Futureworld

Fed up of hearing how family law is changing?  How we need to embrace the opportunities ABSs and the like are bringing rather than fear the demise of the traditional role of the solicitor?  Well, these two articles I spotted on legal Futures this week illustrate why family practitioners have to wake up and smell the proverbial coffee.

Firstly, last week saw the launch of Riverview Law's barrister-led service for high net-worth divorcing couples. Riverview Law, which launched its fixed fee business service back in February, has now added a divorce side to their practice and are aiming to attract clients who have assets worth over £500,000. So far, the team compromises seven barristers including Deborah Bangay QC and Katharine Davidson QC. By appointing a barrister-led team from the outset, Riverview are promoting their service as one which reduces costs and where clients can have direct access to barristers. The service is offered in four stages, with prices depending on whether a QC or junior barrister is instructed to lead the team. Fixed fees start at £1,000 for an initial conference with a junior barrister - where the merits of the case are examined and a strategy developed - and move to £25,000 if a client appoints a QC-led team for the FDR stage of the proceedings. There is also a pre-divorce advice option if a client wants to draw up a pre or post marital agreement.

And we also had an announcement that 15 law firms in Yorkshire and the north-east have joined together with a specialist divorce coach and IFA to offer what they claim to be is the first fixed-fee collaborative divorce service. Dovetail Divorce Solutions are planning to expand across the country although currently they are only operating in Manchester. The service provides an online quote to clients who can then select a solicitor from the participating firms who confirms the fixed fee that will be charged. Clients then meet with their divorce coach and IFA and before the collaborative process gets underway.

Read more at www.legalfutures.co.uk

We're marking the launch of the Family Law Hub with some free CPD

To mark the launch of the Family Law Hub, we are offering our blog readers and twitter followers 1.5 hours of complimentary CPD.

One of our first published webcasts features Christopher Wagstaffe QC, from 29 Bedford Row, tackling tackling trust issues in financial remedy cases such as variation, tips on preserving the value of the assets and the meaning of 'available resource'.

To claim your complimentary CPD you will first need to create an account here. Then log on, download the talk and notes here and answer the questions here. Once you have passed the course your online training record will be updated automatically so that you can submit it to your regulator. To help you get started, there are some notes on taking a CPD course here.

This webcast is the first of many and we will also be hosting regular live webinars - all provided in the costs of an annual subscription. Our first webinar will feature David Salter, of Mills & Reeve, providing a practice and procedure update including a review of the FPR in practice. More on this to follow very soon

The Family Law Hub: by practitioners for practitioners

Roger Bamber, Mills & Reeve LLP

All of us at Mills & Reeve are very pleased and proud of the Family Law Hub, which is launched today. All of us within the team - including the senior partners David Salter, Nigel Shepherd Marc Saunderson and myself - have contributed as we regard it as very much a continuation of our commitment to help other family lawyers. We have been lecturing to the profession for something like 25 years - I set up the original Resolution Road show, and all of us have been regulars on the lecture circuit.

I genuinely believe that the Family Law Hub will be a most radical innovation in family law training.  It provides practitioners with all the precedents that we have developed over many years, together with CPD points online and webinars.

Placing these together, on a single site, with the legal resources and knowhow, means that this truly is a "one stop shop" for practitioners. It is very much designed by practitioners for practitioners.

Looking ahead, we are going to develop the site further - adding qualifications and more detailed and focused training and knowhow.

We are indebted to 29 Bedford Row for their input as well. The range of expertise in those Chambers is extraordinary, and their enthusiasm for the project has been inspiring.

If you have any feedback on the Hub - good or bad - do let us know. We want to improve it and to help practitioners in their day to day work.

Roger Bamber, Mills & Reeve LLP