News Essentials: 2nd December 2019

A brief summary of the essential family law news and cases from the last week:

NEWS
Criticism deterring medical specialists from being expert witnesses
Criticism from lawyers, judges and the press may be deterring health professionals from being expert witnesses in family cases, a working group looking into a chronic shortage has said. Full story: Law Society Gazette.

Divorce rate falls for heterosexual couples in England and Wales
Applications backlog partly blamed for drop to lowest level in 50 years, while same-sex couple figure rises. Full story: The Guardian.

LiP support unit shuts branches
The president of the Family Division has called on lawyers to help fund a support scheme for litigants in person. Full story: Law Society Gazette.

Almost 2.5 million in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse in last year
ONS publishes statistics on domestic abuse in England and Wales for year ending March 2019. Full story: Family Law Week.

CASES
Orphans From Syria, Re [2019] EWHC 3202 (Fam) (22 November 2019)
Wardship proceedings concerning British children who were in Syria and who are orphans. Full report: Bailii.

Akhmedova v Akhmedov [2019] EWHC 3140 (Fam) (22 November 2019)
Application by wife in respect of certain documents which had been, or may have been, illegitimately obtained. Full report: Bailii.

A Local Authority v M & F & Ors [2019] EWHC 1447 (Fam) (07 June 2019)
Care proceedings. Rehearing of fact-finding investigating the cause of death of a ten-year-old girl. Full report: Bailii.

F v M (Appeal: Finding of Fact) [2019] EWHC 3177 (Fam) (21 November 2019)
Appeal by father against finding of fact in child arrangements proceedings. Appeal dismissed. Full report: Bailii.

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