Happy Friday! Bluesky can't tell from my face that I am over the age of 18 so I cannot access DMs. New blog post recalling the height of social distancing and back garden will-witnessing, as Covid era wills start to blossom into contentious probate challenges: equitysdarling.co.uk/2025/09/26/n...

Happy Friday! Bluesky can't tell from my face that I am over the age of 18 so I cannot access DMs. New blog post recalling the height of social distancing and back garden will-witnessing, as Covid era wills start to blossom into contentious probate challenges: equitysdarling.co.uk/2025/09/26/n...

Hot off the press, Anita Mehta and I take a look at the differing approaches to conduct in financial provision claims under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 on divorce and under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 on death. financialremediesjournal.com/content/bad-...

Hot off the press, Anita Mehta and I take a look at the differing approaches to conduct in financial provision claims under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 on divorce and under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 on death. financialremediesjournal.com/content/bad-...

Good to see Lush catering to Chancery lawyers.

Quite an arresting opening line: 'This is an unusual probate claim in that the deceased says she is very much alive.' www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWH...

“I didn’t want a transgender child. I’m so ashamed of myself now” Nothing but love for @alicemydaughter.bsky.social for this interview with the Sunday Times magazine for her book, "Her name is Alice"

This sounds fabulous (I'm in).

Just absurd levels of cruelty

Very true, especially the shifting perception of merits as case preparation and trial progress.

Time for some waves for my daily dose of calm :) Long exposure (0.3 seconds) waves at sunrise at Fellsfjara beach, Jökulsárlón #Iceland, April 2023.

Wow. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde fearlessly calls out Trump and Vance to their faces. This is heroic. (posting in 3 parts due to Bluesky's 1 minute limit)

This decision has an interesting point on limitation periods and foreign judgments. But of wider interest is that the appellants relied in their appeal bundle on a summary of Flynn v. Breitenbach [2020] EWCA Civ 1336. That case is entirely made up. caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/kb/2025/42

HT to @pollyemorgan.bsky.social FI v DO featuring a dispute about the family dog and best use of anonymised initials since Mr Justice Baker's TOM, DCK and HRY. www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWF...

In case you were not aware, or had forgotten, being a member of your local library gives access to all sorts of free digital resources including ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and newspapers via apps including Libby, Borrowbox and PressReader.

Last January I committed to recording something positive in each day. This was a great practice which made me pay attention to the good in every day, including the hard ones. I used the app Diarium and it is just terrific (and subscription free). Lovely to look back over all the happy moments.

This Guatemalan Death Head from the 1st Millennium looks startlingly like some more irascible judges of my acquaintance.

The smallest housemate has coined the phrase 'frivolous nomies' to describe the never-ending seasonal snacks and treats that we've been working our way through.

This has made me smile so much my face is aching: the Christmas lights in the Scottish town of Newburgh are designed by its children-there’s a competition to design a new one each year. They’re made by the same co. that makes the lights for Blackpool, the Shard & Champs-Élysées:

Funny, Surreal, eerie. My second time seeing Slava's Snowshow. Go if you get a chance, it is quite magical.

All of this is so difficult to digest, but the fact that there are 21 unidentified men still out there is particularly disturbing. BBC News - Gisèle Pelicot's ex-husband jailed for 20 years in mass rape trial www.bbc.com/news/article...

UKSC decision in Hirachand handed down yesterday. The court cannot make allowance for a success fee payable to the claimant's lawyers in any award made under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. www.supremecourt.uk/cases/press-...

Rather a lovely read A moment that changed me: A year after losing my parents, I spent Christmas Day cycling around London alone www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Life of a peripatetic barrister. I've slept this week in a 'box' off the Tottenham Court Road followed by two nights in one of Newcastle's slightly shabbier offerings. Train crumpets definitely making life a little better.

A deeeeep dive into equitable accounting with worked examples from Cameron Stocks and I can be found in this edition of the FRJ (available online and in print). Strictly for the nerdiest nerds, insomniacs, and the poor souls who currently have a cold towel around the head trying to work it all out.

Opening paragraph from Lady Hale in R (C) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2017] UKSC 72 🏳️‍⚧️

Opening paragraph from Lady Hale in R (C) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2017] UKSC 72 🏳️‍⚧️

Wonderful to see the Association of Lifetime Lawyers here!

A deeeeep dive into equitable accounting with worked examples from Cameron Stocks and I can be found in this edition of the FRJ (available online and in print). Strictly for the nerdiest nerds, insomniacs, and the poor souls who currently have a cold towel around the head trying to work it all out.

Starter Pack for anyone wanting to find and follow UK Family Lawyers: go.bsky.app/6UHzrtX

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This judgment comes from an arbitration-related case. The 3rd through 5th defendants are the three members of the arbitral tribunal. Whoever makes up the initials for anonymous cases is taking the piss.

Anyone else using LiquidText? Very useful app - you import PDFs and then have a workspace alongside where you can make notes, insert excerpts and draw links between points in multiple documents. I'm finding it slightly 'sticky' when scrolling and wondering if it is the age of my iPad or the app.

Good morning Brighton! It’s another beautiful day down here on the beach, but how about a few pictures from the woods to get you into the autumn mood.

Happiness is hearing music practice happening somewhere in the house [The Winner Takes it All being delivered with full Meryl Streep pathos by the smallest housemate].

An interesting Friday afternoon read on the legal significance of emojis 🤓👍 financialremediesjournal.com/content/what...

When the extrovert friend persuades the introvert to accept the party invitation and then bails on them, this is actionable, right?

A transfer to my ISA with another provider has been taken twice from my bank account, but only one deposit appears in my ISA. What's the betting this is going to be a total nightmare to sort out?

Live tweeting of emergency hearing on the Onion's buyout of Infowars 👇

I've watched thus around 10 times now from different angles. Incredibly powerful, given the context.

Very sorry to see that Lisa Busch KC has died. A tribute here to her excellent work on the Post Office scandal www.postofficescandal.uk/post/lisa-bu...

A case where one of the witnesses tried to give evidence from a bus... www.civillitigationbrief.com/2024/11/08/t...

The Party's Over: the Death of Legal Twitter (a blog) familybrief.org/2024/11/07/t...

Latest listen. Found this a bit of a slog. Essentially a murder mystery set in a stately home, but the protagonist is trapped in a sort of Groundhog Day in which he wakes up in the body of a different person each day and has to solve the crime to escape. Tortuous, and not in a good way. #booksky

I'm really hoping that the courts will clarify that the point at which a legal regulator is entitled to limit our freedom of speech is sky high. The idea that you can be sanctioned for posting something that is lawful is quite wrong. And has the chilling effect we see here.

Many more important thoughts but god, Elon Musk is going to be unbearable!

My two favourite pumpkins (is one a melonkin?) From our travels tonight.

This reads straight out of that Fake Showbiz News account. In fact I'm quite delighted that real Helen Mirren's real ponderings are even more random than fake Helen Mirren.

Very funny!

Delighted to see that we appear to have our first dedicated Citizens Advice team on BlueSky Welcome Citizens Advice East Lancashire @citizensadviceel.bsky.social 👋