TWO Liverpool law firms are launching their own series of seminars which they say have been specially designed to tackle the changing nature of work and family life in Britain.
DLA Piper launches a live web seminar today, to offer training programmes accessible to clients in 30-minute sessions that can be logged on to work breaks.
Brabners Chaffe Street is also about to launch a series of semin-ars after being inundated with appeals for help following a num-ber of high-profile divorce cases.
DLA Piper has devised its Tea-Time Training to be used during breaks in the working day.
The first session is focused on the problems which can arise where objectors seek to use new village green legislation to prevent development projects from taking place.
Participants will attend the 30-minute presentations online. All they need to take part is a compu-ter and broadband connection.
“The seminars will provide practical guidance on essential issues local authorities face and legal updates on topics such as contracts, planning, construction and employment,” said Mary O’Hanlon, a real estate partner, who is leading the initiative, which DLA Piper says “takes seminars into the 21st century”.
“We are looking to bring training to our local authority clients in a sustainable way as we recognise the need to reduce the impact on the environment of unnecessary travel. As the sessions are online those attending can access training from their own desk or from home – which keeps in mind today’s trend for flexible working.”
Attendance is currently by invitation only – DLA Piper will email clients and contacts the relevant access details but the concept may be rolled out to a broader business audience later in the year.
The family law team at Brabners Chaffe Street have been inspired to set up their own seminars, starting in March, in response to unprecedented inquiries regarding pre-nuptual agreements and confusion about cohabitation law.
Helen Marriott, head of Brabners’ family law team, said: “We have decided to run the seminars in an attempt to provide help to those advising couples who are considering living together about the full range of options open to them.
“In recent years, cohabitation has proved increasingly popular while the number of marriages has continued to fall and yet some couples are uncertain about what to do because of a number of sign-ificant court cases and other possible changes to the law. We’re confident that the seminars will help make things a little clearer.”
At the end of 2005, there were more than 2.2m cohabiting couples in England and Wales with that number set to almost double within the next 25 years.
The number of divorces across the country was down by 7% although that has been partially attributed to fewer couples getting married.
In addition, the Law Commission last year recommended allowing unmarried couples who split up to make divorce-style claims for support from their partners.
vickyanderson
