United Kingdom

Earlier this month, the Civil Justice Council in England and Wales published a report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on civil court users. The report includes results from the council's rapid review of remote hearings, which was conducted to assess what is and isn’t working, as well as how to best move forward.

The Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation has published its final report, which is designed to assist the government in assessing the current regulatory framework for legal services in England and Wales and contribute to the momentum around new frameworks for regulation.

Imagine a legal sector neatly divided into two groups: the Rule Makers and the Risk Takers. With evidence piling up that the legal market is not working for ordinary citizens, the Rule Makers come together to evaluate possible changes. After the new rules are enacted, the burden shifts to the Risk Takers to build out...

Divorce proceedings are getting a digital makeover in the United Kingdom as Her Majesty's Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) prepares to move all divorce applications online. Research to better understand the needs of court users identified the D8 divorce application form presented the most problems for people...

A new report conducted by Ecorys UK, Experiences of consumers who may be vulnerable in family law , explores the impacts of personal and situational vulnerabilities for people seeking legal assistance with family law matters. Specifically, the study explored access, cost, and quality of legal representation in the...

The United Kingdom is experimenting with a new and innovative approach to resolving family legal issues through the Family Solutions Court. Judge John Altman, the Designated Family Judge for London, launched the program, which provides early alternative dispute resolution in the court for family disputes and...

There have been a few new resources made available for separating or divorcing families in the United Kingdom, including a website that provides information for families, a collection of legal expertise and advice in legal areas, and a guide for parents who wish to separate cooperatively.

The United Kingdom Ministry of Justice recently announced the government's "commitment that from the age of 10, children and young people involved in all family court hearings in England and Wales will have access to judges to make their views and feelings known." The changes, which will be implemented as soon as...

As reported previously, the cuts to legal aid in England have had a serious impact on the public’s ability to access the legal system and obtain representation. A recent article describes additional consequences stemming from the 2012 cuts. A survey of barristers indicated that 69% of respondents who worked as family...

This issue has created something of a "two-tier system" in which the haves--those with representation--and the have nots--those without--can expect substantially different results in family court cases. This inequality is something that most people would agree is just part of the legal system. But in family court...