There’s one certain thing; COVID-19 had little effect on our profession. Practising solicitors’ numbers have actually increased over the last couple of years, and there are areas of law, such as employment law, which has seen a sharp increase in cases. With an expected increase in hiring in law firms in the coming year, we believe now, more than ever, is the time to focus on employment and education.

When we look back in 30 to 50 years from now, we will look upon DDSA 2020 and the changes it has brought and not just find it odd that people had to prove their relationship had broken down, we will find it outrageous. When he said that there is nothing permanent except change, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus could very well have been referring to family law and the life of a family lawyer. 

Sometimes innovation can leave people behind. This year we have seen the arrival of no-fault divorce and ‘one couple – one lawyer’. All of this is fantastic in demonstrating that the narrative around divorce is changing. However, during these separations or uncouplings, we must remember that often there are children who are still going to be left with two parents who live apart. Whether that separation is traumatic, or less litigious, it’s still a separation and a move towards a different looking family system. 

Galleon’s entrance to the family law space, with their property particulars report offering, is part of a trend towards the commoditisation, or hollowing out, of services in this area generally. Why have lawyers scratching around on Rightmove, when you can have something much more carefully considered and beautifully presented, from people who actually specialise in searching for properties? 

Housing needs can be a contentious part of divorce, with property particulars having the power to make or break a case. Our Property Particulars Report can streamline the process of parties reaching a faster and fairer settlement. Once completed, we can then support our clients with finding and securing their new home. Here is a case study of a report we completed last year for a financial dispute. 

The use of cryptocurrency is rapidly growing, with almost 20% of people in the UK owning a crypto asset in 2021. We’ve interviewed Harriet Errington, Partner at Boodle Hatfield, on overcoming the challenges that crypto presents to divorce proceedings. 

Our Property Particulars Report offers a faster route to settlement in family law, whether clients are going through the court system, or using dispute resolution methods such as mediation, private FDR or arbitration. To demonstrate the capabilities of our report in mediation, here is a case study of how we were able to support a separating couple wanting to avoid going to court. 

Money is often a bone of contention for divorcing couples. This brings added anxiety for the client, but also means that income needs schedules may be inaccurate, contested and cause delays for busy legal teams. 

Building on our experience of helping clients to acquire their new home post-separation, we developed and rolled out our Property Particulars Report this year. We had one purpose: to help busy family law firms by putting together a comprehensive case to deal with housing needs, based on real estate expertise and market access to back up their position. 

Expert in complex financial remedy work and with an established high-net-worth client base, Lois Langton, Head of Family Law at Howard Kennedy shares with us the consideration of valuables during a divorce.