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11 October 2022
Issue: 7998 / Categories: Legal News , Family , Procedure & practice , Divorce
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One lawyer, two clients for family cases

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’.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Gateley Legal—Caroline Pope & Bob Maynard

Gateley Legal—Caroline Pope & Bob Maynard

Construction team bolstered by hire of senior consultant duo

Switalskis—four appointments

Switalskis—four appointments

Firm expands residential conveyancing team with quadruple appointment

mfg Solicitors—Claire Pope

mfg Solicitors—Claire Pope

Private client team welcomes senior associatein Worcester

NEWS
What safeguards apply when trust corporations are appointed as deputy by the Court of Protection? 
Disputing parties are expected to take part in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), where this is suitable for their case. At what point, however, does refusing to participate cross the threshold of ‘unreasonable’ and attract adverse costs consequences?
When it comes to free legal advice, demand massively outweighs supply. 'Millions of people are excluded from access to justice as they don’t have anywhere to turn for free advice—or don’t know that they can ask for help,' Bhavini Bhatt, development director at the Access to Justice Foundation, writes in this week's NLJ
When an ex-couple is deciding who gets what in the divorce or civil partnership dissolution, when is it appropriate for a third party to intervene? David Burrows, NLJ columnist and solicitor advocate, considers this thorny issue in this week’s NLJ
NLJ's latest Charities Appeals Supplement has been published in this week’s issue
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