The government says up to £50m is on offer for criminal legal aid lawyers after unveiling the first tranche of proposals since commencing a review of fee schemes over a year ago. Robert Buckland QC, the lord chancellor, said the proposals are an ‘important first step towards reviewing sustainability in the long term, ensuring fair fees, and delivering value for the taxpayer’. Under the reforms, litigators and advocates would be paid the equivalent of 1.5 hours for up to 3 hours spent reviewing unused material disclosed to the defence. For those cases where more than three hours is spent, payment […]

A woman who “sacrificed” her career as a solicitor so she could look after her children has won compensation on top of an equal share of the family’s wealth after her divorce. The ruling could have implications for other divorce cases in which one partner has stepped back from their career for the good of the family, a lawyer said. The Cambridge graduate was embroiled in a fight over cash with her millionaire husband, who is also a solicitor, after the breakdown of their marriage. A judge has decided the pair, who were married for about a decade and have […]