Family Lore News: April 2015

Supreme Court refuses permission to appeal claim under s 11(2) of Children Act 2004

Section does not introduce fresh criteria for determining intentional homelessness.

Full story: Family Law Week

Banker 'hacked ex-wife’s emails' as they fought over listed home and Aston Martin

A banker hacked into his ex-wife’s email account during a multi-million pound divorce battle, a court heard.

Full story: Evening Standard

‘Social media is the new marriage minefield,’ according to research

Quarter of couples argue over social media use.

Full story: Family Law Week

New report claims Ofsted inspections harm children's services

A new report published today claims that Ofsted's approach to inspection is outdated.

Full story: Family Law

Greater transparency needed in the Court of Protection, claims report

Researchers at the School of Law and Politics at Cardiff University have published a report which recommends an overhaul in the way that the Court of Protection currently works with the media in England and Wales.

Full story: Family Law

Divorce can cost £2,100 per year in lost retirement income

Prudential highlights the effect of divorce on retirement finances.

Full story: Family Law Week

Parents lose court battle over fitting a heart monitoring device in their seven-year-old daughter

Doctors say the youngster has a rare heart problem and might die if she suffers another cardiac arrest.

Full story: The Telegraph

No "broad natural parent presumption" confirms Court of Appeal

Testamentary guardians succeed in appeal against child arrangements order.

Full story: Family Law Week

‘DIY justice’ or vital reform – what do we know about legal aid?

Full Fact examines the claims and counter-claims about legal aid provision.

Full story: Family Law Week

Privy Council judgment on lump sum and beneficial interests to be handed down

Judgment in Bromfield v Bromfield due on 27th April.

Full story: Family Law Week

Top judge tells parents to be strict on teens

The country’s top family judge has urged parents to do more to ensure that fractious and rebellious teenagers do what they “ought” to be doing.

Full story: The Independent

Access to Justice in the Family Court – FLBA Briefing Paper

The FLBA has prepared a briefing paper on issues surrounding access to justice in the Family Court, to explain to candidates in the forthcoming election how changes to civil legal aid under LASPO are causing injustice to many children and their families.

Full story: Family Law

Deprivation of liberty: Commission eyes ‘simpler’ system to protect rights

Reforms will look to strike right balance by offering 'less cumbersome scheme' that retains effective safeguards.

Full story: Community Care

Doncaster sees four-fold decrease in children missing from care

The number of looked-after children that go missing from care in Doncaster has fallen nearly four-fold over the past year following the introduction of a dedicated support worker.

Full story: Children & Young People Now

Bishop 'hid funds in divorce case'

A bishop who used to be a banker has been criticised by a judge who concluded that he had hundreds of thousands of pounds in offshore accounts.

Full story: Yahoo News

New guidance on expert witnesses from Legal Aid Agency

The Legal Aid Agency have updated their guidance on the remuneration of expert witnesses , following changes in September last year.

Full story: Family Law

Consent order can be challenged by application to set aside or appeal

The President has declared that para 14.1 of PD30A, which provides that a consent order can be challenged only by an appeal, was made ultra vires.

Full story: Family Law Week

Family lawyer struck off for misleading client

An associate solicitor formerly with London firm Kingsley Napley has been struck off after four findings of dishonesty.

Full story: Law Society Gazette

Family lawyers slam failing new legal aid digital system

Jo Edwards, chair of family justice organisation Resolution, criticised the Legal Aid Agency’s controversial £35 million Client Cost and Management System as “nothing short of a national scandal” at the Resolution National Conference in Brighton today.

Full story: Resolution

Resolution launches national support network for junior family practitioners

Family law organisation Resolution today unveils its national YRes network for family solicitors, legal executives, paralegals, barristers and other professionals at the start of their career.

Full story: Family Law

BAAF responds to main parties’ election pledges for looked after children

Chief executive of the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, Caroline Selkirk, has responded to the key general election manifesto pledges for looked after children from the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties.

Full story: Family Law Week

HMCTS publishes Q & A document for divorce processing changes

HM Courts and Tribunal Service has confirmed its plans for the handling of divorce work within the Family Court.

Full story: Family Law Week

Lack of representation ‘particularly unfair’ in emotive cases

A judge has stressed the importance of having lawyers in family court proceedings to prevent emotional self-represented litigants behaving in ways they might regret.

Full story: Law Society Gazette

Care applications in March 2015

In March 2015, Cafcass received a total of 1,066 care applications. This figure represents a 16% increase compared to those received in March 2014.

Full story: Cafcass

Cafcass private law demand

In March 2015, Cafcass received a total of 3,249 new private law cases. This is a 10% decrease on March 2014 levels.

Full story: Cafcass

Court considers impact of Wyatt v Vince on the limits of strike out

Strike out application dismissed in Inheritance Act case.

Full story: Family Law Week

Bury St Edmunds divorce centre will commence operations from June 2015

Phased implementation leading to full operation in October 2015.

Full story: Family Law Week

Divorcee who won £10million settlement but says ex-husband cheated her out of millions more wins right to appeal her case at Supreme Court

A divorcee who claims her ex-husband cheated her out of a multi-million-pound fortune has won the right to reopen their divorce battle in the Supreme Court.

Full story: Daily Mail

Law Commission starts work on review of law of marriage

Initial report expected by end of 2015.

Full story: Family Law Week

Gingerbread welcomes Labour commitment to review Child Maintenance Service

Labour to bring forward review of CMS.

Full story: Family Law Week

Lawyers see 'uptick' in divorce claims by ex-spouses

A landmark case has lead to a rise in divorcees wanting to renegotiate old settlements.

Full story: The Telegraph

Top female judge calls for no-blame divorces so one person does not need to be at fault in order for one to be granted

Divorce laws in England and Wales should remove the need for allegations of adultery and blame, Britain’s most senior female judge has said.

Full story: Daily Mail

New Practice Directions for Court of Protection come into force

New Practice Directions, and amendments to the Practice Directions, supplementing the Court of Protection Rules 2007 have come into force this week (6 April).

Full story: Local Government Lawyer

Judge sets out approach to cases where risk of children travelling to ISIS countries

A judge has set out a number of core principles relevant to cases where it is proposed to make young people at risk of travelling to ISIS countries, and particularly Syria, wards of the High Court and remove their passports.

Full story: Local Government Lawyer