Legal industry-wide percentages of female trainees, associates and partners have all increased in the past five years. I attended a webinar on 'Advancing Women's Equality in Law' in collaboration with Burford Capital - how we can consider intersectionality to support all women across race, LGBT, disability.

Tech & innovation challenges the old model of law firms. Changing client needs, demand for better value and rise of new tech like AI pushes legal sector in new directions.

Turbulent regulatory landscape after Brexit still being worked out.

Legal aid expenditure in the UK has fallen by £950 million, almost 40%. Private sector has stepped up its pro bono offering.

Sustainability and greater push for ESG strategic priority. Climate change litigation will increasingly affect public and private law - oil and gas work will shift in importance as more sustainable energy resources are sought.

After the lockdown shadow pandemic, Domestic Abuse Bill received Royal Asset in 29 April 2021 - passed both HoP and signed into law. Will provide further protections to millions who experience domestic abuse and strengthen measures to tackle perpetrators. Cleared a wide-ranging definition of domestic abuse incl. emotional, controlling behaviour, economic abuse. Abusers no longer able to directly cross-examine their victims in family and civil courts - victims get access to special measures to prevent intimidation e.g. protective screens and evidence via video-link. Police also have new powers under hte act.

June 2021, last month - President of Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, is pleased to announce launch of two-week rapid consultation on remote, hybrid and in-person hearings in family justice system and Court of Protection. Focusing on providing an evidence base to assist with the decisions regarding future ways of working, as we return to court. Fielding views from all in research piece. Open to anyone with experience of the Family Court or Court of Protection during the pandemic and closed 27 June 2021.

Only a couple of days ago, Cripps wrote a blog post focusing on when ADR will become the norm for divorce - highly topical Currently the pressure on the local courts is insurmountable - 10 month delays for some of CPG's clients. Huge emotional and financial impact. Offers option of collaborative law - where you go to your solicitors with your partner and spouse, and everything is done in an open forum.

Arbitration is similar to a private hearing but results in something more akin to a binding determination.

Making process less acrimonious. Moving from fault-based divorce to irretrievable breakdown as grounds. Current system caused huge problems with dishonesty and autonomy.

Financial remedy on divorce determined by Miller v MacCartney case (need is just about the standard of living in the sense of to they have consistency of their standard of living during the marriage) - firmed up that area of law - compensation for relationship-generated disadvantage. No clear cut answer here - yard stick of who gets what is fairness and then they depart from that as justice demands;