are used to fielding. The value of judgments is of course in the recovery made.