Minority Ethnic Background Lawyers Under-represented In Family Law, Research Shows
A diversity survey from the family lawyers’ group Resolution has found that three-quarters of family lawyers are women and that those from black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are under-represented. The survey found that family lawyers were...Appeal Court Rules Islamic Faith Marriages Not Valid Under English Law
The court of appeal has ruled that Islamic faith marriages are not valid under English law, dealing a blow to many Muslim women who are left with no rights when it comes to divorce. This judgement overturns the precedent set in a 2018 hearing at the high court which...
Parents Receive Biased And Potentially Damaging Advice From Online Legal Advisors
New research from lecturers in Birmingham and Leeds has shown that vulnerable people representing themselves in court are being given biased and misinformed advice by online legal advisors. Dr Tatiana Tkacukova, Senior Lecturer in English Language at Birmingham City...Average Time For First Disposal In Care Cases Reaches 33 Weeks
The latest figures from the Ministry of Justice statistics for the family courts show that in the third quarter of 2019, the average time for a care or supervision case to reach first disposal was 33 weeks, an increase of three weeks from the same July-September...
Survivors Of Domestic Abuse At Twice Risk Of Long Term Illness
New studies from the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick have shown that female survivors of domestic abuse are at double the risk of developing long-term illness that cause widespread bodily pain and extreme tiredness. The research, published in the Journal of...
Administrative Backlog Causes 10% Drop In Divorce Rate
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show decrease of 10.6% in divorce rates of opposite-sex couples from 2017 to 2018, with 90,871 divorces in 2018 being the lower figure since 1971. The Family Court Statistics Quarterly 2018 report from the Ministry of...
What Is Family Mediation Week?
Family Mediation Week is being run from 20 to 24 January 2020, but what is it all about? The main thrust behind the initiative is to raise awareness and explain the benefits of family mediation for divorcing and separating couples. In short, family mediation can be...
Divorce Reform Returns To Government Agenda After Year-End Suspension
The Divorce, Separation and Dissolution bill is back on the agenda with the aim of ending what justice secretary Robert Buckland has called “needless antagonism”. Originally [link below]introduced in June[/link], the bill was delayed twice –...
Just What Is Divorce Day?
Personally, it is a term I dislike but it has become a “thing” and as such a bit of explanation would be good. Statistics have shown how the first Monday after New Years Day finds family law solicitors receiving an influx of enquiries from potentially...
