Family
The Lawyer
Rapid rise on global family disputes: Emily Brand writes article for Wealthbriefing download
Figures released by the Office of the Head of International Family Justice for England and Wales reveal a 40 per cent increase in the number of international family disputes handled in the last year.
Heads Up! — (schools) Summer Term edition download
The Summer Term edition of Winckworth Sherwood’s Heads Up! publication is available now.
BLP wins as CoA looks to Russian law in key matrimonial case
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has successfully fought off a attempt by a Russian businessman and former politician to use English law in a dispute over the ownership of a London property with his ex-wife.
Taylor Wessing appoints Sanjvee Shah to its private client practice
Taylor Wessing has announced the addition of a lateral hire to its private client practice. Sanjvee Shah is set to join the firm on 7 May 2013.
ACH Shoosmiths moves to Edinburgh's Exchange district
ACH Shoosmiths has opened its new offices in the heart of Edinburgh’s business and financial district.
Winckworth Sherwood on marital property agreements ('pre-nups') — how the law has changed download
Evidence of the cost and acrimony caused by divorce can be found on an almost daily basis in the UK media, laying bare the separation details of ‘celebrities’.
Law à la Mode: Issue 9 — Spring 2013 download
Issue 9 of DLA Piper’s Law à la Mode publication is available now.
Education Update — April 2013 weblink
Walker Morris has released the April 2013 edition of its Education Update.
Mills & Reeve: new statutory guidance on Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013) download
On 15 April 2013, Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013) came into force. This document should be complied with unless exceptional circumstances arise.
Mills & Reeve announces six new internal partner appointments
Mills & Reeve has announced six new internal partner appointments, which will take effect from 1 June 2013.
Private tax, probate and trusts
We can sensitively guide you on how to pass on your wealth in a protective manner and how to efficiently manage the administration of an estate or an existing trust.
Family and matrimonial
Family breakdown can be a very difficult and emotional period for all concerned. You need to find an expert family solicitor you can trust.
Same-sex marriage: the legal position in Bermuda download
Same-sex marriages and civil unions/partnerships will not be recognised in Bermuda.
Keeping it in the family download
A number of high-profile English cases have recently shone the spotlight upon the treatment of inherited property in divorce proceedings.
Olswang acts for APEF 6 on acquisition of Redcats' children and family division
Olswang has acted for Alpha Private Equity Fund 6 on the acquisition of Redcats’ children and family division from Kering/PPR for €119m.
Children and Families Bill 2012/2013 download
The Children and Families Bill 2012/2013 aims to improve the work-life balance for parents.
Employers subject to US FMLA should ensure they are compliant with the revised regulations download
The US Department of Labor has updated the Family and Medical Leave Act regulations.
Chadbourne represents OutServe-SLDN in Supreme Court effort to overturn DOMA
Chadbourne & Parke has represented OutServe-SLDN in a Supreme Court effort to overturn DOMA.
Divorce lawyers receive highest number of complaints, says Ombudsman
Complaints relating to divorce and family law are almost double that of other areas, with around 13 per cent of clients dissatisfied with the way their lawyers handled cases.
Winckworth Sherwood comments on £15m Del Monte divorce settlement download
The ex-wife of Del Monte’s chief executive and chairman has agreed to a divorce settlement of £15m.
Children and Families Bill 2012/13 download
The UK government has been considering changes to family-friendly rights. In early February 2013, the proposals came one step closer to becoming reality with the introduction of the Children and Families Bill 2012/13.
Withers to launch international family consulting group
Withers is to launch a consultancy group following client demand for a service that will help family-run businesses resolve arguments.
Family law
Our long-established and highly experienced Family Team complements our Private Client Department by providing you with discrete expert advice when either you or a member of your family is experiencing a life-changing event.
Collaborative family law: a brief guide download
Collaborative family law is a dignified and cooperative approach to negotiating, in which the commitment of the parties and their lawyers is to achieve a settlement that is as suitable as possible for all parties concerned.
Divorce and financial provision: Dividing up the assets download
Sorting out the finances on divorce can be the most difficult part of a marriage breakdown to resolve.
Divorce: a brief guide download
Obtaining a divorce is not a complex matter. However, it does involve a rigid statutory procedure that must be followed.
Can family companies survive the winds of change? A cry for legislative help download
Did you know that most of the successful businesses in the Gulf are in fact family owned?
Hot 100: Rupinder Bains, Pinder Reaux & Associates video
It was a legal first when Rupinder Bains and her firm won a landmark order against Facebook last year.
Hot 100: Helen Ward, Stewarts Law video
The news in September 2012 that family partner Helen Ward (scroll down for video interview) was quitting Manches with a team of lawyers and staff was one of the biggest stories to hit the world of divorce law for some time.
Collyer Bristow launches fixed-fee family service
Collyer Bristow is the latest firm to embrace fixed fees with the launch of a fixed-fee divorce package.
Supreme Court to hear high-stakes Prest divorce case
The former wife of oil tycoon Michael Prest is to take her case to the Supreme Court in March next year after the Court of Appeal (CoA) ruled against her claim that Prest should be forced to hand over assets totalling £17.5m.
Coleridge J cleared of misconduct on pro-marriage stance
Mr Justice Coleridge has been cleared of judicial misconduct over his involvement with pro-marriage charity the Marriage Foundation, but said he would take a “lower profile” position.
Co-op pledges "no nasty surprises" as it launches fixed-fee family law operation
Co-operative Legal Services (CLS) has launched its family law operation offering fixed fees for services such as divorce, child protection, mediation and financial issues.
Withers promotes five as turnover rises by 12 per cent
Withers has announced a bumper round of partner promotions, with five added to its partnership.
Thorpe LJ slates counsel in civil partnership settlement appeal
The Court of Appeal (CoA) has overturned a first instance decision to award an actor £1.7m following the break-up of his civil partnership to a City analyst.
Shackleton faces negligence claim from former client
Payne Hicks Beach is being sued by a client who claims a mistake by Britain’s highest-profile divorce lawyer Fiona Shackleton cost him £250,000.
Legal bodies team up to launch Institute of Family Law Arbitrators
A group of legal associations have launched a landmark scheme to enable the resolution of family disputes through arbitration, it was announced today.
Harbottle pioneers 'preconception' agreements for non-traditional families
Harbottle & Lewis is offering preconception contracts to non-traditional families looking to have children in the wake of a landmark High Court case that introduced the concept of principal and secondary parenting.
Mishcons and Debrett's publish guide to best behaviour in divorce
Celebrity divorce go-to firm Mishcon de Reya has teamed up with Debrett’s - etiquette and manners advisors since 1769 - to publish a £12.99 guide on how to maintain a level of decorum and good manners in the usually messy business of divorce.
Wilson SCJ highlights importance of collaborative family law
Supreme Court Justice Lord Wilson has reaffirmed his commitment to collaborative family law and other non-court methods while slamming the Government’s plans to cut legal aid, which he called a “false economy”.
Mishcon expands New York base with launch of family practice
Mishcon de Reya is to launch a family practice in its New York office after hiring family partner Michael Stutman from US firm Mayerson Stutman Abramowitz.
Supreme Court upholds county ruling in cohabitation case
The Supreme Court has today restored a county court judgment that supports a court’s right to decide the ’fairest’ way of dividing property when cohabiting couples split up.
Co-op gets the ABS ball rolling with new recruits
The Co-operative’s hire of three senior family lawyers as directors to kick-start its conversion to an alternative business structure (ABS) (TheLawyer. com, 2 November) could be the first of many such launches in the consumer sector.
Mills & Reeve to offer family-friendly fees
Mills & Reeve is to provide fixed-price family services as it prepares to compete with non-legal players entering the profession.
Lawyers welcome Norgrove report into family justice
Lawyers and family law campaign groups have widely welcomed the family justice review aimed at tackling the “shocking delays” in the family justice system.
Co-op buys in family law capability ahead of ABS conversion
The Co-operative is set to enter the family law market with the hire of a partner duo from London firm TV Edwards, including the firm’s managing partner Jenny Beck.
Harbottle family chief ups sticks to niche firm
Harbottle & Lewis family head Tom Amlot has left the firm to join niche family boutique Alexiou Fisher Philipps (AFP) as its sixth partner.
Howard Kennedy hire ups family focus
West End firm Howard Kennedy is attempting to kick-start the growth of a family practice with the hire of partner Juliette Peters.
Former AG Baroness Scotland joins 4 Paper Buildings
The shadow attorney general Baroness Scotland has joined family chambers 4 Paper Buildings as a member.
Opinion: Compulsory mediation won’t bridge the legal aid gap
Family lawyers could be forgiven for saying they have no time for their day jobs at the moment.
Supreme Court tasked with setting compulsory retirement precedent
What legitimate social policy could justify retiring a partner or employee?
Divorcing couples to undertake mandatory mediation before heading to courts
Divorcing couples will be forced to attend a compulsory mediation awareness session before they are allowed to use the courts, the Ministry of Justice has formally announced today.
Mishcon and 1 Hare Court secure £8m settlement in divorce appeal
The Court of Appeal (CoA) has ordered an oil technology millionaire to raise his divorce settlement payout from £5.4m to £8m.
Family law yeasayers contend that prenups could improve marriage rates
It is a depressing statistical fact that 43 per cent of first marriages now end in divorce, the highest level it has ever been. Yet divorce law has largely been developed through the courts, with successive governments having resisted meddling in this controversial area.
DWF signs divorce-funding deal with Co-operative bank
The Co-operative Bank has unveiled plans to launch funding deals for individual firms to provide clients with loans to fund divorce cases.
Hare Court silk Todd convinces Supreme Court that pre-nups are binding
The Supreme Court has ruled that “decisive weight” should be given to pre-nuptial agreements signed by spouses before getting married.
Withers to launch Hong Kong law practice with hire of family team
Withers has expanded its Hong Kong offering with the addition of an international family team led by partner Sharon Ser.
Appeal court overturns Hildebrand rule in Tchenguiz divorce case
The Court of Appeal has ruled that separating couples will no longer be allowed to secretly obtain and use documents belonging to their partner in divorce proceedings.
Dickie Dees family team to launch standalone firm
Dickinson Dees’ family law team will leave the firm later this year to set up a new firm called Silk Family Law.
QEB acts for Cheryl and Ashley as the Coles head to divorce courts
Specialist family set QEB has been instructed to act on both sides of the celbrity divorce of pop star Cheryl Cole and her footballer husband Ashley.
Howes Percival plans major expansion of family practice with Harvey Ingram hire
Howes Percival has brought in former Harvey Ingram partner Jane Cowley to head its new family law team, as the firm forges ahead with plans to expand its private client offering.
Solicitor sues own firm for bad divorce settlement
A solicitor is suing his own firm for negligence and damages in the region of £300,000 in connection with advice he received concerning his divorce.
RJW U-turn sees family and private client take centre stage
Russell Jones & Walker (RJW) is putting its newly acquired family and private client team at the heart of its growth strategy two years after outsourcing the practice.
RJW raids Gorvins for temporary Milton Keynes launch
Gorvins senior partner George Marriott is set to join Russell Jones & Walker (RJW) in a move that will give the latter firm a base in Milton Keynes for the first time.
Russell-Cooke hit by court action from widow
Russell-Cooke is facing a court action from an elderly widow, who is claiming breach of duty against the firm and the executors of her late husband’s will.
Martineau opens on Saturdays for convenient, covert divorces
The family team at Birmingham-based Martineau has established a Saturday-morning practice so that rich potential divorcés can get a more discreet service.
Family practitioners push for 21st century legislation
Legislation governing family life should be overhauled to better reflect 21st century living, leading family lawyers have said.
Watson Burton pair quits to set up family boutique
A Watson Burton partner duo has quit to launch a family and professional indemnity (PI) boutique.
Courting the press
Allowing hacks into the melting pot of the family courts could have as yet unforeseen consequences, says Raymond Tooth and Jeffrey Nedas
Pre-nuptials could become binding after Shackleton loses appeal
The UK courts could be forced to recognise the binding powers of pre-nuptial agreements following a judgment handed down by the Court of Appeal today.
Mishcon shifts family into private client
Mishcon de Reya is to revamp its private client practice to bring its flagship family practice into the fold.
Peter Andre turns to Stewarts for court battle with Shackleton
Family Court transparency: has New Labour reneged on its promise?
In December last year Lord Chancellor Jack Straw QC declared that the Government would propose to change the law to allow access to the Family Court so that justice could be seen to be done.
Co-op ABS plans to create thousands of legal jobs
The Co-operative Group has unveiled plans to create 3,000 jobs in the legal sector as it aims to revolutionise how legal services are delivered on the high street.
What’s it all about?
Family lawyers deal with a variety of individuals who need help to guide them through difficult and often complex personal situations.
