header-logo header-logo

Divorcees do it themselves

18 September 2019
Issue: 7856 / Categories: Legal News , Divorce , Family , Legal services
printer mail-detail
Nearly one third of individuals involved in a divorce or civil partnership dissolution dealt with the proceedings themselves from start to finish, consumer research shows.

The Family Law Consumer Research Report, published this week by IRN Research (also known as Orchard Reports) is based on responses from 304 adults involved in a divorce/dissolution in the past five years.

One in ten individuals started proceedings themselves but then used a solicitor or law firm to complete the process. The majority paid for their advice under a fixed fee arrangement but only half of these actually paid the fee at the end that they were quoted at the start. Most faced higher fees.

Most people found their legal adviser through recommendations from others, but 21% used search engines to find their lawyer. The overwhelming majority of clients said they found face-to-face contact with a legal adviser important when going through divorce or dissolution proceedings.

Issue: 7856 / Categories: Legal News , Divorce , Family , Legal services
printer mail-details

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Declan Goodwin & Elinor Owen

Clarke Willmott—Declan Goodwin & Elinor Owen

Corporate and commercial teams in Cardiff boosted by dual partner hire

Hill Dickinson—Joz Coetzer & Marc Naidoo

Hill Dickinson—Joz Coetzer & Marc Naidoo

London hires to lead UK launch of international finance team

Switalskis—11 promotions

Switalskis—11 promotions

Firm marks start of year with firmwide promotions round

NEWS
Regulators differed in the clarity and consistency of their post-Mazur advice and guidance, according to an interim report by the Legal Services Board (LSB)
The dangers of uncritical artificial intelligence (AI) use in legal practice are no longer hypothetical. In this week's NLJ, Dr Charanjit Singh of Holborn Chambers examines cases where lawyers relied on ‘hallucinated’ citations — entirely fictitious authorities generated by AI tools
The next generation is inheriting more than assets—it is inheriting complexity. Writing in NLJ this week, experts from Penningtons Manches Cooper chart how global mobility, blended families and evolving values are reshaping private wealth advice
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming sport, from recruitment and training to officiating and fan engagement. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dr Ian Blackshaw of Valloni Attorneys at Law explains how AI now influences everything from injury prevention to tactical decisions, with clubs using tools such as ‘TacticAI’ to gain competitive edges
The Solicitors Act 1974 may still underpin legal regulation, but its age is increasingly showing. Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Morrison-Hughes of the Association of Costs Lawyers argues that the Act is ‘out of step with modern consumer law’ and actively deters fairness
back-to-top-scroll