‘A Practical Guide to Advocacy in Family Proceedings’ by Stuart Barlow

Description

Advocacy in the family court has a style of its own. Yet there is little training or instruction for the lawyer who has a heart to practise in this area. This handbook provides assistance for the newcomer to the Family Law court room. It puts together in one place useful information needed to conduct advocacy in the main areas of family law including divorce, financial applications, private and public children, injunctions and cohabitation claims.

This handbook provides assistance for the newcomer to the Family Law Court Room as well as a resource for more experienced practitioners. Subjects covered include :

• Getting started as a Family Advocate
• Types of Court applications and hearings
• Pre-proceedings
• Preparation for Court hearings
• The Court hearing itself
• Fact Finding hearings
• Experts
• Cafcass and Local Authority Reports
• Court Bundles
• Litigants in Person & McKenzie Friends
• Position Statements & Skeleton Arguments
• Drafting Court Orders
• Appeals
• Enforcement of Court Orders

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stuart Barlow is a Solicitor who has practised Family Law for over 40 years. He conducts most of his own advocacy. Stuart is a member of the Law Society Children Panel, a former Chief Assessor of the Law Society Family Law Accreditation Scheme and adjudicator for the Legal Aid Agency. He presents training courses for family lawyers throughout England and Wales and is the author of three other published Law books.

REVIEWS

‘this book … makes our lives much easier in one of the most highly charged and emotional areas of legal practice for practitioners and lay clients.’
– Phillip Taylor MBE, video review

CONTENTS

Introduction
1. Why We Should Undertake Our Own Advocacy
2. Getting Started as a Family Court Advocate
3. Types of Tribunal
4. Hearings and the Family Court Advocate
5. Pre-Proceedings
6. When You Arrive at Court
7. Preparation for the Court Hearing
8. Ten Basic Tips When Attending Court
9. Family Court Hearings
10. The Court Hearing Itself
11. Divorce Proceedings
12. Financial Applications Following Divorce
13. Private Children Applications
14. Public Law Children Applications
15. Domestic Abuse Injunctions
16. Other Family Proceedings
17. Fact Finding Hearings
18. Experts
19. Cafcass and Local Authority Reports
20. Court Bundles
21. Litigants in Person and McKenzie Friends
22. Position Statements and Skeleton Arguments
23. Evidence on Oath
24. Drafting Court Orders
25. Appeals
26. Enforcement Hearings
27. Common Types of Family Court Orders