Injuries and Part 25 experts – Local Government Lawyer

‘Matthew Timm analyses a Family Court ruling that a local authority had failed to discharge the burden of proof in asserting that injuries to a child when he was eight months old were inflicted by one or other of his parents.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 20th November 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Lessons from Lieven J – Local Government Lawyer

‘Holly Hilbourne-Gollop looks at a High Court judge’s realistic approach to obtaining evidence from children.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th November 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court upholds LeO’s decision to dismiss complaint – Legal Futures

Posted November 18th, 2024 in barristers, complaints, executors, families, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) was right to dismiss a complaint it thought better suited to be determined in court, a judge has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 18th November 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The End of the Non-Dom Tax Status: Time Now to End Family Law Domicile Jurisdiction – Financial Remedies Journal

Posted November 18th, 2024 in domicile, families, jurisdiction, news, taxation by tracey

‘Domicile has been a fundamental basis of jurisdiction in English law including English family law. But it is intrinsically backward-looking, archaic in its concepts, thoroughly unknown or at best misunderstood by the population, differently defined abroad and at odds with many other countries including the EU. With the non-domicile tax status being abolished as announced in the budget in late October 2024, is it not time now to end domicile as a family law basis of jurisdiction? Nationality is a far more straightforward, certain and modern basis.’

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Financial Remedies Journal, 11th November 2024

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

What Financial Remedy Lawyers Need to Know About Emojis – Financial Remedies Journal

Posted November 18th, 2024 in families, family courts, interpretation, legal profession, news, telecommunications by tracey

‘Emojis play a significant part in digital communications, including casual messaging, social media posts, and increasingly, professional communications. When we are reviewing historical messages, understanding what the emojis were intended to mean could become an essential part of identifying what was discussed and/or agreed at that time.’

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Financial Remedies Journal, 15th November 2024

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

Girl and mum awarded £14k over education failures – BBC News

‘A council that did not provide a girl who has special educational needs with suitable schooling for two years will pay her and her mother £14,300 in compensation.’

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BBC News, 18th November 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Husband who stabbed wife as she soothed baby jailed – BBC News

Posted November 18th, 2024 in attempted murder, domestic violence, families, imprisonment, news, sentencing by tracey

‘A former councillor has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after stabbing his wife three times while she soothed their baby.’

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BBC News, 15th November 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The Supreme Court prioritises substance over form in protecting the welfare of children in an immigration context. Explicit reference to guidance is neither sufficient nor necessary – UK Human Rights Blog

‘In their co-authored judgment, Lord Sales and Dame Siobhan Keegan provide a rich analysis of how the courts should consider the welfare of children in an immigration context. In doing so, they clarify the meaning and effect of Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 (“Section 55”) and its interaction with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“Article 8”). The judgment provides a guide for how the appellate courts should assess decision-making by the Secretary of State, her officials, and the First-tier Tribunal.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 15th November 2024

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

A new Cafcass Domestic Abuse Practice Policy – Becket Chambers

‘On 9th October 2024 Cafcass published a new policy document that outlines what actions ‘practitioners’ (Family Court Advisers and Guardians) and their managers should undertake when working with children and adults who have experienced domestic abuse. The policy is a direct response to the 2020 Harm Panel report and it sets out a clear intention of further protecting child and adult victims of domestic abuse.’

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Becket Chambers, 31st October 2024

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Coercion, control and powers of attorney – a dilemma for the court – Mental Capacity Law and Policy

‘Re CA (Fact finding – capacity – inherent jurisdiction – injunctive relief) [2024] EWCOP 64 (T3) is a decision which is very helpfully summarised in the case title. In headline terms, it involved the court having to decide what to do, and how to do it, to secure the interests of CA, a 79 year old woman with dementia. Her daughter, DA, held lasting powers of attorney in respect of her mother’s property and affairs and health and welfare.’

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Mental Capacity Law and Policy, 13th November 2024

Source: www.mentalcapacitylawandpolicy.org.uk

Case Law on Covert Recordings – Becket Chambers

‘Covert recordings are any recording made without the express knowledge and permission of the person recorded, whether by audio or video: Family Justice Council.’

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Becket Chambers, 31st October 2024

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

What can I do when my ex-partner refuses to comply with a financial remedy order? – Becket Chambers

‘Where a party to financial remedy proceedings fails to comply with a final order, there are numerous ways in which the order can be enforced. The rules relating to the enforcement of orders in family proceedings are found in Part 33 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010.’

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Becket Chambers, 7th October 2024

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Conduct in financial remedy proceedings: N v J [2024] EWFC 184 – Becket Chambers

‘It can often be a difficult and sensitive topic in financial remedy proceedings: what relevance is domestic abuse when considering a fair distribution of assets after separation?’

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Becket Chambers, 1st October 2024

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Orders protecting against risk of FGM should be “focused, targeted and proportionate” to specific risks established, says High Court judge – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 12th, 2024 in families, female genital mutilation, local government, news, proportionality by tracey

‘The High Court has discharged a Prohibited Steps Order (PSO) made to protect a now teenage girl against the risks of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), after finding “no evidence” of an ongoing risk of FGM to the girl, and finding that the order continued to have a “profound impact on her competing rights and freedoms”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th November 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Law firm not negligent in advice to settle £2m claims – Legal Futures

‘A law firm was not negligent in advice to settle £2m of claims brought by a businessman’s trustee in bankruptcy against his wife and daughter, the High Court has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 11th November 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Speech by the PFD: Suspected Physical Abuse of Children – Experts in the Family Court – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘Speech by the PFD: Suspected Physical Abuse of Children – Experts in the Family Court.’

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Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 7th November 2024

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Wells Sharing: Commonplace or a Matter of Last Resort? – Financial Remedies Journal

Posted November 11th, 2024 in divorce, families, family courts, financial provision, news by tracey

‘The importance of the ‘clean break’ has been reemphasised in recent years with greater emphasis being placed on MCA 1973 s 25A (and s 28(1A)), particularly in the judgments of Mostyn J.’

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Financial Remedies Journal, 8th November 2024

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

Children taken away from parents due to misreporting of drug tests, say experts – The Guardian

‘Children are at risk of being wrongly removed from their parents’ care by the family courts because drug tests are being misinterpreted, experts have warned.’

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The Guardian, 9th November 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ex-DJ imprisoned for life for murdering partner’s mother in drunken knife attack – The Guardian

‘A lorry driver and ex-DJ who stabbed his partner’s mother to death in a drunken attack after she tried to help her daughter has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years.’

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The Guardian, 7th November 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Wholesale reform to adoption process is needed, says Public Law Working Group – Courts & Tribunal Judiciary

Posted November 7th, 2024 in adoption, families, news, reports by tracey

‘Wholesale reform is needed, the adoption sub-group of the Public Law Working Group has said in its report ‘Recommendations for best practice in respect of adoption’, which is published today (Thursday, 7 November).’

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Courts & Tribunal Judiciary, 7th November 224

Source: www.judiciary.uk