family court | The Intelligent

British mother hides sons from American father in custody standoff

Nishika Samaratunga, 34, has hidden her two autistic sons since March after defying Colorado court orders granting primary custody to their father Ben Baier.

Ruby Bell

16 JUL · 4 min read

Family court tweaks its standard orders to keep the legal aid paperwork humming

Mr Justice Peel announced updates to Volume 2 of the Family Court Standard Orders on 14 July 2026 to align with Legal Aid Agency wording on the family advocacy and qualified legal representative schemes.

Ruby Bell

14 JUL · 3 min read

Court and tribunal fees rise as ministry tightens cost recovery

Ministry of Justice raised 170 court and tribunal fees by 2.6 percent from 13 July 2026 to match inflation.

Archie Roberts

14 JUL · 3 min read

Court and tribunal fees rise hits families and businesses

Court and tribunal fees rose across England and Wales from 13 July 2026 with probate applications now costing £526 for larger estates.

Olivia Evans

13 JUL · 3 min read