Family Law News

The government have marked International Women's Day by releasing an update on their campaign to end violence against women and girls.

Restrictions on the legal aid budget for domestic abuse victims were introduced 18 months ago as part of a wide scale plan to cut the budget by £215 million by 2018-19.

A coalition of organisations campaigning for changes in the law to protect women from domestic violence has criticised the Government for failing to include the issue in the Queen’s speech.

The Crown Prosecution Service has produced new draft guidance  explaining the potential impact of domestic abuse on different groups, to help prosecutors adopt a tailored approach that takes into account each particular group’s support needs.

Recently released figures have revealed the high levels of financial, sexual, and emotional abuse that women experience as part of domestic violence.

The 8th of March this year marked International Women's Day and saw the start of the national roll out of Clare's Law, also known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, which allows police to disclose details of an abusive partner.

The national domestic violence charity Women’s Aid has challenged statistics released by the ONS which suggest men and women are equally affected by domestic violence.

Three high-profile domestic violence charities have formed a partnership to campaign for the law on domestic violence to be strengthened.

Women’s Aid has condemned a decision by the High Court that survivors of domestic violence will still be affected by the benefit cap, which threatens to make many vulnerable women homeless or trap them in violent relationships.

The definition of domestic violence has now been expanded to cover more victims. Young people aged 16 to 17 and coercive control – a pattern of controlling behaviour – are now included for the first time.

The first ever study by the Crown Prosecution Service into so-called false allegations of rape and domestic violence has been published by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

An estimated 27,900 women affected by domestic violence have had to be turned away by the first refuge service that they approached in the last year, because there was no space, according to new figures from Women’s Aid.

A new research report by national charity CAADA has found that ‘high risk' domestic abuse services are saving lives and a significant amount of public money, despite being seriously under-resourced.

Help for migrants forced to flee their relationships as a result of domestic violence has been made available permanently.

According to Resolution, the Government has accepted calls to adopt the police’s widely used definition of what constitutes domestic violence (the ACPO definition) in its Legal Aid and Sentencing Bill.

Twelve organisations that support male victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse will receive a share of £225,000, Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone has announced.

Young people under 18 could be included within the cross-government definition of domestic violence for the first time, under a consultation launched by the Home Secretary Theresa May.

National charity Family Lives is bracing itself for an increase in calls to its helpline, Parentline, over the festive period from families in crisis.

The leaders of the three main political parties have all signed the Women’s Aid ‘Real Man’ pledge to mark the International Day Against Violence Against Women.

The charity, Family Lives, has reported that calls to its Parentline regarding the aggressive behaviour of children have increased by 2%, but only 56% of respondents to an online survey had sought help for their child’s problem.