Children: Private Law Update (Spring 2018) – Family Law Week

‘Alex Verdan QC of 4 Paper Buildings reviews recent important judgments in private law children cases.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 27th April 2018

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Guidance on the Capacity to Litigate in Proceedings Involving Children – April 2018 – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted April 26th, 2018 in children, courts, family courts, mental health, trials by sally

‘This guidance has been produced to assist judges in the Family Court to resolve mental capacity issues concerning parties to family law proceedings. Designed to be practical and accessible, it will point the judge to key rules and statutory provisions. Lawyers instructed in family proceedings may also find this guidance valuable.’

Full guidance

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 26th April 2018

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Guidance on Financial Needs on Divorce: Edition 2 – April 2018 – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted April 26th, 2018 in divorce, family courts, financial provision, news by sally

‘The FJC has now published the second edition of this useful guide for the family judiciary, courts and legal advisers. Since the publication of the first edition in June 2016, the guidance has established itself as an invaluable tool in relation to the making of orders to meet financial needs following divorce and the dissolution of civil partnerships.’

Full guide

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 26th April 2018

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Three examples of how not to do family justice – Transparency Project

Posted April 18th, 2018 in family courts, judgments, judiciary, mistake, news by sally

‘This week involves a trio of disastrous cases where things have gone wrong and judges have explained why.’

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Transparency Project, 17th April 2018

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Sir Ernest Ryder addresses decision-making for children and the role of the justice system – Family Law

Posted April 12th, 2018 in children, family courts, judiciary, news, speeches by sally

‘Sir Ernest Ryder, Senior President of Tribunals, spoke on the role of the justice system in decision-making for children at the 10th International Congress of the British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (BASPCAN), held at the University of Warwick on 9 April 2018.’

Full Story

Family Law, 11th April 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

The second Bridget Lindley Annual Memorial Lecture: Transcript – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted April 9th, 2018 in families, family courts, lectures, media by sally

‘The Family Justice Council recently held its Bridget Lindley Memorial Lecture which looked at the impact of social media on the family justice system and family law journalism.’

Full lecture

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 29th March 2018

Forced Marriage: protective measures for children and young people in the family courts and the court of protection – part 1 – Family Law Week

‘Judith Pepper, barrister of 4 Brick Court, examines in the first of two articles the development of the law in relation to forced marriage and the protective remedies available for children and young people, focusing on the protective measures available by utilising the inherent jurisdiction of the court.’

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Family Law Week, 8th April 2018

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Legal Bloggers attending family court hearings – Transparency Project

Posted April 6th, 2018 in family courts, law reports, media, news by sally

‘We’ve written before about cases where we wished we’d been present alongside journalists to report on a case, to see if we saw the same things, or selected the same information to report. And we’ve regularly challenged, corrected or explained not very good reporting by journalists – some of whom have been in court and some of whom are reporting on the basis of published judgments or information from one or other of the parties.’

Full Story

Transparency Project, 4th April 2018

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

International child abduction proceedings: key points to note from the latest President’s guidance – Family Law

Posted March 23rd, 2018 in case management, child abduction, family courts, news, practice directions by sally

‘On 13 March 2018, a new practice direction was issued by the President concerning Case Management and Mediation of International Child Abduction Proceedings.
A practice direction tells anyone involved in judicial proceedings how to manage the case and interpret the Court rules. The practice guidance has been issued by the President to ensure all applications are appropriately case managed – whether commenced by a without notice application or on notice. The guidance deals with a number of aspects of child abduction proceedings, but practitioners should take note in particular of the changes made in relation to without notice applications and mediation.’

Full Story

Family Law, 21st March 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Speech by Sir James Munby: Changing families – family law yesterday, today and tomorrow – a view from south of the Border – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘Speech by Sir James Munby: Changing families – family law yesterday, today and tomorrow – a view from south of the Border.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 21st March 2018

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Lawyers, Legal Language and Fact-finding Hearings under Part IV of the Children Act 1989 – Family Law Week

Posted March 23rd, 2018 in care orders, domestic violence, evidence, families, family courts, news by sally

‘David Bedingfield, barrister of 4 Paper Buildings, discusses what lessons can be learned from the Court of Appeal’s judgment in R (Children) [2018] EWCA Civ 198.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 16th March 2018

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Family court secrecy lets judges get away with mistakes, senior judge says – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 15th, 2018 in family courts, judges, law reports, media, mistake, news, private hearings by sally

‘Secrecy in family courts could be allowing judges to get away with mistakes, the most senior family judge in England and Wales has said. Speaking at an event on Tuesday evening, Sir James Munby, president of the high court’s family division, said that judges were “grotesquely overworked” and “tired” and so more likely to make errors.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 14th March 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Practice Guidance: Case Management and Mediation of International Child Abduction Proceedings – Family Law

‘For the purposes of this Practice Guidance, ‘international child abduction proceedings’ are proceedings in which the return of a child is sought under any of the following:
Introduction
(a) The Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction of 25 October 1980 (‘the 1980 Hague Convention’);
(b) The Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children (‘the 1996 Hague Convention’);
(c) Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 of 27 November 2003 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and matters of parental responsibility (‘the Council Regulation’);
(d) The High Court’s power to make an order returning the child to another jurisdiction or to make an order for the return of the child to this jurisdiction (‘the inherent jurisdiction’).’

Full Story

Family Law, 13th March 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Family Drug and Alcohol Courts to expand across London – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 1st, 2018 in alcohol abuse, care orders, courts, drug abuse, families, family courts, London, news by sally

‘The Family Drug and Alcohol Court ( FDAC) is to expand in London after a partnership of nine boroughs, led by Merton Council, commissioned the service from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 28th February 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Does the inclusion of families and children in family proceedings go far enough? – Family Law Week

Posted February 23rd, 2018 in children, families, family courts, judgments, news, witnesses by sally

‘Adele Cameron-Douglas, barrister of 4 Paper Buildings, asks how children can continue to be involved in proceedings that concern them after their conclusion.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 22nd February 2018

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Non-molestation: a definition for 2018? – Family Law

‘What is “non-molestation”? How do family courts, by order, deal with “molestation”, as it is now defined in law? What is “domestic violence” or (if different) “domestic abuse”? Each of these different terms crop up in different legal contexts; and – absurdly, it may be thought – each may mean something slightly different according to context.’

Full Story

Family Law, 8th February 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

The use of testing for drugs and alcohol in FDAC – Family Law

‘The FDAC National Unit (NU) coordinates quarterly meetings for all FDAC substance misuse workers, to provide a forum for discussing issues arising from working in FDAC, which is a very different experience to working within adult treatment services. Issues that arise include being part of a multi-disciplinary team, working within the tight timescales of care proceedings, and the need to focus on the welfare of the child and the child’s timescales rather than solely on the parent/s. Issues relating to testing are also discussed regularly.’

Full Story

Family Law, 9th January 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Privacy, the common law and a celebrity divorce – Transparency Project

Posted January 10th, 2018 in divorce, family courts, media, news, privacy by sally

‘Under the headline ‘Jamie and Louise Redknapp’s divorce papers to be kept secret as a judge blocks the release of documents’ the Transparency Project reported last week-end that the Press were complaining a London court had ‘blocked the release of papers that would normally be made public and he has not given a reason why’. The Daily Mail, TP said, had complained: ‘A judge has thrown a blanket of secrecy over the’ couple’s divorce.’

Full Story

Transparency Project, 9th January 2018

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Celebrities are given a smidgen of privacy at a difficult time in their lives shocker – Transparency Project

Posted January 8th, 2018 in civil procedure rules, family courts, media, news, privacy by sally

‘The Sun are very very cross. Why is that? Well…. Here’s the headline:

REDKNAPP DIVORCE SECRET
Jamie and Louise Redknapp’s divorce papers to be kept secret as a judge blocks the release of documents.’

Full Story

Transparency Project, 6th January 2018

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

A fork in the road – Cafcass and their pathways – Transparency

Posted January 8th, 2018 in domestic violence, family courts, news, parental rights, social services by sally

‘A little while ago we wrote some about Cafcass’ new proposed High Conflict pathway, which had been hailed in the press as a big thing in terms of dealing effectively with parental alienation. We had been offered an interview with the Cafcass Principal Social Worker, which had cleared up some of our questions but which had raised others.’

Full Story

Transparency Project, 6th January 2018

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk