In this powerful episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast, host David Opie welcomes Shoba Aziz, an experienced barrister at Great James St Chambers, for an important conversation exploring the psychological dimensions of domestic abuse—specifically narcissistic behaviour and gaslighting.

Drawing on over 20 years in legal practice, Shoba shares her deep expertise in private child and family law, especially in cases involving coercive control and emotional manipulation. She explains how narcissistic traits and gaslighting manifest within relationships, often leaving victims confused, isolated, and doubting their own reality.

Shoba offers real-world insights from her courtroom experience, highlighting the emotional toll this abuse has on victims and the need for practitioners to spot often-subtle signs. She emphasises the importance of creating a safe space for clients, ensuring their voices are heard and their experiences are validated.

The episode also explores the evolving legal landscape, with Shoba referencing landmark cases and the application of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. She underscores the critical need for joined-up support services, wider education among professionals, and greater societal awareness.

This episode is a compelling call to action, encouraging legal professionals and the wider community to better understand, identify, and support those affected by psychological abuse in the family court system.

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; LexTox and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

In this episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast host David Opie is joined by Mike Mack, CEO of the Family Mediation Trust, and Lorraine Bramwell, a seasoned family mediator and trainer, to discuss the creation of a new Domestic Abuse Screening Tool.

The initiative is a collaboration between the Family Mediation Trust and the Family Mediation Council (FMC), aimed at improving the consistency and effectiveness of domestic abuse screening in mediation settings.

The conversation begins with an overview of the Family Mediation Trust’s longstanding role in supporting families through separation and its broader mission to enhance the mediation sector. Mike explains the Trust recognised a gap in consistent domestic abuse screening, a sentiment shared by Lorraine who added while mediators are trained to recognize and respond to abuse, current approaches vary widely.

The new tool aims to consolidate best practices into a unified framework, ensuring all FMC-registered mediators have access to a consistent, practical resource.

Alongside a range of sensitive, non-intrusive questions, the toolkit will also provide guidance on interpreting responses and help direct clients to appropriate support services when mediation is not suitable. There is also the evolving nature of domestic abuse, including the rise of technological abuse (e.g., misuse of smart home devices), which requires the adaptation of mediation practices accordingly. He adds around 40% of the Trust’s cases involve some form of domestic abuse, underscoring the urgency of this initiative.

And with the changes to Family Procedure Rules increasing the volume and complexity of cases referred to mediation, now is absolutely the right time to focus efforts on this initiative; with consultation ongoing and a planned launch at the FMC’s conference in September 2025.

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; LexTox and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

In this latest Today's Family Lawyer Podcast host David Opie welcomes Laura Tanguay and Lucy Birch from Birketts LLP to discuss the launch of their Modern Families service.

Lucy Birch is a senior associate in the family team, and Laura Tanguay is a legal director in the property disputes team; with the podcast exploring how this unique combination of expertise is central to the Modern Families service.

Laura Tanguay explains the rationale behind the Modern Families service, emphasising the decision to house Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act (TOLATA) disputes within the property disputes team rather than the family team. This approach is driven by the fact that these cases are heard in civil courts under civil procedure rules, making it more logical for property disputes specialists to handle them. Laura's expertise in property disputes is crucial for handling increasingly common cohabitation issues.

The discussion moves on to explore the lack of understanding among the public regarding their rights and the complexities of TOLATA claims, with both Laura and Lucy echoing the sentiment of many practitioners on the need for reform.

In a topical discussion, the podcast explores how to protect clients, particularly those purchasing property as first-time buyers with partners and working with other members of the firm, like conveyancers, to ensure clients understand their rights.

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; LexTox and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

Today's Family Lawyer Podcast host David Opie welcomes Kate Daly, co-founder of amicable to discuss the evolution of the business since it launched in 2015; to a point where it now is one of the largest providers of family law services in the UK by virtue of the number of consent orders it submits annually.

Founded by Kate, a counsellor with a background in psychology, and Pip Wilson, and driven by a desire to find a better way to separate following Kate's own separation, the goal initially was to create an app to help couples prepare for divorce by organising their finances and child arrangements before seeking legal help. However it soon became apparent people wanted more.

Kate speaks candidly about the impact of the High Court case which ultimately validated amicable's service offering and centred on the delivery of legal services as an unregulated entity.

Kate also discusses the role technology plays in the business and how it underpins the human element of the business; tackles hourly billing and increasingly accounting for changing consumer attitudes including payment credit options; and the delivery of high quality legal services, regardless of regulation.

In 2023 Octopus Group acquired a majority stake in amicable enabling it to further expand its service offering and provide financial and legal support, and a holistic approach to divorce and separation.

"We are trying to change the narrative around divorce and separation" concludes Kate, acknowledging there is no one size fits all and amicable is not always the best route for couples. "We are just one of the many ways, but the more the public has an understanding of the different ways (including mediation and arbitration) the better."

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; LexTox and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

The Co-Parent Way is a co-parenting methodology developed by Marcie Shaoul; with a history working in the diplomatic service in 2016 Marcie launched her consultancy aimed at helping co-parents better communicate with one another and place their children at the centre of the relationship.

She describes how she saw the same patterns emerging in separating couples after her work with government and civil society. Of her work Marcie says "you can have the same north star, the same place you're heading to; but you're doing it in very different ways" referencing the importance of language, culture, and listening.

Her book, The Co-Parenting Method, launched in 2025, details her six step process which not only helps those going through separation, but professionals working with couples in conflict to help them navigate the unexpected next steps of their lives.

In the course of the discussion Marcie explores her six steps which broadly cover

1) moving from a short term mindset and understanding you are co-parenting for the rest of your life

2) the ability to manage strong emotions; not ignore them, adds Marcie, but find ways to put them to one side to enable better communications

3) recognise changing boundaries and redefine new boundaries between you and your co-parent and children

4) establish ways to communicate without conflict, recognising it takes two to be in conflict so by using the right tools and not escalating situations, potential flashpoints remain calmer

5) making good parenting decisions; including how often do you meet, where do you meet, how you behave etc

6) moving from surviving to thriving; taking control of the things you can and understanding you can make a conscious choice around things you can't control.

The book comes three years after the landmark "No-Fault Divorce" legislation and at a time when the language of family law is under scrutiny, which, says Marcie, has changed, and will continue to change, the divorce landscape.

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; LexTox and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

In the latest episode of the Today's Family Lawyer podcast, host David Opie sits down with James Nutt, Laboratory Operations Manager at Cansford Laboratories, to explore a fresh perspective on the use of hair strand testing in the family courts.

This episode delves into the complexities behind what many might see as a straightforward scientific process. James offers an alternative view on how hair samples are prepared, how substances such as drugs or alcohol are extracted and tested, and what the results actually mean when they're presented in a legal setting.

A key focus of the discussion is the interpretation of results—particularly the often-misunderstood concept of cut-off levels, which determine whether a substance is reported as present or not. James explains the industry standards around these thresholds, their role in ensuring consistency across laboratories, and the importance of recognising both their strengths and limitations.

The conversation also touches on the variability of hair types and colours, external environmental factors such as UV exposure, and even how conditions like pregnancy can impact hair growth and potentially influence results. With such variability, James urges caution against over-reliance on hair strand test results in isolation.

Listeners will also gain insights into how hair analysis can help build a historical pattern of substance use, the challenges of testing for emerging drugs, and the importance of ongoing education and awareness for both practitioners and the courts.

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; LexTox and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

Podcast host David Opie is joined by Rukhsana Koser and Sarah Palmer, Solicitor’s at Enable Law, to discuss Special Educational Needs (SEN) and family law and shed light on the increasing challenges families face and how legal expertise can make a significant impact.

With personal experience growing up alongside siblings with learning difficulties, Rukhsana brings over a decade of experience in education law. She highlighted how families often struggle to secure the support their children are entitled to, particularly when local authorities shift responsibility onto parents.

Sarah, a seasoned solicitor with over 30 years of experience in family and children’s law, discussed how SEN issues frequently intersect with family law disputes. She has seen cases where disputes over schooling and educational needs become central to custody arrangements. Despite the complexities, legal intervention can help ensure children receive the right provision, whether through specialist schooling or proper assessments.

The Enable Law team plays a crucial role in guiding families through these challenges, from securing Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) to advocating for children with undiagnosed needs. Their work is often described as life-changing, empowering parents to navigate the system effectively and secure a future where their children can thrive.

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; LexTox and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

Podcast host David Opie in joined by CEO of the charity LawCare, Elizabeth Rimmer, to discuss their latest "Life in the Law" surveys which are now open for completion until Friday 21st March.

LawCare supports and promotes mental health and wellbeing across the legal services sector. They have 2 main focuses. Their first is in providing direct support on and offline for those who wish to reach out. Their second focus is on providing wider education and advocacy of mental health planning and promotion across the law. Importantly, says Elizabeth, LawCare help organisations understand how they can better support their people through identifying risk factors in the work place that undermine people's mental health

The survey last ran in 2020 with the results published in 2021 and found 69% of respondents said that had experienced poor mental health. Addressing some of the reasons why the survey found 1 in 5 respondents had experienced bullying and workplace harassment; and less than half of respondents with line management responsibilities had any formal training.

In 2025 there are 2 surveys to complete; one for individuals and one for organisations. More information about how to complete the surveys is on the LawCare website (Life in the Law) and below.

The surveys are asking questions about wellbeing, hours people work, psychological safety, burnout, management and support, and bullying and harassment.

For organisations, the survey is looking into whats steps are organisations taking to address the factors of poor mental health. Good mental health is a strategic investment, says Elizabeth. Staff who have positive mental health are going to be more effective, more productive, more likely to stay in the organisations.

The objective of the surveys is to help produce evidence based best practice for firms to practically implement into their organisations. This needs to be done properly, strategically, and you need to give people capacity to deliver it concludes Elizabeth.

Complete the surveys via the links below:

• Life in the Law 2025 (Individuals)
• Life in the Law 2025 (Organisations)

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; LexTox and VacantC Legal Recruitment.