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Family law explained
Plain-English answers to common family law questions from barrister Jason Hadden MBE: child arrangements, parental responsibility, Cafcass, domestic abuse and the family court.
Transparency in the Family Court
Opening the family courts to journalists and legal bloggers: what might scrutiny uncover?
Feb 15, 20245 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
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
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
What is an occupation order?
How occupation orders decide who may live in the family home, and when the court will make one.
Apr 26, 20232 min read
What is s.37 of the children act 1989
When the court can direct a local authority to investigate a child's circumstances under section 37.
Apr 25, 20231 min read
What are finding of fact hearings?
Why the family court holds fact-finding hearings and what happens at them, especially where abuse is alleged.
Apr 23, 20232 min read
What do Cafcass do?
The role of Cafcass in family court cases, from safeguarding checks to welfare reports.
Apr 22, 20231 min read
What is child trafficking?
What child trafficking means under UK law, the forms it takes and how children are protected.
Apr 21, 20231 min read
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