Family proceedings

Family law was multi-disciplinary and co-operative. It was inevitable and quite proper that officers of the children and family court advisory and support service and members of the local authority would meet and discuss matters of mutual interest. Where the topic under discussion was a “live” case, however—a case before the court—such conversations should be (a) rare; (b) strictly necessary for the proper progress of the case; (c) minuted; and (d) disclosed to all the other parties in the proceedings and available, if required, to the court.