Use of Independent Social Workers in Care Proceedings

This is a guest blog post by Noel Arnold. Noel is a partner at Philcox Gray & Co in London and sits on the Law Society’s Children Law Sub-committee and the Association of Lawyers for Children’s Executive Committee. The views expressed here are his own and do not purport to reflect the views of any other [...]

STUDY DISPUTES INDEPENDENT SOCIAL WORKERS CAUSE DELAYS IN FAMILY COURTS

Some important new research is being launched today, conducted by Dr Julia Brophy at Oxford. It’s not yet visible on the Oxford website but Family Law say the following: New research published today from Oxford University claims that delays could be reduced in family courts by the earlier appointment of independent social work experts (ISWs). The [...]

Out On A Technicality

I complain often enough about the LSC finding pathetic technicalities upon which to base the rejection of my claims for payment for work done (most recently a five figure sum which relates to work between 6 and 18 months ago on a single case, but more frequently the rejection of a smaller claim because I [...]

Bailii

A long time ago I promised I would do my bit to help BAILII raise funds. And then I forgot about it. I have now made good on my promise and gift aided 5% of the funds I have raised through advertising on Pink Tape to BAILII. Not a fortune, but it’s better than a [...]

Statistically Speaking

Last week a range of quarterly court statistics were published by the MoJ. The condensed version of the summary is that care is up massively and everything else is down (not so as you’d know it to hear the government bang on about all those unnecessary and ever-escalating interminable private law disputes). But what I [...]

BAD TIMING

This blog is not just about family law. As is required pursuant to the law of sod I am too darn busy to post anything much about the biggest family law news for some time, the publication of the Family Justice Review. And since this is not my day job it’s the blog that has [...]

LiP Service

Litigants in Person are in the news. The penny seems to be dropping that they are becoming the norm rather than the exception. The Gazette carries a piece on the soaring numbers of LiPs, based upon a recent and stark increase in demand upon the services offered by the PSU at the RCJ, in particular [...]

Litigants in Person v Counsel

Our latest Professional Update from the Bar Standards Board tells us that there has been “an unprecedented increase in complaints from Litigants in Person”. The figures are not astronomical at 35 in the year to date, but apparently this is more than the total number of complaints received in 2009 and 2010 combined. The author [...]

Success is all in my mind

Bit busy at the moment. But here’s a few things to keep you occupied: Slightly belated news that the Justice Select Committee has published it’s report on the Operation of the Family Courts. Scroll down to paragraph 239 and you will find a quote from Lucy Reed, author of Family Courts without a Lawyer – [...]

Trying To End Things

I’ve had two very different articles published today, both about attempts to end things: an article on the bringing to a close of children proceedings through the making of orders under s91(14) Children Act 1989: Section 91(14) Orders – A Never Ending Story? (Family Law Week), and an article on the attempt to bring an end [...]