It was a positive start to the year as The Family Law Company welcomed four new starters to the teams in Exeter and Plymouth.
The growth in cases concerning children and domestic abuse during the lockdown months is well documented. Solicitor Hannah Duddridge has been engaged in Exeter to join the busy Children and Domestic Abuse Response team. Hannah qualified in 2019 and will be working with Team Leader, Senior Associate Gemma Sparks.
Victoria Power is also joining the team as a Paralegal. She will have the opportunity to assist the team working with victims of domestic...
BARRISTERS at a Westcountry-based law service specialising in family and child law is supporting a new report that calls for parental breakdown to be moved away from a ‘justice’ response.
A 123-page report by the Family Solutions Group said that a legal response to parental disagreements over their children is inappropriate for many, and actively harmful for some.
Family barrister, Elizabeth McCallum, who co-founded Children in the Middle® with fellow Exeter barrister Sarah Evans, says: “The new report from the Family Solutions Group calls for a rethink of society’s...
Following the publication of the Legal 500 2021 directory, Ashfords has once more been positioned as an outstanding leading law firm with rankings in 37 practice areas.
The Legal 500 provides comprehensive coverage on the best law firms and legal professionals, assessing the strengths of law firms in over 100 jurisdictions. The firm has received top tier rankings in eight practice areas: Corporate and Commercial, Employment, Insolvency & Corporate Recovery, Contentious Trusts & Probate, Shipping, Sport, Social Housing and IT & Telecoms.
A WESTCOUNTRY legal practice which specialises in child-focused family law says a youngster’s education and wellbeing is now more important than ever after the COVID-19 lockdown (September 2020).
It was recently revealed by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) that children from wealthier families were spending more time studying during the pandemic than poorer children.
Family barrister, Elizabeth McCallum, who co-founded the legal service, Children in the Middle®, with fellow Exeter barrister Sarah Evans, says: “Understandably, parents have had a lot to worry about...
A South West law firm has been recognised for its private wealth expertise in a prestigious guide to the best private wealth lawyers in the UK.
Stephens Scown LLP has been ranked in the Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Guide. The guide, which has just been published, is based on feedback from clients and other specialist industry professionals. Stephens Scown’s private client and inheritance and trust disputes teams are praised in the new guide. Stephens Scown is described by a client as “one of the absolutely top firms in the South West”. Private client partners Phil Reed...
A LEGAL service giving separating/divorcing parents direct access to barristers says it’s seeing an increase in emotional abuse during the lockdown and is worried about the damage it’s causing children.
Children in the Middle says it wants to raise awareness of parental alienation to ensure it’s recognised, so youngsters at home under COVID-19 restrictions are less vulnerable to it.
Elizabeth McCallum, who is a family barrister and co-founder of Children in the Middle, along with fellow Exeter barrister Sarah Evans, explained: “If, following divorce or separation, a child,...
A WESTCOUNTRY legal practice says children are at risk of harm as cases of domestic abuse rise during the COVID-19 outbreak (May 2020).
UK domestic abuse charity, Refuge, reported a 700% increase in calls to its helpline during the crisis. Experts at Children in the Middle say there may need to be applications to the courts to manage risks to children.
Family barrister, Elizabeth McCallum, who is the co-founder of the legal service Children in the Middle, along with her fellow Exeter barrister Sarah Evans, said: “As it has been widely reported recently, cases of domestic...
Law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has been nominated for Planning Law Firm of the Year at the 2020 Planning Awards. The awards recognise excellence in professional planning work including outstanding work by councils, consultants, developers, lawyers, voluntary groups and other important players in the UK planning system.
WBD's national planning team was shortlisted on the back of its expertise advising public and private sector clients on a range of high profile projects. There are two matters of note.
The firm advised NHS Property Services Limited (NHSPS) on a...
A WESTCOUNTRY legal practice says during these uncertain times the protection and care of children remains as important as ever (April, 2020).
As of March 24, it was confirmed by the Government that children can move between separated parents during the current coronavirus restrictions.
Family barrister, Elizabeth McCallum, who is the co-founder of the legal service Children in the Middle, along with her fellow Exeter-based barrister Sarah Evans, said: “During these uncertain times, it’s important to maintain your child’s routine as much as possible and the Government...
Suggestions that there will be a surge in domestic violence in the region as families self-isolate and schools face long closures has prompted a response from The Family Law Company.
Director Jane Chanot who is part of the Children, Child Abduction and Domestic Violence Team, says “I have real concerns that we’ll see an increase in situations where families are kept inside together for long periods of time, with likely financial worries as well.
“I believe we have a moral responsibility to provide services for vulnerable people at this time and I want people to know that we...
