Thursday October 27, 2011 at 9:00am
I blogged not long ago (Love replaces sex at top of divorce list) about research which suggested that adultery was no longer the number one cause of divorce in the UK. In 27 per cent of cases, the highest scoring answer according to the Grant Thornton survey was growing apart that ultimately led to a breakdown, overtaking infidelity in the top slot for the first time since the matrimonial survey began in 2003.
However, adultery is still one of the most common
grounds for divorce. And ....
Monday October 24, 2011 at 9:00am
I think the generally accepted wisdom, which of course is the favourite kind and has no basis whatsoever in law, is that if an individual buys a Lottery ticket and their numbers come up, their other half is entitled to half. I guess that should read that they would share their winnings but if they split up, it would be divided between them. Well, a ruling last week suggested that is not always the case – and it could send shockwaves through households across the country as long-held ....
Thursday October 20, 2011 at 9:30am
As an active collaborative lawyer I am finding myself in court less and less these days, which for me is a real bonus. This is not to say I’m not busy, but my time and energy is focused on helping clients to reach amicable solutions to their problems in a way that enables them to move forward into the next phase of their lives in a more positive and constructive way. I think this is most efficient use of all of our time and, definitely, of a client’s money. Generally speaking, it hel....
Monday October 17, 2011 at 9:30am
A little while ago a client came to me stating that he wanted a “Rottweiler” of a solicitor and I found this approach very strange indeed. As someone who was attacked when riding my bike home from work one night by a vicious Doberman (that looked like a Rottweiler) and ending up in A&E and permanently scarred, the concept of wanting to instruct someone that had the potential of causing you and your former partner pain and expense was a mystery to me. What made it even worse....
Thursday October 13, 2011 at 9:00am
A new code of Conduct for law practices is now in place. Despite the rather meaningless title Outcome-Focused Regulations, I think they are good, easy to manage and full of common sense issues to help a modern practice run more professionally and thrive.
Now I am not normally backward in complaining about this profession shying away from this sort of change, so I was heartened to read a great blog on the subject in Law Society Gazette. In it, the point was made that this should not be some....
Monday October 10, 2011 at 9:30am
There are few areas of life that remain steeped in tradition and still practised as they were several decades ago. For most people, times change and things move on. It could be argued that law is one of the areas most resistant to that change, for many of the reasons I have mentioned in previous blogs. Firms run by non-business people, a reluctance to make it easy for people to pay, or use emails to send documents and make agreements, or insisting on face-to-face meetings in high street office....
Thursday October 6, 2011 at 10:37am
I nearly choked to death on my toast this morning when I heard a debate on BBC Breakfast news about the new “Supermarket Law” companies which are likely to be spawned by the Legal Services Act (LSA) which comes into force today.
One guest was passionately arguing that it would be “dangerous” for certain types of law (family law being one specifically referred to) being dealt with over the phone, rather than face to face! Whilst dealing with clients in this way may be ....
Thursday October 6, 2011 at 9:30am
The nation seems to have spent a bit of time in recent weeks pondering whether more rights should be given to co-habiting couples. In his blog (How can unmarried couples get greater rights than married ones?) Andrew looked at this topic a few weeks ago. Of course, what we all completely failed to look at was trends relating to partners living together. I think the consensus is that more couples are trying it – but does it last? Are long term co-habitations now the norm? ONS data ....
Monday October 3, 2011 at 10:00am
So, this week (October 6) the much anticipated Legal Services Act (LSA) comes into force. For some, this anticipation has been spent in a state of excitement. For many, particularly in the legal sector, it has been more akin to awaiting sentencing after a guilty verdict has been returned at the end of a high profile criminal trial.
In short, the LSA will open up the legal sector allowing many other organisations, such as supermarkets and banks, to offer legal services, something they have no....