Charlotte Haskayne, Business Manager at Northgene, joins the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast to lift the lid on the realities of legal DNA testing and its growing role in modern family law.

Where is DNA evidence crucial? What role does it play in the courts? Haskayne discusses her experience with court‑ordered paternity disputes to the rapidly rising number of surrogacy‑related parental order applications; indeed surrogacy cases have “quadrupled” in the past decade, driving demand for clear, scientific confirmation of biological parentage to avoid intrusive adoption processes .

There is a short science lesson as Haskayne demystifies the process, explaining how short tandem repeat (STR) profiling is used to establish biological relationships with accuracy levels of 99.99% or higher, and why strict chain‑of‑custody procedures are essential for legal testing. As she puts it, there must be “absolutely no doubt” that samples come from the correct individuals, distinguishing legal testing from at‑home peace‑of‑mind kits .

And what about ethics... particularly the tension between a child’s right to know their biological heritage and the potential disruption to established family relationships. Ultimately, Haskayne stresses that decisions must be made “solely in the best interests of the child”, with the role of testing providers being to deliver clear, accurate, timely results to support that process .

The Today's Family Lawyer podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider and at www.todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk.

Subscribe to Today's Family Lawyer to receive our FREE weekly newsletter, out every Thursday and listen in to the podcast to hear all the latest news and views from across the family law sector. Thank you to our Podcast Sponsors LEAP and Moneypenny.

The legal profession lacks formal training on managing vicarious trauma, emotional overwhelm, and the human dynamics underpinning family breakdown, leading to family professionals' own mental health and wellbeing coming under pressure through their work.

With 20 years' experience as a trauma specialist psychotherapist and a trained cognitive behavioural therapist, not to mention a family mediator, Sonya Black brings a huge amount of knowledge and understanding around trauma‑informed divorce‑coaching and supporting both family professionals and individuals emotionally, practically, and strategically throughout the separation process to the Today's Family Lawyer podcast.

Indeed, she is an advocate for trauma‑informed training within firms to help lawyers understand neurobiology, manage clients more effectively, and protect their own wellbeing.

It's a mission she has launched herself into as the founder of a divorce coaching programme providing training, one‑to‑one support, and group coaching, which in her words transforms the divorce experience for clients, minimises conflict, and supports family lawyers in delivering better outcomes.

Divorce, she argues, is a significant life transition and need not be inherently traumatic if the right emotional scaffolding is in place. She emphasises the importance of recognising triggers, addressing intergenerational trauma, and ensuring children’s long‑term wellbeing by making mindful decisions that shape their memories. The discussion is framed around psychological safety, empowerment, understanding personal history, and avoiding further harm.

On her relationship with family professionals, Black explains the coach’s role as holding the client emotionally and practically so that the lawyer can focus on legal work without absorbing the full emotional burden. She highlights how unregulated stress impairs cognitive functioning, decision‑making, memory, and problem‑solving, which can significantly disrupt the legal process.

Listen in to understand more about how family professionals can protect both themselves, and their clients, through being more aware of the impact of trauma.

The Today's Family Lawyer podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider and at www.todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk.

Subscribe to Today's Family Lawyer to receive our FREE weekly newsletter, out every Thursday and listen in to the podcast to hear all the latest news and views from across the family law sector. Thank you to our Podcast Sponsors LEAP and Moneypenny.

The latest episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer podcast welcomes Senior Ombudsman at the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) Clair Daniel to explore the current landscape of legal complaints handling, the challenges facing firms, and the strategic work underway to improve first‑tier resolution across the legal sector.

The backdrop to the discussion is the increase in the number of cases in which LeO identify poor complaints handling, up from 46% in 2023/24 to 49% in 2024/25; and efforts to stop complaints at source by equipping firms to better deal with issues before they become complaints.

Daniels says demand for LeO’s services has risen sharply, across all areas of law, with several likely drivers: rising customer expectations shaped by instantaneous digital communication, cost‑of‑living pressures increasing the inclination to complain, and sheer volume of transactions. Communication and delay remain the two most common causes of complaint—together accounting for around 47% of complaints. Often, complaints arise from mismanaged expectations, such as unclear service‑level agreements or clients misunderstanding the steps and timeframes in transactions.

There is the increasing role AI plays in complaints to consider. LeO is increasingly seeing (as are firms) consumers rely on tools such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to produce lengthy, formalised, and at times overly legalistic complaints, complete with copied‑and‑pasted case law. While understandable, this can hinder early, informal resolution. She encourages firms to avoid mirroring an escalated tone, instead refocusing on the core issue and maintaining a professional, calm approach.

Keen to dispel misconceptions about LeO Daniels reiterates the ombudsman is strictly impartial and supports firms as much as consumers, including dismissing complaints where service has clearly been reasonable. To help firms get matters right at first tier, LeO provides resources such as the technical advice desk, sector insights, and forthcoming Model Complaints Resolution Procedure, complete with templates and toolkits. A new learning platform with training and webinars is scheduled for 2026.

Listen in to hear more about LeO's attitude to setting and managing client expectations early, strategies to handle AI‑generated complaints effectively, and internal communication and processes that reduce escalation risk and improve client trust.

The Today's Family Lawyer podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider and at www.todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk.

Subscribe to Today's Family Lawyer to receive our FREE weekly newsletter, out every Thursday and listen in to the podcast to hear all the latest news and views from across the family law sector. Thank you to our Podcast Sponsors LEAP and Moneypenny.