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One lawyer, two clients for family cases

11 October 2022
Issue: 7998 / Categories: Legal News , Family , Procedure & practice , Divorce
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A ‘one lawyer, two clients’ model for family law cases has been launched by family law organisation, Resolution, with the backing of the president of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane.

Resolution launched its Resolution Together model last week, at its family practice conference in Nottingham. The model works by allowing one lawyer to provide advice to a separating couple, including through a divorce or separation. Its development follows the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 which allows couples, for the first time, to make joint applications to end a marriage collectively.

Sir Andrew told the conference that a move to the model was ‘key’ and emphasised a shift in language was required as part of a culture change away from the notion of ‘going to court to fight it out’.

Resolution chair Juliet Harvey said the model was ‘another approach that will help minimise conflict between separating families’.

Harvey also highlighted the ‘desperate state’ of the ‘underfunded and understaffed’ family courts, with ‘increasing delays and backlogs’.

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