Family
Raab eyes “drastic action” to keep family disputes out of court
Justice secretary Dominic Raab is “in the market for something quite drastic and bold” to reduce the number of private law family cases in the courts, he said yesterday in a wide-ranging discussion.
Acting for both sides “may become the norm” in divorce work
A future where lawyers act for both sides of divorces as a matter of course and others exit regulation to offer a new kind of service has been sketched out by Resolution.
Toning down the theatrics: Barristers “less aggressive” in remote hearings
A significant number of expert witnesses who have been appeared in court remotely over the past 18 months say barristers have been “less aggressive” in their cross-examination.
Lawyers the only winners in “nihilistic” divorce dispute, says judge
The lawyers are the only beneficiaries of a “nihilistic” divorce dispute that has cost £2.3m in legal fees, with the couple’s children the main losers, a High Court judge has ruled.
Unbundled family law service to expand as SRA eyes pilot
A pilot version of an unbundled family law service for litigants in person has enabled them to save 70% on legal fees and is to be expanded; meanwhile, the SRA is to run its own unbundling pilot.
Judge dismisses 28 “identical” divorce petitions from online provider
The High Court has dismissed 28 divorce petitions drafted by online service iDivorces because they contained “absolutely identical” particulars. The company said the judge was “very understanding”.
Leading solicitors’ mobile phones hacked, Court of Appeal rules
The mobile phone of top solicitor Baroness Shackleton was hacked on the authority of the ruler of Dubai and she was alerted to it by Cherie Blair QC, an extraordinary Court of Appeal ruling has revealed.
MoJ: “Strong justification” for increasing 129 court fees
There is “strong justification” for increasing 129 court fees by inflation, backdated to 2016, the Ministry of Justice has said.
Start-ups boosted by £1.2m investment and top judge hire
PocketLaw, a start-up aiming to provide a one-stop shop for the legal needs of SMEs, has secured further funding of £1.2m, while an online divorce service has named a top judge as an advisor.
Family lawyers need to replace billing targets with new business model
Family lawyers should scrap billing targets and develop a new business model, a senior practitioner has said, while criticising the failure to continue pushing collaborative law.
Solicitor fined for signing divorce client up to unlawful DBA
A solicitor who entered into a damages-based agreement with a family law client and pursued her for costs under it has been fined £10,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Barrister suspended over Royal baby tweets returns to work
The barrister suspended from the innovative family law business she founded after being accused of making racist comments about the latest Royal baby has returned to work.
Judge criticises solicitor for “woeful” conduct of her own divorce
A Family Court judge has been highly critical of the “woeful conduct” of a solicitor in her own divorce dispute, describing her evidence as “elusive and evasive”.
Divorce firm looks to shake up field with fixed fee for whole process
A freelance solicitor has teamed up with a former KPMG partner to launch a divorce business that guarantees its fixed-fee quote for the whole process, including ancillary relief.
Life management business takes holistic approach to divorce and bereavement
A “boutique life management service” is aiming to reduce the stress of divorce and bereavement by providing a holistic service including legal and financial advice.
Blog
A letter from the SRA? Your first reaction matters
An email from the SRA has a way of rearranging a working day. It arrives in the same inbox as everything else, often in the same measured tone, yet it carries a different weight.
Regulate sole practices on evidence, not turnover
For a sole practice, the SRA’s plan that I cannot hold a compliance role if my firm has more than £600,000 of turnover is not a measure of risk. It is a ceiling on growth.
Is Google becoming pay-to-play for law firms?
For years, law firms have been told that SEO is the long-term alternative to paying for every click. That principle hasn’t disappeared but search results have changed significantly.
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