THIS ISSUE
It’s all happening on 1 October
Solicitors have called for any increase in probate fees to be accompanied by ‘real and tangible improvements in the service’
Legal professionals are at high risk of burnout (particularly if aged 26-35), mental ill-health, discrimination and harassment, research by charity LawCare has found
The Law Society has joined with Cardiff University to issue guidance for law firms on reasonable adjustments to help them recruit and retain disabled employees
Legal aid deserts have sprung up around the country as practitioners move to more economically viable fields, retire or leave the profession
Unfair dismissal has been the number one case at employment tribunals since the pandemic began, according to data compiled by law firm Wright Hassall
Nearly one in three barristers (30%) have reported being bullied, harassed and/or discriminated against at work within the previous two years, research has found
Last-minute cancellations of court hearings to agree financial settlements or child contact arrangements are leaving ex-couples facing ‘ruinous costs’, family lawyers have warned
City firms would have to meet a national pro bono target to be eligible for government contracts, under proposals announced by Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy MP
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Birketts—trainee cohort
Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025
Keoghs—four appointments
Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Brabners—Ben Lamb
Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner
NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
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