header-logo header-logo

25 July 2025
Issue: 8126 / Categories: Legal News , Procedure & practice , Civil way
printer mail-detail

NLJ this week: Matrimonialisation, missed post & protocol inertia

Retired district judge Stephen Gold delivers a brisk tour of recent civil procedure developments in his latest Civil Way column for NLJ

A revised E2 form for financial remedy cases is now live, boasting a ‘grand totals’ box and clearer formatting—plus a nod to traditional gendered labels. Meanwhile, the Price Marking (Amendment) Order 2025 delays grocery pricing reforms until April 2026.

Domestic abuse victims and care leavers are now exempt from local connection tests for social housing. Postal service woes continue, with nearly a quarter of first-class mail arriving late—raising questions about CPR 6.14’s service assumptions.

In MH Site Maintenance v Watson, the Court of Appeal clarified that courts can intervene in stalled pre-action protocol claims if protective Part 8 proceedings exist. Finally, in Standish v Standish, the Supreme Court endorsed ‘matrimonialisation’—the transformation of non-matrimonial assets into shared property—while rejecting a narrow interpretation.

Gold’s commentary is sharp, witty and packed with procedural punch.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Gateley Legal—Jack Kelly

Gateley Legal—Jack Kelly

Gateley Legal expands Midlands residential development team

Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn adds employee benefits and executive compensation practice in London with partner Richard Surtees

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL appoints new partner and head of intellectual property disputes

NEWS
A series of recent decisions has clarified important principles across property law, from perpetuities to lease renewals and public rights over land
Employers cannot rely on wellbeing services alone to defend workplace stress claims after a High Court decision awarding almost £1m to an overworked employee
Andy Burnham's brand of 'Manchesterism' could offer fresh thinking on legal aid and access to justice if it reaches Westminster, according to Roger Smith, NLJ columnist and former director of JUSTICE
The constitutional fallout from a change of prime minister, rather than the politics, is under scrutiny as questions arise over the limits of executive authority in a leadership transition
The legal profession is undergoing a fundamental shift from selling services to creating technology-enabled products, according to Professor Luke Mason, Head of School of Law at Regent's University London
back-to-top-scroll