Foster care 'boosts vulnerable children's grades'

Children in foster care make better educational progress than vulnerable children who remain with troubled families, research suggests.

Full story: BBC News

'Rude’ and 'unfair' Liverpool family judge Robert Dodds reprimanded over 'serious misconduct'

Disciplinary investigation completed into 'unprincipled' Merseyside family court judge.

Full story: Liverpool Echo

Government ‘still failing to protect women against violent men’

End Violence Against Women coalition says male abuse of women and girls is still going unchecked as services struggle.

Full story: The Guardian 

Court of Appeal overturns High Court ruling on civil legal aid residence test

Public Law Project seeks leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Full story: Family Law Week

House of Commons Library publishes research briefing on legal aid for domestic violence victims

The House of Commons Library has published a very useful research briefing on legal aid for victims of domestic abuse.

Full story: Family Law Week

CoramBAAF consults on future of fostering in England

Charity believes that ‘an effective care system needs to prioritise fostering’.

Full story: Family Law Week

Guidance published by NICE focuses on child attachment

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidelines regarding attachment difficulties experienced by children who are currently part of the care system in England.

Full story: Family Law

Three children die in Lancashire's care system, says Ofsted

Three children died during an inspection into a council's "inadequate" children's services, an Ofsted report has revealed.

Full story: BBC News

Judge criticises 'minimal investigation' into death of 13-month-old girl

Mr Justice Jackson found Poppi Worthington’s death was not properly investigated for nine months.

Full story: The Guardian

Father’s appeal allowed by Supreme Court in 1996 Hague Convention case

The Supreme Court has allowed the appeal by a Moroccan father whose son was brought to the UK by his mother against the father's wishes.

Full story: Family Law Week

Resolution launches new advice for dealing with divorce and domestic abuse to mark White Ribbon Day

Today on White Ribbon Day, 25 November, Resolution releases its new guide for divorcing and separating parents in relationships where domestic abuse is, or has been, a feature.

Full story: Resolution

NACCC in urgent government funding plea

Government aid desperately sought to continue ensuring that children have safe contact.

Full story: Family Law

Views of children in care highlighted by Ofsted

For the first time ever, Ofsted has used the findings of its annual survey to highlight the views of children and young people in care homes and foster care placements.

Full story: Family Law

Judge names social workers and recommends disciplinary investigation

A social worker and her manager were found to have lied under oath and changed the report of another social worker.

Full story: Community Care

President's practice guidance on Arbitration in the Family Court

Sir James Munby, the President of the Family Division, has today (23 November 2015) issued practice guidance on Arbitration in the Family Court.

Full story: Family Law

CoA considers English court's jurisdiction under EU Maintenance Reg following previous proceedings in another EU member state

Thought to be first time court has considered spousal maintenance in such circumstances.

Full story: Family Law Week

Divorce rate falls in latest ONS figures

The number of people divorcing in England and Wales decreased by 2.9 per cent in 2013, according to the latest statistical bulletin published today (23 November 2015) from Office for National Statistics.

Full story: Family Law

Children of divorce: 82% rather parents separate than 'stay for the kids'

Poll by Resolution also finds nearly a third would have liked if divorcing parents did not criticise each other in front of them.

Full story: The Guardian

Girl better off living in Peshawar where Taliban killed 130 children than Southampton, judge rules

Judge rules in favour of woman who wants to take daughter from home in Hampshire city and move to Pakistan despite ex-husband warning of terror attacks.

Full story: The Telegraph

Landmark report shines light on the practice of surrogacy in the UK and calls for legal reform

The first ever report of its kind gives unprecedented insight into how surrogacy is practised in the UK and busts a number of pervasive myths that have informed debate in recent years.

Full story: Family Law

Family court sends ‘strong message’ over non-disclosure with sentence for contempt

The rule of law depends on compliance with court orders, says Mr Justice Mostyn.

Full story: Solicitors Journal

Allow 'minimally conscious' MS sufferer to die, says judge

A 68-year-old woman "locked into the end stage" of multiple sclerosis should be allowed to die, a judge has ruled.

Full story: BBC News

Birth within marriage or civil partnership remains most common family setting

Steady fall in the percentage of births registered to married couples since the 1960s.

Full story: Family Law Week

Children’s services could be hit by deprivation of liberty burden after High Court ruling

A judge confirmed a local authority cannot consent to the deprivation of liberty of a child in its care.

Full story: Community Care

Court of Protection to test increased access for public and media

Public and media will gain greater access to Court of Protection hearings after a pilot scheme starting next year.

Full story: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Afghan war hero wins divorce battle with wife who 'wasted' part of his £1m injuries payout

A soldier brain damaged in a Taliban attack has welcomed a judge's divorce ruling that prevented his wife receiving most of what's left of his compensation payments.

Full story: The Telegraph

Appeal decision protects solicitor offering ‘unbundled’ advice

Solicitors instructed on a limited retainer do not have a broader duty of care to their clients, the Court of Appeal has ruled, asserting the importance of ensuring that lawyers can offer unbundled services.

Full story: Law Society Gazette

Court confirms Calderbank offers are admissible on appeal

FPR 28.3(8) applies only to first instance proceedings.

Full story: Family Law Week

Social worker criticised for flawed Re-BS assessment in care proceedings

A judge said the social worker put too much emphasis on the report of a psychologist who did not know all of the evidence, rather than making her own assessment.

Full story: Community Care

Review of residential care ‘unnecessary and costly repetition’

Review is an ‘attempt to extend the Government’s privatisation agenda’.

Full story: Family Law Week

Judge vows to end secrecy in baby death case

Judge says new hearing will allow public to know about 'troubling circumstances' of Poppi Worthington's death.

Full story: The Telegraph

Husband wins right to argue that his 30-year marriage should be nullified

A husband has been given the go-ahead to argue that his marriage should be nullified on the grounds that his wife is a bigamist.

Full story: Daily Mail

Multi-millionaire businessman sued by his former wife for 'spousal maintenance'

Hetem Ramadani has labelled his ex-wife a "divorce tourist" for taking advantage of the English courts.

Full story: The Telegraph

Court of Appeal rules on liability of councils for foster care abuse

The Court of Appeal has handed down a key ruling on the liability of councils for foster care abuse, concluding that local authorities do not owe a child in such care a non-delegable duty.

Full story: Local Government Lawyer

Domestic violence victims 'put at risk' by erratic handling of cases

HMIC says dangers to vulnerable witnesses not properly dealt with in a third of cases, including instances of racial abuse.

Full story: The Guardian

Care applications in October 2015

In October 2015, Cafcass received a total of 1,079 care applications.  This figure represents a 7% increase compared to those received in October 2014.

Full story: Cafcass

Cafcass private law demand

In October 2015, Cafcass received a total of 3,311 new private law cases.  This is a 2% decrease on October 2014 levels.

Full story: Cafcass

London woman wins divorce court battle against husband over £25m tiger charity

The ex-wife of a tiger-loving tycoon who claims he 'spirited away tens of millions of pounds and left her bereft' was today victorious in an Appeal Court rumble over their divorce.

Full story: Daily Mail

Serious case review panel criticises lack of clarity in reports

The Department for Education's panel on serious case reviews said that there is too much of an emphasis on methodology.

Full story: Community Care

The Family Procedure (Amendment No. 3) Rules 2015

These Rules amend the Family Procedure Rules 2010.

Statutory Instrument

Court of Appeal considers change of intention to hold property in equal shares

The Court of Appeal has revisited the calculation of shares in the beneficial interest of a property where there is no express declaration of trust.

Full story: Family Law Week

President calls for end of misuse of section 20 agreements

Steps needed urgently to ensure that there is no repetition of local authority practice.

Full story: Family Law Week

Average time for placements falls to 17 months

2,460 children waiting with a placement order.

Full story: Family Law Week

Spurned wife lodges £300m divorce bid after husband leaves her for interior designer

Wife whose husband left her to live with their interior designer bids for half of their £300million fortune.

Full story: The Telegraph

New arrears figures for the Child Maintenance Service are “disappointing” says Gingerbread

New figures released for the first time reveal that, less than two years after the Child Maintenance Service opened its doors to all new applicants, £35m of arrears owed to children has accumulated.

Full story: Gingerbread

Cohabitation continues to be fastest growing relationship in UK

Figures released today (5 November 2015) show that the cohabiting couple family continues to be the fastest growing family type in the UK in 2015.

Full story: Family Law

Court orders daughter to stop spending elderly mother's money on cakes and sausage rolls

A judge has taken away a daughter's control of her elderly mother's finances because she was wasting £250 a month on cakes and sausage rolls.

Full story: The Telegraph

Court grants ‘unique’ restraint order against ‘First Wives Club’ member

Order shows Family Courts are equipped to deal with ill-founded applications, says practitioner.

Full story: Solicitors Journal

Lecturer Rupert Ashmore loses divorce battle with former pupil he dated for 25 years

Art teacher who had relationship with teen student tells divorce court he was not sure he loved her any more than his dog.

Full story: The Telegraph

ALC and NYAS publish report on children's privacy

Dr Julia Brophy (with Kate Perry and Eleanor Harrison) has published the next stage in her research on children involved in the family courts, and their confidentiality.

Full story: Family Law

Woman wants judge to allow severely ill mother to die

Court of Protection case hears how former hairdresser is "locked into the end stage" of multiple sclerosis.

Full story: The Telegraph

David Cameron bids to speed up adoption process

Prime Minister David Cameron wants to increase dramatically the number of children currently in care who move in with their adoptive families before the required legal work is completed.

Full story: BBC News

Fifth of looked after children placed in children’s homes judged adequate or worse

Ofsted publishes information about the characteristics of all looked after children.

Full story: Family Law Week

Mostyn J lambasts ‘abysmal’ litigant in person

Costs order in the sum of nearly £150K made against husband.

Full story: Family Law Week

New matching service launched for local authorities to list children seeking long-term fostering

Social enterprise Link Maker has launched Placement Link, a new matching service for local authorities to list children seeking long-term fostering.

Full story: Family Law Week

All options should be considered when protecting potentially vulnerable children

Ombudsman’s reminder prompted by urgent removal of fostered children.

Full story: Family Law Week

‘Systemic failing in the provision of support to vulnerable care leavers’: Public Accounts Committee

Central and local government must do more to aid care leavers’ transition to adulthood.

Full story: Family Law Week