It's been a LONG time since my last blog.

Rather than apologise, I should explain this: if the purpose of this blog is to bring to life (by use of "amusing" anecdotes and other "witty" occurrences) the daily trials and tribulations of a typical North West family lawyer then a more regular update would result in all family lawyers being shot by the boring police.

The daily grind of wake up/go to work/come home/do more work may be fascinating to my mother (who requires her own twice daily updates) but you should try wringing 250 words out of it.

I HAVE to 'fess up immediately and say that if you expect this blog to be about law this week, you should stop reading now.

Having said that, these blogs are only ever about law tangentially in any event so if you're a repeat customer, you must know by now what to expect.

This week, readers and fellow bloggers, I am going to unashamedly plug my rugby team - the darlings of the North West or, as we are commonly known, the Park Panthers. Grrrrr.

I KNOW, I know. It's been two months since my last blog and I can't even blame swine flu. Contributory factors include work, work, more work, a couple of hen weekends and the odd wedding.

And playing British summer weather hokey cokey with the cushions for the outdoor furniture takes up a lot of time.

August is, for me, traditionally a tricky month for achieving pretty much anything really.

EasyJet weddings - what next?

Interesting phenomena occurring in the North West recently: clients who comment that their divorce costs more than their wedding.

Now isn't that just about the most unromantic thing you've heard this week?

Admittedly, my choice of career (divorce lawyer) isn't generally hearts and flowers all the way but I'm a believer all the same. Can it be true that weddings are cheaper than divorces?

HOW EXCITING! As all you devotees of LDP Legal Week will already know, Liverpool Law Society has kindly shortlisted me for the Barrister of the Year award, the winner of which is to be announced at their very posh do at the Crowne Plaza later this month.

As one of only two to be shortlisted from the (presumably) hundreds nominated (perhaps a slight exaggeration, I accept), the Hillas-Meehan household has now been thrown into a heightened state of turmoil/excitement/excruciating self-assessment.

On the plus side, should I win, I will be Liverpool Law Society's Barrister of the Year (hurrah).

MANY THANKS to all those who gave encouraging feedback from last week's inaugural blog.

And to those kind souls who pointed out that, despite the fêted media access rules, I was still spotted around Vernon Street without lipstick. Or matching shoes.

Thank you, very helpful comments indeed.

I THOUGHT I'd kick off my LDPLegal blog with the 'exciting' news that the media are now allowed in the family courts... or so it was reported in the national press this week.

As a family barrister the new reforms regarding media access are of special interest to me and my kind and, given the fanfare surrounding the introduction of the new rules on April 27, I fully expected to turn up to Court this week being chased by the paparrazzi, and with cases being delayed whilst the queue to the ladies (for a quick re-application of lippy) stretched around the block.

I shouldn't have been worried.