F v M: Parental Alienation and Unregulated Experts – Family Law Week

Posted December 16th, 2022 in children, expert witnesses, families, family courts, news by tracey

‘Roshni Popli, barrister at Four Brick Court, considers the lessons of a recent judgment highlighting the need for greater transparency in the instruction of experts.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 14th December 2022

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

The ‘Syringe Method’ of Surrogacy and the Law – Family Law

Posted December 16th, 2022 in artificial insemination, children, families, family courts, news, pregnancy, surrogacy by tracey

‘Nathan Baylis, a pupil barrister at 4 Brick Court, provides a guide to the legal recognition of at-home artificial insemination in surrogacy arrangements.’

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Family Law Week, 15th December 2022

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

UK woman whose children were removed against their wishes loses appeal – The Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2022 in appeals, children, custody, expert witnesses, family courts, news, psychiatrists by sally

‘A mother whose children were removed from her care against their wishes after an unregulated psychologist said she had “alienated” them from their father has lost a high court appeal to have her case reopened.’

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The Guardian, 7th December 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Pilot scheme to allow family court reporting for first time – Local Government Lawyer

‘Journalists will be able to report what happens in family courts from the end of January, under a pilot scheme taking place in Leeds, Cardiff and Carlisle.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 5th December 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Children growing up in households with domestic abuse to be recognised as victims – The Independent

‘Children who grow up amid domestic abuse will be treated as victims and given specialist support even if they were not present during violent attacks.’

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The Independent, 5th December 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judge praises solicitor subject to ‘intense, personal’ abuse from LiP – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 2nd, 2022 in families, family courts, harassment, litigants in person, news, solicitors by tracey

‘The family court has reserved praise for a solicitor operating in the face of repeated abuse from a litigant in person. In TF v DL (Post separation Litigation Abuse) a father made a total of 13 applications in relation to access to his children, the tone of which District Judge Webb described as “deeply offensive, homophobic and sexist”.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 1st December 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Judge to decide if brain-damaged teenager can be allowed to die – The Independent

Posted December 2nd, 2022 in attempts, bills, delay, families, family courts, hospitals, internet, medical treatment, news, suicide by tracey

‘A High Court judge has been asked to decide whether a teenager who suffered brain damage after an “apparent suicide attempt” can lawfully be allowed to die.’

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The Independent, 1st December 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Logan Mwangi – the Child Practice Review and the family courts – Transparency Project

‘This blog post will not go into detail about the distressing history of five year old Logan Mwangi, with which we are all too familiar through media coverage of the trial of the three people who were responsible for his death. An impression had been given at that time that possibly Logan had been let down by the family courts. It is now possible to learn a little about the court involvement – or lack of involvement.’

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Transparency Project, 27th November 2022

Source: transparencyproject.org.uk

Parental Responsibility, the Modern Family and Access to Justice – Family Law Week

Posted November 25th, 2022 in children, families, family courts, news, parental responsibility by tracey

‘Syvil Lloyd Morris, Solicitor Advocate and co-founder of Bastian Lloyd Morris LLP, explores the concept of parental responsibility and LAA funding issues in the context of a changing society.’

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Family Law Week, 18th November 2022

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Prenatal paternity testing for court: your questions answered – Family Law Week

Posted November 17th, 2022 in children, DNA, expert witnesses, families, family courts, forensic science, news by tracey

‘Casey Randall, Head of DNA at AlphaBiolabs, answers some of the most common questions about prenatal paternity testing for legal matters.’

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Family Law Week, 14th November 2022

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Alcohol monitoring technology: what you need to know – Family Law Week

Posted November 17th, 2022 in alcohol abuse, alcoholism, electronic monitoring, families, family courts, news by tracey

‘Rachel Davenport, Co-founder and Director at AlphaBiolabs, discusses alcohol monitoring technology, and how it can be used to evidence levels and patterns of alcohol consumption or sobriety.’

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Family Law Week, 14th November 2022

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Open Justice : Court Reporting In The Digital Age – Transparency Project

Posted November 15th, 2022 in civil justice, family courts, law reports, media, news by sally

‘On 1 November 2022 the House of Commons Justice Committee published their report : Open Justice: court reporting in the digital age.’

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Transparency Project, 12th November 2022

Source: transparencyproject.org.uk

Speech by the President of the Family Division: When families fall apart, do they fall too easily into court? – Courts & Tribunals Judiciary

Posted November 7th, 2022 in arbitration, children, dispute resolution, divorce, families, family courts, judges, speeches by tracey

‘Speech by the President of the Family Division: When families fall apart, do they fall too easily into court?’

Full speech

Courts & Tribunals Judiciary, 31st October 2022

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Separating couples should “try almost anything” before going to court – Legal Futures

Posted November 2nd, 2022 in arbitration, children, dispute resolution, divorce, families, family courts, judges, news by sally

‘Separating couples should “try almost anything” before turning to the courts, the president of the Family Division has said, arguing that there has “got to be a better way” to resolve child disputes in particular.’

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Legal Futures, 2nd November 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Problems with interim contact in private law disputes – Family Law Week

Posted October 28th, 2022 in children, contact orders, families, family courts, news by tracey

‘Many private law practitioners feel frustration about the significant disparity in contact arrangements between children in private and public proceedings. Sadly, this has long been the case: I last wrote an article about this in 2019 (One act, 2 Regimes: why? Family Law Week 17th December 2019) and cannot say that matters have moved on or changed meaningfully. As I set out in that article, there is no justification legally for courts to apply Children Act considerations varyingly. The problem here lies not with the law but in the practice.’

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Family Law Week, 21st October 2022

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

High Court judge approves unregistered placement for teenage girl with “nowhere else to go” – Local Government Lawyer

‘A Family Division judge has directed that a teenage girl at risk of suicide should be moved from hospital to a placement even though the latter is unregistered and the provider could be at risk of legal action by Ofsted.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st October 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Family lawyers and judges “need menopause training” – Legal Futures

‘A large majority of women (76%) who have experienced divorce or separation and the menopause believe family lawyers and judges should have training on the issue so they can “factor it into their cases”.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 21st October 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Travel and childcare costs ‘stopping domestic abuse victims getting to court’ – The Independent

‘The cost-of-living crisis is increasingly being used as justification for domestic abuse while some victims are unable to afford to get to court to obtain protection, a charity has warned.’

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The Independent, 24th October 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Seeking Leave to Oppose the Making of an Adoption Order – Becket Chambers

Posted October 24th, 2022 in adoption, care orders, chambers articles, children, families, family courts, news by sally

‘Following the conclusion of Care proceedings and where a child has been placed for adoption, a parent may only oppose the making of an adoption order with leave of the court. A parent’s application seeking leave of the court will have two stages. Firstly, the court needs to be satisfied, on the facts, that there has been a change of circumstances within section 47(7) Adoption and Children Act 2002 (“the 2002 Act”). Secondly, if there has been such a change, the court will then need to consider the application of section 1 of the 2002 Act to the facts of the case with the paramount consideration of the court being the child’s welfare throughout their life.’

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Becket Chambers, 19th October 2022

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Family lawyers and judges “need menopause training” – Legal Futures

‘A large majority of women (76%) who have experienced divorce or separation and the menopause believe family lawyers and judges should have training on the issue so they can “factor it into their cases”.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 21st October 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk