Today's Family Lawyer Podcast

From conflict to co‑parenting

A quiet revolution is underway in family justice. In this episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast, James Evans, Head of Strategic Growth at Nova and trustee of the newly launched Separated Parenting Programme Directory, explains why a long‑standing gap in support for separated families has finally been closed. For years, high‑quality parenting programmes have existed across England and Wales, but parents and practitioners struggled to find them. Provision was patchy. Quality varied. And in an unregulated space, it was difficult to know which programmes genuinely helped families reduce conflict and protect children. A new Separated Parenting Programme Directory (SPPD) [https://separatedparentingprogrammedirectory.org/] changes that. Evans sets out how a coalition of leading figures, including Helen Adam, Elizabeth Coe, Beverly Sayers and Denise Ingamells, came together to build the first national, quality‑assured directory of separated parenting programmes. Their goal: to give families clear, trusted routes to early intervention, and to give professionals confidence in what they are signposting. The directory allows parents and practitioners to search by region, delivery style, cost and programme type. Crucially, every listed programme meets agreed standards developed by experts with decades of experience in mediation, child contact and co‑parenting support. Evans argues that the timing is critical. With court delays worsening and non‑court dispute resolution becoming central to the Family Procedure Rules, early access to effective parenting programmes can prevent cases escalating into litigation. The evidence, he says, is clear: the earlier parents engage with structured support, the more likely they are to resolve issues without going to court. But the work isn’t finished. The charity now needs funding, wider awareness, and more programme providers to join the directory. As Evans puts it, launching the platform is only “the first domino”. The Today's Family Lawyer podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider and at www.todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk [https://todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk/todays-family-lawyer-podcast/].  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.

The "motherhood penalty" and the legal profession

The latest Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast turns its attention to one of the profession’s most persistent, and least openly discussed, challenges: the impact of maternity leave on women’s careers in law.  While the legal sector is not alone in perpetuating the motherhood penalty, the measurable career disadvantage experienced by women after having children, the podcast explores the unique pressure the legal sector presents around billable hours, PQE structures and the absence of traditional line management which compound the issue.  Returning mothers must “claw back” work, visibility and confidence say Sara Lyons and Hannah Bradshaw, former employment lawyers and co‑founders of Blue Sky; both of whom have personally experienced the issue and who now coach hundreds of female lawyers going through similar experiences.  Lyons and Bradshaw are clear; this is not a theoretical concept, nor a “woke invention”, but an economic and structural reality that continues to shape women’s progression in the legal sector. 78% of women on their programme report experiencing the motherhood penalty, while 77.8% worry about the impact of maternity leave on their long‑term career prospects. These figures, they argue, should be a wake‑up call for firms that still consider themselves “equal opportunities employers” while operating within systems that are anything but gender‑neutral. There is a cultural discomfort that surrounds maternity‑related discussions in law firms they say. Silence is damaging; women want clarity, support and honest dialogue about career progression, not well‑meaning but vague reassurances. “You can have it all... just not all at the same time" is the mantra firms and employees need to adopt.  The Today's Family Lawyer podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider and at www.todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk [https://todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk/todays-family-lawyer-podcast/].  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.

Book Review: Children’s Rights to Identity, Selfhood and International Family Law

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 [https://todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk/todays-family-lawyer-podcast/].  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.

"Consultancy model enabled G&G Law to hit the ground running"

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 [https://todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk/todays-family-lawyer-podcast/].  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.

The science behind family law

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 [https://todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk/todays-family-lawyer-podcast/].  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.