Family
Judge-led divorce service aims to be “Uber for financial remedies”
The co-founder of a divorce service which puts clients directly in touch with family law judges has said it aims to be a legal services “Uber for financial remedies”.
Budget nuptial agreements “should provoke alarm”
Budget nuptial agreements “can mislead parties and distort expectations in lower-income cases” and “should provoke alarm”, an academic specialising in family law has argued.
Solicitor launches DIY divorce course to help people “arm themselves”
A solicitor who says she has been bombarded with requests for help from people wanting to divorce but unable to afford a lawyer has launched a DIY course for £79.99.
NAO: Family justice at risk from “inconsistent political leadership”
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
“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?
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.
Blog
How you respond to mistakes matters more than the mistakes themselves
Mistakes in legal practice are inevitable. What truly differentiates well-run firms from those that stumble is not whether mistakes occur, but how they are handled when they do.
Litigation finance is not one product. It’s a strategy
Across the consumer claims market, litigation finance has developed into a broader set of funding options that can support different stages of a case.
The best legal AI doesn’t replace rules-based engines – it completes them
There is a belief circulating in legal tech that AI can solve everything – that LLMs are universally superior to what came before. It is not always true, however.
