top of page
All Posts


Transparency in the Family Court
Opening the family courts to journalists and legal bloggers: what might scrutiny uncover?
Feb 15, 20245 min read
Theatre Review: The Motive and the Cue
A review of Jack Thorne's play about Gielgud and Burton's 1964 Hamlet, directed by Sam Mendes.
Jan 15, 20242 min read


What is the welfare checklist?
The seven factors the family court must weigh when deciding a child's upbringing, as set out in section 1(3) of the Children Act 1989.
Oct 25, 20231 min read


A view
A new Texas law makes drunk drivers who kill a parent pay child support. Could something similar work in the UK?
Oct 17, 20231 min read


More thoughts
Why first hearings heard only by legal advisers can leave children without contact with a parent for months.
Oct 16, 20231 min read


Unveiling the Ethical Questions of Artificial Intelligence
Bias, privacy, accountability and jobs: the ethical dilemmas raised by the rise of AI.
Oct 13, 20233 min read


What is The Hague Abduction Convention
How the Hague Convention works when a child is wrongfully taken or kept across international borders.
Oct 11, 20232 min read
Thoughts
Looking at a case with fresh eyes: how delay and missteps in the court process can keep a child from a parent for years.
Oct 10, 20231 min read


Why get representation?
The practical benefits of having a barrister or solicitor in a family court case, from legal know-how to objective advice.
Jun 12, 20232 min read


What is a part 25 application?
How to ask the family court's permission to instruct an expert under Part 25 of the Family Procedure Rules.
Jun 7, 20232 min read


What is attachment disorder?
What attachment disorder is, how it arises in early childhood, and why it can matter in family proceedings.
Jun 5, 20232 min read


What is a court order?
What a court order is, the common types in family cases and what happens if one is not followed.
Jun 3, 20232 min read


What is attachment to a child?
The emotional bond between a child and their carer, and why it matters to a child's development and to the court.
May 31, 20232 min read


What is emotional harm to a child?
What counts as emotional harm to a child, with examples of the behaviour the family court looks at.
May 29, 20232 min read


What is parental alienation?
What parental alienation is, the signs to look for, and how it can affect a child's relationship with a parent.
May 26, 20231 min read
How do I instruct a direct access barrister?
A step-by-step guide to instructing a barrister directly, without a solicitor.
May 24, 20232 min read
What role does a district judge play in Children Act cases in uk
What district judges do in Children Act cases, from case management to fact-finding hearings.
May 3, 20231 min read
What is forced marriage
Forced marriage in the UK: what it is, the criminal law and how Forced Marriage Protection Orders work.
May 1, 20232 min read
What role do Magistrates play in children act proceedings?
Which children cases magistrates hear in the Family Court and how they reach their decisions.
Apr 29, 20231 min read
How does Cafcass define parental alienation
What Cafcass actually says about "alienating behaviours", and why that definition is a helpful starting point.
Apr 27, 20233 min read
bottom of page