Children

Articles

The importance of the Family Drug and Alcohol Courts: what, why and what’s next?

Isabel Wilson, from Creighton & Partners, assesses the benefits and challenges presented by the Family Drug and Alcohol Court model in terms of improving outcomes for families and reducing the related costs to local government

The continued rise of sextortion and blackmail

In this article, Sandra Paul, a Partner at Kingsley Napley, looks at the rise of sextortion and blackmail, the legal landscape in regard to such offences and the need for the current protections to be reviewed and consolidated

Guidance for the courts on dealing with parental alienation allegations

In this article, Fiona Porter explains the concept of parental alienation and the recent guidance on the topic from the Family Justice Counsel

Alienating behaviour cases: much needed new guidance from the Family Justice Council

Linzi Bull, a Partner and Head of Modern Families at Penningtons Manches Cooper, looks in detail at the new guidance from the Family Justice Council and whether it is likely to address the issues relating to cases involving allegations of alienating behaviour

VAT on private school fees and the impact on separated families – who is footing the bill?

Following the government’s decision to end the value-added tax exemption on private school fees, Alice Scambler, a Director, Solicitor, Mediator and Collaborative Lawyer at Family Law Partners, looks at what this decision will mean for separated families

The Pathfinder Pilot in practice: “More radical, and far more successful, than even its most ardent supporters would have anticipated”?

Catherine Wood KC and Julia Townend, Barristers at 4PB, share their thoughts on the Pathfinder Pilot so far, following an informative day spent at Bournemouth Family Court with HHJ Simmonds to see the Pilot in operation

The case for mandatory reporting laws in the UK

The Makin Review highlights systemic failures in safeguarding children and calls for a legal obligation to report child abuse, says Alan Collins

Surrogacy in the UK and the need for legal reform

Deirdre Fottrell KC and Andrew Powell, Barristers at 4BP, take a look at the law on surrogacy in the UK and the room for reform, as well as several recent international developments