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.