LDP Legal yesterday broke the news that DLA Piper's Liverpool office could lose up to 13 of its support staff in the company's latest round of cuts

But before that story went online, I spoke to solicitors formerly of that parish, as well as managing partner Philip Rooney.

One recently-departed DLA solicitor told me the Liverpool office sits under a cloud of nerves. The former insider said the office feels like Manchester's younger brother and is jumpy about being cut loose from the company altogether.

Here, Shelley Hesford from SAS Daniels, says distressed dogs are increasingly becoming factors in how a divorce is conducted - and many couples are underestimating the impact the build-up to divorce and the consequent split can have upon their hound. Her comments are followed by the views of pet care professional Sarah Walmsley.

Ms Hesford told LDPLegal.co.uk: "This may well sound frivolous, but a dog has rights and its wellbeing can put huge demands on its owners, and actually cause intense complications when a couple splits up.

LAW Society of England and Wales chief executive Desmond Hudson says firms should go green to cut costs.

WITH recent estimates suggesting that two internet searches through Google produce the same amount of carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle one could be forgiven for discarding any hopes of saving the planet and assuming we're all doomed.

The discovery comes amid increasing warnings about the little-known environmental impact of computer and internet use and adds to the pressure that companies are under to reduce their carbon footprint.

Andrew Cox on the pitfalls of witnesses giving false statements in civil cases.

THE recent case of KJM Superbikes Ltd v Hinton [2008] is a warning to witnesses who knowingly give false statements in civil cases, and a reminder to solicitors to inform their witnesses of the importance of signing a statement of truth.

Giving false evidence carries grave consequences, and the impact of signing a statement of truth, which must be included in witness statements under the Civil Procedure Rules, should be given close and careful consideration.

In this case, the Court of Appeal allowed contempt of court proceedings to be brought against Mr Hinton.

Paul Hunt discusses how it could be decision time for prenuptial agreements in the UK

FOR the first time, a case involving the enforceability of a pre-nuptial agreement has been to the highest court in the UK, the House of Lords.

The case, which originated in the Isle of Man, brought to wider attention the growing pressure to move towards a situation in which such agreements become binding.

The Law Commission today published its recommendations for the reform of the law on bribery.

Edward de la Billière, head of financial investigations and criminal fraud at national law firm Hill Dickinson, commented:

"These Law Commission recommendations for simplifying the law relating to bribery and corruption come after a prolonged period of consultation and criticism of the UK's attitude to and ability to prosecute corruption.

Rex Maxkin on the importance of the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

THE Criminal Cases Review Commission established in March 1997 is an independent public body set up by the 1995 Criminal Appeal Act.

The objective was to review possible miscarriages of justice in the criminal courts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and refer appropriate cases to the appeal courts.

Based in Birmingham, the Commission (CCRC) has about 100 staff, including about 50 caseworkers supported by administrative staff.

Helen Broughton on the issue of opening family courts to public scrutiny.

FAMILY courts are to be open up to the media in response to controversy over their decisions and the way they operate.

Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, plans to announce changes next month to create more transparency in the system.

Newspapers, Families Needs Fathers and other partisan groups are very keen on this. They see it as protecting families from unfair and unjustified state intervention or, in private law to the unfairness of alleged prejudicial judges in denying one party their due rights.

Rex Makin says Lay Magistrates' days may be numbered.

THE office of Justice of the Peace goes back hundreds of years, but how long will it last? Magistrates' courts are drying up with business, apart from the Family Courts.

The reason is two-fold: first of all, instead of cases being filtered before they are sent to a higher court, they are dispensed with an alacrity which is the speed of Mercury. The old practice of having oral committals has virtually been abolished and accused people are dispatched to the Crown court. While this has the advantage of speeding up justice, it is also justice denied.

Under the old procedure of oral committals, witnesses were tested and many a charge was dismissed.
The magistrate who heard the committal proceedings was known as the examining magistrate. Now cautions and fixed penalties have dramatically reduced the criminal business of the courts.

REX MAKIN predicts the closure of many law firms. Here he recounts the toll being taken on the legal profession

THESE are hard times for the legal profession, or as some people prefer, the legal trade. With the lack of house sales solicitors who once had the monopoly of conveyancing now find business of that nature has almost evaporated.

There are other difficulties and some small firms are being forced to close because they cannot afford to pay the increased indemnity premiums, while hundreds more are destined to end up in the very costly assigned professional insurance risk pool.

Some firms have chosen to shut down, claiming their inability to find cover in the conventional market.

Godfrey Freeman on his first three months as chair of family law group Resolution.

THE first three months as chair of Resolution have, to say the least, been very busy.

After giving the opening address of the conference after my election, I was followed by Mr Justice Coleridge's keynote speech criticising the way the family justice system in England and Wales had been neglected.

The Daily Mail made it front-page news and brought about a media frenzy.

NOT BEFORE time, the wild west nature of the internet and file sharing is being tamed bit by bit.

Recently, an English court ordered that a woman who illegally downloaded a video game from a file sharing website should pay £16,000 to the copyright holder of the video game.

Many commentators believe that this is the thin end of the wedge, as the court's decision is likely to be one of many since the music, film and video game industries have commenced battle with illegal downloaders.

THE RATING regime for empty commercial properties changed significantly when the Rating (Empty Properties) Act 2007 came into force on April 1, 2008.

Some owners of empty commercial property have been spurred on by the reforms to agree lettings of empty properties for shorter terms and at lower rents than they may previously have considered. Such lettings allow property owners to pass on the new rating liability to tenants and to obtain a new rate free period once the tenant vacates.

Almost all disputed cases involving contact or residence are emotionally charged and complicated.

And as the Fathers for Justice campaign demonstrates men, as well as women, can be left feeling deeply aggrieved by the process.