Family
Investors back lawyer-free online divorce service
An online service that helps divorcing couples draft their own documents and not use lawyers has received a new round of funding to increase the number of people it can help.
Exclusive: Unbundled family law service gaining traction
A ground-breaking remote service offering fixed-fee unbundled family law advice to litigants in person has been boosted by the sudden familiarity people have with talking to others online.
Absence of shielding QC “does not make in-person hearing unfair”
A QC’s inability to attend court in person because she is shielding, unlike the other counsel in a case, will not make the hearing unfair, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
McFarlane clears way for more remote family hearings
The president of the Family Division has cleared the way for more remote hearings, including those where parents and children appear as witnesses, by revising the guidance for judges.
Presence of shielding QC at in-person hearing “not essential”
The physical presence in a sensitive family case of leading counsel shielding from Covid-19 was desirable but “not essential”, a High Court judge has ruled in ordering an in-person hearing.
Children seeing parents “distressed” by remote hearings
Children are “coming in and out of the room” during remote family law hearings and in some cases witnessing their “distressed” parents, a major study has found.
Arrested children may be given legal advice automatically
The government is considering whether children in police stations should have to opt out of receiving legal advice, rather than opt in as now, it has emerged.
McFarlane: Remote hearing on future of child a step too far
It is not appropriate for a 15-day hearing into whether a mother has harmed her seven-year-old daughter to be held remotely, the president of the Family Court has ruled.
Withers bids to help couples negotiate separation
A service for couples wanting an amicable separation without instructing separate lawyers has been launched by Withers, which has also worked with Mariella Frostrup on a relationship podcast series.
Blog
Change in regulator shouldn’t make AML less of a priority
While SRA fines for AML have been climbing, many in the profession aren’t confident they will get any relief from the FCA, a body used to dealing with a highly regulated industry.
There are 17 million wills waiting to be written
The main reason cited by people who do not have a will was a lack of awareness as to how to arrange one. As a professional community, we seem to be failing to get our message across.
The case for a single legal services regulator: why the current system is failing
From catastrophic firm collapses to endemic compliance failures, the evidence is mounting that the current multi-regulator model is fundamentally broken.
