The Today's Family Lawyer Podcast welcomes two expert guests on to discuss a new book focused on children’s right to identity within international family law, using Article 8 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as a foundational framework.

Children’s Rights to Identity, Selfhood and International Family Law is edited by Marilyn Freeman, Principal Research Fellow at Westminster Law School, an associate member of the barristers’ chambers 4PB in London, Chair of the International Association of Child Law Researchers, and Director of the International; and Nicki Taylor an academic based at the University of Otago Faculty of Law in New Zealand, Secretary of the International Association of Child Law Researchers and director of the Children's Issues research Centre.

A central theme of the podcast is the profound impact that life events and legal processes can have on a child’s identity development. Drawing on their extensive experience in areas including international child abduction and relocation, the authors highlight how such events can shape how children, and later adults, understand themselves, form relationships, and navigate the world. They emphasise that identity is not static but is continuously influenced by experiences, including trauma and disruption.

Article 8, which recognises a child’s right to preserve aspects of identity such as nationality, name, and family relationships, is a “right hiding in plain sight” or a “sleeping giant,” with significant untapped potential suggests Freeman, advocating for greater use of Article 8 in legal practice, including the possibility of a formal General Comment from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to clarify and expand its application. Education on identity considerations into is also paramount.

By embedding identity considerations into legal thinking and practice, the book and its authors hope to influence how courts, practitioners, and policymakers approach family law cases

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.

In this latest Today's Family Lawyer Podcast, founders Natasha Grande and Neil Graham explain how newly launched G&G Law came about and what their motivations were behind leaving their secure and successful positions, and striking out on their own.

With decades of experience between them, Graham specialises in prenuptial agreements to complex financial settlements at the end of long marriages. Grande describes her specialism in financial remedies and private children matters, reflecting on a career spanning nearly 30 years, much of it within top-tier Legal 500 firms.

Despite successful and fulfilling careers in traditional firms, both lawyers describe feeling drawn towards a different way of working.

The origins of the business goes back many years with the two having worked together previously and maintained a close professional relationship long after moving to different firms. They describe a shared philosophy centred on delivering clear, pragmatic advice, underpinned by empathy and transparency. This alignment, along with mutual trust built over years of mentoring and collaboration, eventually led to the decision to set up in partnership. Although the idea had been discussed for nearly eight years, the final decision was deliberately slow and considered, reflecting both the risks involved and the fact that neither was unhappy in their former roles.

They chose Excello Law and the consultancy model rather than as a standalone regulated practice because it didn't bring the need for substantial capital investment, long lead-in times, and the immediate burden of regulation, compliance, and infrastructure. The "house of brands" model allows them to retain their own identity as G&G Law while benefiting from an established regulatory framework, back-office support, and compliance systems from day one - essentially enabling them to hit the ground running.

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.

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.

The latest Today’s Family Lawyer podcast features Frank Arndt, founder of Paradigm Family Law and co‑founder of Whatwouldajudgesay. Arndt is well known in the sector. A former German judge. A specialist in international family law. A familiar face on the BBC’s red sofa. And a vocal commentator on LinkedIn. His new venture aims to tackle one of the most pressing problems in family justice: delay, cost and misinformation.

In discussion with podcast host David Opie, Arndt explores his unconventional route into English law, the family law scene, technology and AI and innovation,

With 23 years in the UK legal system he is familiar with its flaws and the conversation quickly turns to the crisis facing the courts. Backlogs. Year‑long waits for final hearings. Spiralling costs. And a rise in contested financial remedy cases across all wealth brackets. Arndt explains how these pressures helped shape Whatwouldajudgesay, a service designed to give separating couples early, realistic guidance on likely judicial outcomes.

The model is simple. Clients provide their information. An experienced barrister or deputy judge produces an early neutral evaluation. The client then uses that opinion to negotiate, mediate or plan their next steps. It is, Arndt says, a way to bring transparency and realism into the process before costs escalate.

He is candid about the profession’s reluctance to embrace such tools. Early clarity can reduce billable hours. But, he argues, it is the right thing for families. It reduces conflict. It reduces misinformation. And it protects children from prolonged disputes.

Of course at a time when there is much talk about AI such tools might in the future be powered by it; but Arndt is clear: AI will not replace lawyers, but AI‑enabled lawyers will outperform those who resist it. Used responsibly, he says, technology can support analysis, memory, pattern‑spotting and strategy—while humans retain the empathy and judgement that family law demands.

Feedback on Whatwouldajudgesay has been strong, including interest from the Cayman Islands and Scotland. Arndt sees real potential for international expansion. His mission is simple: give families the information they need earlier, reduce unnecessary litigation, and help people move on with their lives sooner.

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 Today’s Family Lawyer podcast shines a spotlight on a challenge many firms acknowledge and struggle to tackle; the differentiation of service provision and effectively marketing those points of difference to prospective clients with clarity, confidence and distinction in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Hosted by David Opie, the episode explores why so many family law practices still rely on cautious, inward‑looking messaging; and what they could achieve by adopting a more strategic, and yes sometimes controversial approach. Ryan Fenton, the founder of CaseFlow PPC, brings experience from both the UK and US legal markets, offering a comparison between two very different marketing cultures.

One of the most striking observations is the contrast in tone. While American firms are far more comfortable using direct, emotionally resonant language, UK practices often default to safe statements about longevity and experience. The podcast suggests this caution may be limiting firms’ ability to stand out at the very moment potential clients are searching for reassurance, clarity and action.

The discussion also highlights a persistent misconception around investment. Many UK firms still view digital advertising as a low‑cost add‑on rather than a core business function, despite operating in one of the most expensive sectors for Google Ads. By contrast, US firms routinely commit substantial budgets to structured campaigns, remarketing activity and tailored landing pages which are all tools that can dramatically improve conversion rates when used well.

Beyond tactics, the episode raises a broader point about public perception. While the profession increasingly champions non‑court solutions, the public still tends to view divorce through a combative lens. The podcast argues that bridging this gap requires clearer, more empathetic communication that meets clients where they are emotionally.

Listen in to Ryan's insight and experience from both sides of the pond. Far from being a bolt‑on, marketing should be a strategic discipline that family law firms continually invest in.

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.

Ahead of Family Mediation Week 2026 the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast brings together three leading voices and contributors to the event to discuss the ambitions of the awareness campaign.

Hosted David Opie welcomes Romina Kamran, a fully accredited family mediator and founder of Arc Mediation and Digital MIAM, Paul Linsell, partner and head of the family law team at Boyes Turner and Sarah Manning, partner at Hall Brown Family Law and long‑standing chair of the Family Mediation Week committee to discuss the plans for National Mediation Week 2026 which runs from 26th-30th January 2026.

The trio explain the central aim of the week, which is run by the Family Mediation Council (FMC), is to ensure separating families are aware, at the earliest possible stage, that mediation is a viable, regulated and effective option for resolving disputes about children and finances, without defaulting immediately to court. The week is an opportunity to raise public awareness and build confidence in the mediation process.

Central to this is the FMC’s role in maintaining professional standards, overseeing the accreditation of mediators, setting a compulsory code of practice, and stipulating continuing professional development, supervision and appropriate safeguards such as professional indemnity insurance and complaints processes. For consumers and professionals alike, the FMC register provides reassurance that mediators have met stringent professional criteria.

Mediation, said Manning, is often misunderstood or overlooked, with many families assuming that instructing solicitors and proceeding towards litigation is the only available route. The week aims to highlight that mediation is not about conflict, nor is it about conciliation, a widely misunderstood misnomer. Rather mediation is abut about cooperation, communication and empowering families to make their own decisions safely and constructively.

This year's event sees an expanded programme offer events and training opportunities to both the public, and wider professionals. As Manning notes, many families first disclose relationship or parenting difficulties to teachers, GPs, counsellors or health visitors, well before approaching lawyers or mediators. By equipping those professionals with a basic understanding of mediation, the campaign seeks to improve early signposting and ensure families are aware of their options before positions harden and conflict escalates.

For those wanting to get involved, the Family Mediation Council has published a full programme of free webinars and in‑person events across England and Wales.

Webinar timetable:
https://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/family-mediation-week-2026-timetable/

In‑person events:
https://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/family-mediation-week-2026-local-events/

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.