THIS ISSUE
In this week’s Civil Way, Stephen Gold looks ahead to April, when the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 is due to come into force. He covers the rules, costs, fees and mediation
The government recently suggested the British Navy could be used to deter asylum seekers from crossing the English Channel on dinghies and small boats
When is a covenant enforceable by a person who claims the benefit of it and who is not the original covenantee?
Law firm DAC Beachcroft has launched a crisis management app, the DACB Crisis Room app
Evolving societal expectations of business and post-pandemic employee requirements are among four emerging risk trends for legal and compliance over the next two years, according to Gartner Legal and Compliance
The Civil Justice Council (CJC) has recommended a simplified procedure for civil claims worth £500 or less, in its final report on ‘The resolution of small claims’
More clients are challenging their solicitors’ bills, research from the Association of Costs Lawyers (ACL) has found
Clinical negligence claimants seeking damages of £25,000 or less would only be able to recover limited costs, under government proposals
The legal profession is slowly becoming more diverse, data from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and Bar Standards Board (BSB) reveals
The government’s Legal Support for Litigants in Person Grant programme (LSLIP) is currently funding 11 projects for unrepresented litigants, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has confirmed
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
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
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
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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