Latest Family Law News

Coercive or controlling behaviour now a criminal offence

New legislation has been enacted to help victims suffering from emotional or psychological abuse. From 29 December, coercive and controlling behaviour has become a criminal offence under Section 76 of…

Number of looked after children highest since 1985

According to official statistics, the number of looked after children at the end of March 2015 totalled 69,540. This is an increase of 1% compared to last year and 6%…

Law Commission call for reform of outdated marriage law

The Law Commission has published a scoping paper after requests from the Government to establish whether the current law is adequate in providing a ‘fair and coherent legal framework for…

Funding re-introduced for paternity DNA testing in private cases

Cafcass and DNA legal, the government approved laboratory, are now able to facilitate DNA testing when the court finds there is disputed paternity in private cases. This change is welcomed…

MP’s informed that divorce court fee increase will hinder access to justice

Resolution is a body of legal professionals that campaign for improvements in the justice system to give more support to families and children involved in legal proceedings. The chair of…

Court rules in favour of foreign surrogacy couple

In the High Court case of A & B (No 2 -Parental Order) [2015] EWHC 2080, an English couple were seeking a parental order for their twin daughters after a…

Children in foster care achieve higher in education than children left with ‘in need’ families

A joint research study by Bristol and Oxford universities has found children in foster care perform better at school than children who are left with their birth families under the…

Supreme Court allow father’s appeal in 1996 Hague Convention Case

The Supreme Court unanimously allow the appeal In the Matter of J (A Child) [2015] UKSC 70, clarifying for the first time the scope of the jurisdiction set out in…

Half of sibling groups (49.5%) in local authority care are split up

A report by The Family Rights Group entitled ‘What happens to siblings in the care system?’ has published that half of siblings placed in local authority care are not placed…

Circus Starr Donation to provide circus tickets to disadvantaged children

We have donated a small sum of money towards Circus Starr event to allow eight children to attend a memorable moment on their lives. We have received in return a…

Sharland and Gohil win appeals in the Supreme Court

The win appeals of Alison Sharland and Varsha Gohil have been unanimously allowed by the Supreme Court demonstrating the need for full and frank disclosure from all parties involved. Regarding…

49% of kinship carers have to give up work to care for the kin child

According to a report published by The Family Rights Group entitled “Doing the right thing: A report on the experiences of kinship cares”, 49% of kinship carers have to give…

The law on press reporting of ancillary relief proceedings is ‘a mess’ according to Mostyn J.

Mostyn J has authorised NGN Ltd in Appleton & Gallagher v News Group Newspapers and PA [2015] EWHC 2689 (Fam) to appeal to the Court of Appeal in order to…

Research stating that judges need more feedback on their work is welcomed by President of the Family Division

According to a research article by Professor Judith Masson of Bristol University – entitled “Developing judgement: the role of Feedback for Judges in the Family Court” – giving judges feedback…

Ministry of Justice (MOJ) publishes statistics on family courts

The Minister of Justice has published statistics relating to activity in the family courts of England and Wales. The statistics show that the number of cases that started in the…

Coercive or controlling behaviour now a criminal offence

Number of looked after children highest since 1985

Law Commission call for reform of outdated marriage law

Funding re-introduced for paternity DNA testing in private cases

MP’s informed that divorce court fee increase will hinder access to justice

Court rules in favour of foreign surrogacy couple

Children in foster care achieve higher in education than children left with ‘in need’ families

Supreme Court allow father’s appeal in 1996 Hague Convention Case

Half of sibling groups (49.5%) in local authority care are split up

Circus Starr Donation to provide circus tickets to disadvantaged children

Sharland and Gohil win appeals in the Supreme Court

49% of kinship carers have to give up work to care for the kin child

The law on press reporting of ancillary relief proceedings is ‘a mess’ according to Mostyn J.

Research stating that judges need more feedback on their work is welcomed by President of the Family Division

Ministry of Justice (MOJ) publishes statistics on family courts

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