Man allowed to challenge former mother-in-law's will

The Court of Appeal has granted a divorced husband permission to challenge the validity of his former mother-in-law’s will which left him nothing from her estate.

Full story: Law Society Gazette

Supreme Court to hear key case on liability of councils for foster care abuse

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a key case on the liability of councils for foster care abuse, it has emerged.

Full story: Local Government Lawyer

Serious case reviews to be scrapped

The current system of serious case reviews into child deaths will be scrapped, the government has said.

Full story: Children & Young People Now

Top judge hands divorcee £3.5m despite husband arguing it should be less as ex-wife lives with another man

Women who move in with other men after getting divorced are still entitled to a share of their ex-husband's wealth, the UK's most senior family judge has ruled.

Full story: The Telegraph

Social worker praised for ‘commendable’ practice in case of Lithuanian boy

A judge praised a social worker and children's guardian for "careful and comprehensive" analysis of the options available for the eight-year-old.

Full story: Community Care

Independent review into Sharia Law launched

An independent review into the application of Sharia Law in England and Wales has been launched by Home Secretary Theresa May today.

Full story: Home Office

Two in three domestic abuse victims unaware of legal aid eligibility

Lack of information on legal rights and available services is harming access to justice.

Full story: Solicitors Journal

Woman's bid to use deceased daughter's eggs continues

A 60-year-old woman who wants to use her late daughter's frozen eggs to give birth to her own grandchild is continuing her legal battle.

Full story: BBC News

CCMS funding applications when unable to meet client

Providers unable to see clients in their office can now follow a new funding process in the Client and Cost Management System (CCMS).

Full story: Family Law

Problems with Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards can only be resolved by reform of the law, says report

The Law Commission has published an interim report proposing that the problems with the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) can be resolved only by wholesale replacement of the DoLS and reform of the law.

Full story: Family Law

Suspected abuse referrals 'swamp social worker staff'

One in five of all children born in a single year in England and Wales were referred to social services before they reached age five, research suggests.

Full story: BBC News

Fifth of UK couples close to break-up - Relate study

Almost one in five (18%) of couples in the UK argue regularly or consider separating, a study suggests.

Full story: BBC News

Birmingham City Council's children's services to be run by a trust

Birmingham's children's services will be run by a trust after years of failings which saw the department branded "a national disgrace".

Full story: BBC News

Father bugs daughter's clothes in court battle over who she lives with

Listening devices sewn into schoolgirl’s blazer and coat to record talks with social worker, family court ruling reveals.

Full story: The Guardian

MoJ opens consultation on appeals to the Court of Appeal and proposed CPR amendments

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has opened a consultation on appeals to the Court of Appeal, plus proposed amendments to the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) and the associated Practice Directions.

Full story: Family Law

Children in care: Call to cut prosecutions for minor offences

Children in care should not be prosecuted for minor offences, a report looking at their over-representation in the criminal justice says.

Full story: BBC News

Proposals to be brought forward for a British Bill of Rights

Bill of Rights ‘would restore common sense’ to human rights applications.

Full story: Family Law Week

President declares that UK law should give single parents through surrogacy the same rights as couples

Sir James Munby, the President of the High Court Family Division, has made a formal declaration that UK law discriminates against single parents with children born through surrogacy and is incompatible with their human rights.

Full story: Family Law

Public Guardian practice note: Family care payments

The Office of the Public Guardian has published a practice note on family care payments, also known as gratuitous care payments.

Full story: Family Law

Guidance: Liaison between Courts in England and Wales and British Embassies and High Commissions Abroad

This guidance note describes procedures which are to be followed when a court in England and Wales exercising family jurisdiction seeks to invoke diplomatic assistance.

Full story: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Adoption law reform aims to speed up placements

A shake-up of adoption rules in England aims to move more children more quickly from the care system to family life.

Full story: BBC News

Parents 'devastated' as court says doctors should not 'artificially prolong' boy's life

Judge rules against wishes of parents of two-year-old with neurological disorder, saying NHS can provide only palliative care.

Full story: The Guardian

Council to pay £17,500 damages to 14 year old for human rights breaches

A High Court judge has ordered a county council to pay £17,500 in damages to a 14-year-old girl in care for breaches of her human rights.

Full story: Local Government Lawyer

Police treatment of domestic abuse victims to be investigated

Theresa May says too many victims being let down by ‘shameful attitudes’ of some officers and orders major inquiry.

Full story: The Guardian

‘Private matter’ boy shared with social worker should be withheld from parents, judge rules

Court finds sharing "very private" information against wishes of boy involved in care proceedings could damage his trust in professionals.

Full story: Community Care

Evidence obtained illegally in family and civil proceedings

Bar Council issues revised advice.

Full story: Family Law Week

Children in care 'let down for too long', says David Cameron

The government is to pass new laws to encourage adoption in a bid to improve the chances of children in social care in England, David Cameron has said.

Full story: BBC News

Home Office issues updated FGM resource pack

The Home Office and Karen Bradley MP have issued an updated female genital mutilation (FGM) resource pack containing guidance, case studies and support materials for local authorities, professional services and specialist voluntary organisations.

Full story: Family Law

Failure to challenge independent social worker report key error in case where dad beat daughter to death

Serious case review finds social workers and children's guardian put too much weight on court-ordered independent social worker report and felt daunted by court proceedings.

Full story: Community Care

Cafcass private law demand

In April 2016, Cafcass received a total of 3,557 new private law cases.  This is a 24% increase on April 2015 levels.

Full story: Cafcass

Care applications in April 2016

In April 2016, Cafcass received a total of 1,221 care applications.  This figure represents a 28% increase compared to those received in April 2015.

Full story: Cafcass

Parents fined for breaching forced marriage protection order

Couple believed that the order had been rescinded.

Full story: Family Law Week

New Pension Tracing Service website launched

Free online service should help locate workplace pensions.

Full story: Family Law Week

CoramBAAF expresses concern about use of Special Guardianship Orders

SGOs are too often made ‘without sufficient background checks’.

Full story: Family Law Week

Child Support Agency case closures

Quarterly experimental statistics on the progress of the Child Support Agency (CSA) case closure programme from June 2014 to December 2015.

Full story: Department for Work and Pensions

Final figures from 3-year analysis of looked-after children placements

Ofsted has published its third and final annual statistical release on looked-after children, including information on how far from their placing local authority they were living, the type of placement and how long they had been there.

Full story: Family Law

Is Britain getting a divorce from marriage?

New analysis of NatCen’s British Social Attitudes survey suggests that the British public is reaching a tipping point in its views on marriage.

Full story: Family Law

Latvian parents abandoned baby with English forename to help him 'integrate'

A baby from a Latvian family was given a "classic" English forename after being born prematurely at home - then left at a hospital, a High Court judge has heard.

Full story: The Yorkshire Post

Council criticised for data protection failings

Adoption case details stolen from car.

Full story: Family Law Week

Psychologists as expert witnesses in the Family Courts in England and Wales

FJC and British Psychological Society produce guidance.

Full story: Family Law Week

MP demands suspension of special guardianship orders

An MP has called for the use of special guardianship orders to be suspended in the wake of the conviction of a woman for the murder of toddler Keegan Downer.

Full story: Children & Young People Now

Judge rules teenager in Rochdale must give up baby

A teenager who became pregnant after being placed into council care must give up her baby, a family court judge in Leeds has ruled.

Full story: BBC News

Court rules surgeons can give hysterectomy to schizophrenic woman

Judge says surgery is in best interests of woman, who has ovarian cancer.

Full story: The Guardian

Resolution submits evidence to Bach Commission on Access to Justice

Resolution has recently submitted evidence to the Bach Commission on Access to Justice as part of its continued campaigning work on legal aid in the aftermath of LASPO.

Full story: Resolution

Serious case review to probe whether toddler battered to death by foster mother could have been saved

Social services are facing questions after a “barbaric” woman beat an 18-month-old girl in her care to death, inflicting 200 injuries on her and trying to blame her eldest son for the child’s death.

Full story: The Telegraph

Mother who tried to move family to Syria ordered to give up children

The high court has ruled that the three children of a Leicester woman who tried to take them to Isis-controlled territory must live with their grandmother.

Full story: The Guardian

Man refusing treatment in bid for hospital care closer to home

A man with learning difficulties is refusing medication which could save his life because he wants to be in a hospital nearer home, a judge has been told.

Full story: Hereford Times

Judge rejects challenge over refusal of support under s.17 Children Act

A High Court judge has rejected a judicial review challenge brought by a claimant via her mother over a London borough’s decision to refuse to provide accommodation and support.

Full story: Local Government Lawyer