Recent research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has revealed that just 68.9% of children live with both parents in the UK compared to the Western world average of 84%. Comparable countries in Western Europe like Germany, Spain and France have a much higher percentage of children living with two parents, and 450 out of every 1,000 children will experience the break-up of their parents before they reach 16. So what is it about the UK that cultivates families which "break down"? What's happening in the UK to make our family life so starkly different from our neighbours?

Every year the government makes amendments to laws in the UK and 2013 is no exception. For legal professionals this year will see one of the biggest shake ups of the sector. Most areas of law will be affected in some way and that means individuals seeking help via the legal system will go through a different process. We'll quickly go through the biggest changes we'll see in the coming months.

Recent UK census results indicate that married people in the UK are now in the minority, and though divorce rates have decreased since 2005, it's increasing prevalence over the last 60 years have made it a commonly accepted part of contemporary culture. In the past, a stigma was attached to divorce and though it's safe to say this has been largely diluted in the UK, it wouldn't be difficult to argue that this stigma still plays a role for many who have been through the divorce process. In UK law the current grounds for divorce are adultery, 2 year consensual separation, 5 year non-consensual separation or unreasonable behaviour. As far as UK law can see, two married people simply cannot fall out of love, though other states, including the US, cover such experiences in their grounds for divorce. Could it be argued then, that the law is perpetuating a concept of marriage which is out of date and contributes to the stigma associated with divorce?

The human rights act was enshrined in law in the UK in 1998 and was designed to "give further effect" to the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights. The Act has a number of articles designed to protect individual’s basic human rights and a few of these are particularly relevant to family law. Article 8 in particular is the most important article in relation to family law.

A recent YouGov poll revealed that 52% of parents find it hard to access help and support after separation, with 39% of separated partners not contacting professionals. 25% of participants said they did not contact support because it was difficult to find or they felt embarrassed. To help assist partners who are going through separation the government have created a web app which can be installed as a widget on websites to offer advice and further information about the process of going through separation.

According to the BBC more than two-thirds of UK citizens don't have a will. There are a few reasons for this like how complex the language of wills are, how easy it is to draw up a will which isn’t legally binding or how easy it is to put off the task of drawing one up. Thinking about what will happen after you die isn’t exactly an appealing prospect and this might be why lots of people avoid the process, but it's important to know when you should make a will so you don't end up dying intestate and leaving your loved ones in a tricky situation.

Cuts to legal aid are likely to affect almost every part of the law and legal professionals have claimed that the cuts will obstruct access to justice for many. LAPSO will introduce some radical changes to the legal system cutting £350m from a £2.2bn publicly funded scheme and some have claimed that this will result in the legal sector being “socially obliged” to carry out increasing amounts of pro bono work. So what will it mean for legal sector to take on more charitable work?

Stress in the workplace isn’t exactly a new concept. According to HSE statistics it accounts for 40% of all work-related illnesses, and according to a survey by Friends Life nearly half of UK workers have felt more stressed since the beginning of the recession. A real problem with work-related stress is figuring out the distinction between reasonable stress and stress which pushes an individual too far. Work isn’t meant to be breeze; there’s a reason why we call it work. So how can you identify when you’re being put under undue stress at work? When does stress stretch you too far?

Solicitors for the Elderly is an independent organisation comprised of lawyers, solicitors, barristers and legal executives who provide specialist legal advice for older people, their families and their carers. It specialises in areas of law which are particularly relevant to older people covering everything from advice on will writing, power of attorney to care home contracts, benefits and even abuse of the elderly. A legal professional who is a member of SFE will have access to the latest thinking, expertise and training available on providing the elderly with the very best legal advice; membership of SFE ensures a legal professional is highly reputable.

If you wondering what a cohabitation agreement is, are looking for a divorce specialist or need a family mediation service as soon as possible there’s one place you’d expect to get reliable, accessible information, and that place if from government sources. Gov.uk is the governments new information website which replaces Directgov and business link to collate information from both into one, handy and easy-to-use website. We’ll go through what it can be used for and what kind information you can expect to get from it with regards to family law, personal injury and wills, probates and trusts.