As it's the start of a brand new year, we thought it would be a great time to look back on 2014 to see what’s changed. New laws have been brought in, legislation has changed and Scotland almost left the UK. Here’s a complete roundup of everything that’s happened this year:

How Many Changes?

A record breaking number of changes to legislation have been brought in this year – 335 to be precise. That’s 95 more than last year and over 200 more than was seen a decade ago in 2004.  Many of these changes will have very little effect on the general public, however nobody will be completely untouched by these new laws which include:

Employment Law Changes

There have been several major changes to employment law during 2014, these will have an impact on both employers and employees. Some of the ones that you should be most aware of are:

•    Transfer of Undertaking Protection of Employment – there was talk of abolishing it entirely, but instead the policy has simply been adapted. Although the provision will be the pretty much the same, liability information now has to be provided 28 days before transfer and there must be an economic, technical or organisation reason for change of workplace location. 

•    Financial penalties for breaching employment rights – employers who breach employment rights will now face financial penalties of between £100 and £5,000 issued by tribunals.More...

The Government’s changes to legal funding in 2013 means that legal aid for divorcing couples is now near enough non-existent – except in cases involving domestic abuse.

And as a significant proportion of the 120,000 divorcees in England and Wales are doing so amicably, increasing numbers of people are keeping the costs of their permanent separation down with a DIY divorce.

What is a DIY divorce?

In English and Welsh law, married couples don’t have to instruct a solicitor in order to get divorced.

A DIY divorce effectively enables both parties to represent themselves. Couples can obtain the necessary documents to begin the process, complete the relevant forms and then process the divorce through the courts. The court charges a petition fee of £410 however those in receipt of benefits or on a low income may be exempt from all or part of the court fee. More...

For many newly-engaged couples, the concept of a prenuptial agreement is probably the most unromantic thing imaginable. However, if you’re getting married then the topic of a ‘prenup’ is a conversation that’s well worth having with your future spouse.

There are plenty of pros and cons around prenuptial agreements, most of which are personal and need to be discussed between the two of you and an experienced family lawyer. But here’s what you need to know.

They’re not just for the rich

Prenups used to be solely used by the wealthy in order to protect their assets in the event of divorce. However, over the last few decades, prenuptial agreements have become just as essential for people.

After all, if you have worked hard before marriage, you’ll want to protect the assets that you spent years building up – whether you own 30k in savings or a £3m property. More...

Ahead of England’s match against Uruguay this evening, The National Centre for Domestic Violence will be launching an advert featuring a woman nervously awaiting the end of a football match being watched by her partner in another room in the house before the TV is abruptly switched off. The advert is part of The National Centre for Domestic Violence’s current campaign to highlight statistics that showed a 25% increase in reported domestic violence cases after England’s matches in their unsuccessful 2010 tournament.

Yesterday, Kent Police reported an additional 21 incidents in their county on Saturday and Sunday compared with the previous weekend.

Whilst football doesn’t necessarily cause domestic abuse, the outcome of matches can certainly change individual’s moods and sometimes cause them to become violent.

Regardless of the causes of domestic violence, be it physical, psychological it is not acceptable and should not be endured. In many situations, the children are innocent bystanders and the effect on them can be traumatic and long term and in many instances, life changing. More...

When you’re staring down the barrel of a divorce or separation, it’s tough to know how to tell your children that the two of you are splitting up.

But it is possible to go through separation and divorce and come out of the other side with your children feeling confident, loved and ready for what the future brings. Here’s how:

Tell them together

During a separation, it’s easy for one of the parents to come out of the process worse than the other. That’s why it’s important to present a united front when telling them about the change affecting there. This way you’ll prevent your children being dragged into your conflict, if there is one.

If it’s not possible for you and your partner to be together when you tell your children about divorce then the two of you should try and agree what you’re going to say. More...