FRJ stage

DR Corner

DR Corner: Is NCDR Appropriate in Financial Remedy Cases where there is Domestic Abuse?

DR Corner: Is NCDR Appropriate in Financial Remedy Cases where there is Domestic Abuse?

In October 2024, a Resolution multi-disciplinary working party published a report, Domestic abuse in financial remedy proceedings. Described as a ‘groundbreaking’ consideration of the interplay between domestic abuse and the treatment of finances on separation and divorce, this 18-month project is a powerful call for change from eminent family law

DR Corner: Early Reflections on Pre-Application Protocol – Seismic Shift or Damp Squib?

DR Corner: Early Reflections on Pre-Application Protocol – Seismic Shift or Damp Squib?

Family judges don’t have it easy. When the combined wisdom of a thousand cases leads to the identification of a particular problem, what are they to do about it? Publishing a judgment provides the most obvious and immediate answer. But often such pleas resemble the proverbial pebble dropped into

DR Corner: Fair Shares – Mediation Under the Microscope

DR Corner: Fair Shares – Mediation Under the Microscope

1 November 2023 saw the launch of the Fair Shares report, which presents the results of the first fully representative study of the arrangements families make on separation and divorce.[[1]] Following a bespoke survey of 2,425 individuals who had divorced in the last 5 years, the report helps

DR Corner: FPR Part 3 – Out-of-Court Dispute Resolution Options – Perils and Possibilities

DR Corner: FPR Part 3 – Out-of-Court Dispute Resolution Options – Perils and Possibilities

Opportunities for resolution away from the court have never been greater – mediation, early neutral evaluation, private FDRs, arbitration – and practitioners continue to take up training in these disciplines. However, although the use of out-of-court resolution continues to increase, too many cases remain within the overburdened court system, cases for which

DR Corner: Review of Do It Out of Court – A Practical Guide to Dispute Resolution Processes in Family Law

DR Corner: Review of Do It Out of Court – A Practical Guide to Dispute Resolution Processes in Family Law

Karin Walker (Law Brief Publishing, 2023) This is a concise and informative book aimed at family law practitioners with little or no experience in out-of-court dispute resolution methods. The guide is divided into two sections, with the first section focusing on essential considerations such as new divorce legislation, client expectations

DR Corner: The Drive for Gender Diversity in Private FDRs

DR Corner: The Drive for Gender Diversity in Private FDRs

Pressures on court time and the increasing use of remote courts over the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the increasing popularity and success of Private FDRs within (and instead of) financial remedy proceedings within the last 5 years. A Private FDR is a ‘without prejudice’ hearing which can be used

DR Corner: Book review of (Almost) Anything But the Family Court

DR Corner: Book review of (Almost) Anything But the Family Court

Earlier this year, my good friends at Only Mums and Only Dads, Rebecca Giraud and Bob Greig, with a stellar author in the ever-fabulous Jo O’Sullivan, launched (Almost) Anything But Family Court at the Resolution national conference. The President, Sir Andrew McFarlane, was present in person to reinforce themes