With FPR changes focusing on non-court solutions, Caroline Bowden suggests solicitors send clients to a MIAM, aim to settle and try to keep appropriate clients out of court
- Sets out key changes and offers practical advice to family lawyers on the FPR changes, due to take effect from 29 April 2024.
- There may be no new legislation to make mediation compulsory, but the changes are likely to have an impact on the way solicitors work.
- Lawyers should aim to resolve client issues away from court, where possible.
- Explains the exemptions to non-court dispute resolution.
Solicitors have a key role in steering their clients through to settlement. For too long, too many do so with a court-based mindset, even while conducting negotiations. However, in future all lawyers will have to pay more attention to the non-court space, as well as the pre-court space. If attempts at settlement via correspondence have broken down, or even if they never started, lawyers will need to think of every conceivable way of avoiding court,
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