Family

Lawyers have firmly rejected Ministry of Justice (MoJ) proposals for mandatory mediation in family cases.

How are the courts applying the law in relation to the issue of ‘parental alienation’? Luke Scarratt, senior associate at Payne Hicks Beach, investigates how the law is being applied and what tools the courts have at their disposal.

Parental alienation has the potential to cause serious harm to families & children: Luke Scarratt discusses the tools at the court’s disposal when it raises its head

The third Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR 2010) Practice Direction update of 2023 has been issued, amending various Practice Directions including, inter alia, the revocation of FPR 2010, PD 36ZB (Pilot scheme: Procedure for using an online system to complete and file certain applications for an adoption order) and its replacement with a new Practice Direction, FPR 2010, PD 41E (Procedure for using an online system to complete and file certain applications for an adoption order). 

Recent years have shown how quickly fortunes can change: Stephen Gerlis makes the case for regular reviews of maintenance payments in private family law

How can the family courts achieve hearings ‘within a reasonable time’? David Burrows sets out some practical ideas for speeding up cases

In this week’s NLJ, Caroline Bowden, consultant at Anthony Gold, is cautiously optimistic about a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) consultation on the earlier resolution of private family law arrangements for children, finances and housing. The aim is to keep family disputes out of court where possible, an aspiration approved of by family lawyers.

For many participants in a family dispute, almost any alternative is better than ending up in court. Caroline Bowden hopes the government will succeed in getting this message across

Clare Williams provides a practical guide to the court’s options for civil restraint orders in family practice

Pre-nuptial contracts have been challenged in court, and survived, in the recent case of M v A. In this week’s NLJ, Sarah Jane Lenihan and Laura Couves, of Dawson Cornwell, look at the case in depth.