Christmas can be a tough time of year to stay sober; especially for those who struggle with addiction issues. In this latest Today's Family Lawyer podcast two experts provide their views on how specialist services can support family law professionals, and by extension their clients, in their efforts to stay sober over the festive period. Joining podcast host David Opie are Donna Muldoon, Reporting Manager and forensic toxicologist, and Sophie Lawrence, Client Manager from LexTox, ...

Recruitment and retention; almost always one of the top three items on the agenda at every partners meeting. Collaboration between education and industry could help professionals bridge the gap and identify new recruits at an earlier stage in their development. So say Jonathan Whettingsteel Partner and Head of Family Law at Dutton Gregory, and Brad Kershaw, Course Leader for Law at Solent University. An alumnus of Solent University, Jonathan maintained strong ties with the institution a...

The Today's Family Lawyer podcast explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on co-parenting through the eyes of family law professionals; with Sophie Lougher, Director and Senior Solicitor, and Kathryn Fanstone a Solicitor at Zeus Family Law sharing their insight and experiences. The Cardiff-based boutique firm was founded during the pandemic, driven by Sophie's own experience juggling a young family and professional commitments. Her passion for client care and practical legal advice...

The Today's Family Lawyer Podcast welcomes co-founder and Head of Innovation at Family Law Partners Alan Larkin on to discuss his vision for family law. Through his career Larkin has championed access to justice, and the evolution of client experience; and the use of technology to support these objectives - work which has recently been recognised with the award of an honorary doctorate by the University of Brighton for his sustained impact on the legal profession A late bloomer in law, ...

The latest episode of Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast welcomes on Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors and Vice Chair of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group to discuss the impact of the Legal Aid Agency cyber attack on her firm, and the wider legal aid community. The Legal Aid Agency revealed as many as 2 million records dating back 2007 had been hacked back in May of this year; with the details of those affected particularly sensitive in cases of domestic abuse and vuln...

In this episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast, host David Opie is joined by Peter Burgess, Founding Partner at Burgess Mee Family Law, and Hannah Budd, Partner at the Rosefield Divorce Consultancy, to explore a new collaboration designed to reshape how family law professionals support clients in crisis. The conversation centres on “Within the Window,” a trauma-informed framework developed to help clients navigate separation and divorce with greater emotional safety and clarity. Drawing...

The Today's Family Lawyer Podcast welcomes Annmarie Carvalho, director of The Carvalho Consultancy (TCC), to discuss her work at the intersection of law and therapy and the launch of her new book, 'Saying Sane in Family Law', available now through Bath Publishing. A former family solicitor and mediator with over a decade of experience in a central London firm, Annmarie retrained as a therapist after recognising the psychological complexities inherent in family law. Her motto, 'Because w...

In this episode of Today’s Family Lawyer, host David Opie is discusses the increasing number of disputes between separating partners when it comes to pets, and a new working group looking at amending legislation to bring it more in line with the challenges family professionals face on this emotive topic. Barrister Sarah Lucy Cooper, Diane Matthews, a senior associate at MSB Solicitors in Liverpool, and Karis Nafte, a certified dog behaviour consultant and accredited family mediato...

This episode of the Today's Family Lawyer podcast features host David Opie in conversation with Grant Cameron - family lawyer, mediator, collaborative practitioner, and a partner at Trethowans. Grant recently concluded his tenure as Chair of Resolution, having led the organization during a transformative post-COVID period marked by significant legislative and cultural shifts. He reflects on the implementation of no fault divorce and how Resolution maintained momentum through its Vision for Fa...

In this episode of the Today's Family Lawyer podcast, host David Opie welcomes Sally Robinson, partner and head of the HCR Law Family Team in Central England. Broadcasting from the Northampton office, Sally brings over two decades of legal experience to a timely discussion on how language in family law is evolving. Sally reflects on the landmark shift introduced by no-fault divorce, calling it the most significant change in her career. She highlights how the move away from adversarial languag...

In this episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer podcast, host David Opie is joined by Jude Eyre, Associate Director at the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (NFJO). Together, they explore the newly released Toolkit for Judges on Writing to Children, a guidance document designed to support judges in communicating directly with children in family law proceedings. Jude offers insight into the collaborative process behind the toolkit, developed with input from the Family Justice Young People’s Boa...

In this powerful episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast, host David Opie welcomes Shoba Aziz, an experienced barrister at Great James St Chambers, for an important conversation exploring the psychological dimensions of domestic abuse—specifically narcissistic behaviour and gaslighting. Drawing on over 20 years in legal practice, Shoba shares her deep expertise in private child and family law, especially in cases involving coercive control and emotional manipulation. She explains how nar...

In this episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast host David Opie is joined by Mike Mack, CEO of the Family Mediation Trust, and Lorraine Bramwell, a seasoned family mediator and trainer, to discuss the creation of a new Domestic Abuse Screening Tool. The initiative is a collaboration between the Family Mediation Trust and the Family Mediation Council (FMC), aimed at improving the consistency and effectiveness of domestic abuse screening in mediation settings. The conversation begins with ...

In this latest Today's Family Lawyer Podcast host David Opie welcomes Laura Tanguay and Lucy Birch from Birketts LLP to discuss the launch of their Modern Families service. Lucy Birch is a senior associate in the family team, and Laura Tanguay is a legal director in the property disputes team; with the podcast exploring how this unique combination of expertise is central to the Modern Families service. Laura Tanguay explains the rationale behind the Modern Families service, emphasising ...

Today's Family Lawyer Podcast host David Opie welcomes Kate Daly, co-founder of amicable to discuss the evolution of the business since it launched in 2015; to a point where it now is one of the largest providers of family law services in the UK by virtue of the number of consent orders it submits annually. Founded by Kate, a counsellor with a background in psychology, and Pip Wilson, and driven by a desire to find a better way to separate following Kate's own separation, the goal initi...

The Co-Parent Way is a co-parenting methodology developed by Marcie Shaoul; with a history working in the diplomatic service in 2016 Marcie launched her consultancy aimed at helping co-parents better communicate with one another and place their children at the centre of the relationship. She describes how she saw the same patterns emerging in separating couples after her work with government and civil society. Of her work Marcie says "you can have the same north star, the same place you...

In the latest episode of the Today's Family Lawyer podcast, host David Opie sits down with James Nutt, Laboratory Operations Manager at Cansford Laboratories, to explore a fresh perspective on the use of hair strand testing in the family courts. This episode delves into the complexities behind what many might see as a straightforward scientific process. James offers an alternative view on how hair samples are prepared, how substances such as drugs or alcohol are extracted and tested, and wha...

Podcast host David Opie is joined by Rukhsana Koser and Sarah Palmer, Solicitor’s at Enable Law, to discuss Special Educational Needs (SEN) and family law and shed light on the increasing challenges families face and how legal expertise can make a significant impact. With personal experience growing up alongside siblings with learning difficulties, Rukhsana brings over a decade of experience in education law. She highlighted how families often struggle to secure the support their children are...

Podcast host David Opie in joined by CEO of the charity LawCare, Elizabeth Rimmer, to discuss their latest "Life in the Law" surveys which are now open for completion until Friday 21st March. LawCare supports and promotes mental health and wellbeing across the legal services sector. They have 2 main focuses. Their first is in providing direct support on and offline for those who wish to reach out. Their second focus is on providing wider education and advocacy of mental health planning ...

The Today's Family Lawyer Podcast welcomes back Dan Warburton, a law firm consultant and trainer who specialises in helping individuals delegate work more effectively; in the process junior staff are elevated, the individual has a happier work/life balance, and ultimately the firm can be more profitable. It's a soapbox Dan has jumped on before having appeared previously on the podcast to discuss “the skill of profitable delegation;” creating leaders who can deliver high levels of perfor...