Family law is often associated in people’s minds with unhappy times such as relationship breakdown, disputes about children, and financial problems. However, from a legal perspective, family law is a fascinating area of law as no two cases are ever the same. There are so many issues that need to be considered: Who does family law protect—and who is not protected? What human rights affect family law? How far should rules extend into people’s intimate relationships? How do people resolve their disputes, and how is this paid for? What is the current state of access to family law justice in England and Wales? This chapter asks all of these questions and presents the focus of the chapters to come.
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Chapter
1. Introduction
Chapter
14. Family Law in Practice
George Patrick Nicholls
This chapter discusses the challenges of practising family law and the reforms enacted to address the crisis in the family justice system since the beginning of the twenty-first century. These reforms included the streamlining of the family courts into one unified single Family Court, the considerable reduction in available funding, and the introduction of protocols before issuing court proceedings. This chapter examines the Family Procedure Rules and the Family Law Protocol and what is required to comply with them. Legal aid, and the types of cases now eligible for it after the reforms and the legal aid statutory charge are discussed. It then considers the subsequent increase and consequences in the numbers of litigants in person and McKenzie Friends, examines the different types of non court dispute resolution, particularly mediation, and looks at the effects of Covid-19 on the judiciary and court staff.
Chapter
9. Funding Access to the English Legal System
Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. This chapter addresses funding access to the English legal system. Funding legal services may be provided publicly or privately. Public funding relates to funding available from the state, whereas private funding specifically refers to the assets and monetary resources available to that specific individual. Only certain individuals are entitled to benefit from public funding, whilst all persons can, in theory, privately fund legal services. Moreover, legal aid—meaning state-funded assistance in legal matters—is available in both criminal and civil cases but is restricted to narrow circumstances and types of cases. The availability of legal aid depends on several tests set by the government. Where legal aid is not available and the individual cannot privately fund their case, pro bono institutions may be available to provide advice.
Chapter
9. Article 6: The right to a fair trial
David Harris, Michael O’Boyle, Ed Bates, and Carla Buckley
This chapter discusses Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the right to a fair trial in both criminal and non-criminal cases. In all cases, it guarantees the right to a fair and public hearing trial within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law. There are particular guarantees for persons subject to a criminal charge, including the right to be presumed innocent, to be informed of the charge, to adequate time and facilities to prepare the accused’s defence, to legal assistance, to examine and cross-examine witnesses, and to an interpreter.
Chapter
8. Fees
This chapter focuses on legal fees. It discusses the ways in which lawyers charge fees and the different ways of funding legal costs. A common way of assessing fees is using the ‘billable’ hour, by which a client is charged for each hour (or part of an hour) a lawyer works in their case. This has both advantages and disadvantages, as explored in this chapter. The chapter goes on to consider the ethical aspects of fees. The chapter covers conditional fee arrangements (CFAs) and speculative fees, legal expense insurance, hourly fees, and legal proceedings to recover fees. It also discusses legal aid.
Chapter
7. Domestic Violence and Abuse
Anna Carline and Roxanna Dehaghani
Domestic violence and abuse impact the lives of millions every year. Historically, such conduct was considered to be a private matter, and outside the remit of the law. While domestic violence and abuse is now recognised to be an important social issue, the historical acceptance of such abuse provides a context to understand some of the difficulties that victims face today. A key focus of the chapter is the family law remedies available for domestic abuse victims. Three key remedies are examined: non-molestation orders, occupation orders, and forced marriage protection orders. In addition to this, the chapter will explore the definition of domestic abuse, which is now set out in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. The chapter also explores some of the wider factors pertaining to the family justice system’s response to domestic violence and abuse. This includes the impact of the changes to legal aid as introduced by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, and the recent special measures brought in to support domestic abuse victims during court proceedings, introduced by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
Chapter
11. Funding Access to Justice
This chapter examines how litigation is funded. It considers the growth, and eventual decline, in legal aid, and how alternative sources of funding have begun to be used. The chapter considers both criminal and civil litigation. It notes how there is an increase in defendants in person before the criminal courts because of restrictions in legal aid. It questions whether this is appropriate, particularly where the loss of liberty is a real possibility. The chapter also considers how civil litigation is now funded. This includes how ‘no win, no fee’ arrangements were at first encouraged, but then subject to restrictions because it was felt the balance of risk vs gain was inappropriate. The chapter charts the growth of before and after the event insurance, and the increase in third-party funding where the litigation is for large sums of money.
Chapter
7. Fees
This chapter focuses on legal fees. It discusses the ways in which lawyers charge fees and the different ways of funding legal costs. It goes on to consider the ethical aspects of fees. The chapter covers conditional fee arrangements (CFAs) and speculative fees, legal expense insurance, hourly fees, and legal proceedings to recover fees. It also discusses legal aid.
Chapter
11. Funding Access to Justice
Alisdair A. Gillespie and Siobhan Weare
This chapter examines how litigation is funded. It considers the growth, and eventual decline, in legal aid, and how alternative sources of funding have begun to be used. The chapter considers both criminal and civil litigation. It notes how there is an increase in defendants-in-person before the criminal courts because of restrictions in legal aid. It questions whether this is appropriate, particularly where the loss of liberty is a real possibility. The chapter also considers how civil litigation is now funded. This includes how ‘no win, no fee’ arrangements were at first encouraged, but then subject to restrictions because it was felt the balance of risk vs. gain was inappropriate. The chapter charts the growth of before and after-the-event insurance, and the increase in third-party funding where the litigation is for large sums of money.
Chapter
9. Article 6: The Right to a Fair Trial
David Harris, Michael O’boyle, Ed Bates, Carla M. Buckley, KreŠimir Kamber, ZoË Bryanston-Cross, Peter Cumper, and Heather Green
This chapter discusses Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the right to a fair trial in both criminal and non-criminal cases. In all cases, it guarantees the right to a fair and public hearing trial within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law. There are particular guarantees for persons subject to a criminal charge, including the right to be presumed innocent, to be informed of the charge, to adequate time and facilities to prepare the accused’s defence, to legal assistance, to examine and cross-examine witnesses, and to an interpreter.
Chapter
R (on the application of Public Law Project) v Secretary of State for Justice [2016] UKSC 39, Supreme Court
Essential Cases: Public Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in R (on the application of Public Law Project) v Secretary of State for Justice [2016] UKSC 39, Supreme Court. The Court was asked to consider whether the Henry VIII powers granted under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 permitted the Secretary of State for Justice to introduce a residency test into the provisions regulating legal aid. The case raises wider questions about the oversight and review of Henry VIII powers. The document also includes supporting commentary and questions from author Thomas Webb.
Chapter
R (on the application of Public Law Project) v Secretary of State for Justice [2016] UKSC 39, Supreme Court
Essential Cases: Public Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in R (on the application of Public Law Project) v Secretary of State for Justice [2016] UKSC 39, Supreme Court. The Court was asked to consider whether the Henry VIII powers granted under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 permitted the Secretary of State for Justice to introduce a residency test into the provisions regulating legal aid. The case raises wider questions about the oversight and review of Henry VIII powers. The document also includes supporting commentary and questions from author Thomas Webb.
Chapter
1. Introduction to Family Law
All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing able students with a stand-alone resource. This chapter begins with an overview of families and family law in England and Wales today. It then discusses themes and issues in contemporary family law, covering rules versus discretion; women’s and men’s perspectives on family law; sex and gender identity; sexual orientation; cultural diversity; and state intervention versus private ordering, including the role of the family court and of non-court dispute resolution in family cases, and challenges facing the family justice system.
Chapter
2. Funding Litigation
This chapter discusses the issue of funding litigation. Solicitors have a professional duty to advise clients on litigation funding options. The advice and agreed funding method should be confirmed in writing in a ‘client care letter’. Most commercial clients pay their lawyers under the traditional retainer, normally with an agreed hourly rate. Conditional free agreements (CFAs) or ‘no win, no fee’ agreements allow a lawyer to agree not to charge the client if the proceedings are unsuccessful, but to charge an uplift or ‘success fee’ of up to 100 per cent over the solicitor’s usual costs if the proceedings are successful. Damages-based agreements (DBAs) are a form of contingency fee agreement under which the lawyer is paid out of the sums recovered in the proceedings. Public funding through legal aid is restricted to individuals with modest income and capital, and there are wide exclusions from the scheme.
Chapter
1. Introduction to Family Law
All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing able students with a stand-alone resource. This chapter begins with an overview of families and family law in England and Wales today. It then discusses themes and issues in contemporary family law, covering rules versus discretion; women’s and men’s perspectives on family law; sex and gender identity; sexual orientation; cultural diversity; and state intervention versus private ordering, including the role of the family court and of non-court dispute resolution in family cases, and challenges facing the family justice system.
Chapter
8. The Foundations of Justice
Andrew Le Sueur
Everybody agrees there is broad consensus that the constitutional principle of judicial independence is important. In relation to the core judicial functions of hearing cases and writing judgments, the central meaning and application of the principle is fairly straightforward: people holding public office (politicians, parliamentarians, and officials) must refrain from interfering with judicial decision-making in individual cases; and judges should be protected from illegitimate pressure from the news media and other organizations. But hearings and judgments do not ‘just happen’; they have to be facilitated by a wide array of institutions and processes (the justice infrastructure), covering matters as diverse as court buildings, litigation procedures, judicial careers, and legal aid. In the absence of a codified constitution, in the United Kingdom the justice infrastructure is set out in Acts of Parliament, delegated legislation and ‘soft law’ (including the 2003 ‘Concordat’). The day-to-day running of the justice infrastructure can be understood in terms of who carries out functions related to the administration of justice—the judges, government (in particular, the Lord Chancellor), functions shared between judges and government, and functions given to arm’s length bodies. Periodically, the justice infrastructure is reshaped. This is a constitutionally significant activity that may take place in different settings—the political environment, expert environments, and blended environments. The day-to-day running of this infrastructure, along with its periodic reshaping, presents numerous and complex challenges for a legal system intent on respecting judicial independence and facilitating access to justice.
Chapter
2. Funding Litigation
This chapter discusses the issue of funding litigation. Solicitors have a professional duty to advise clients on litigation funding options. The advice and agreed funding method should be confirmed in writing in a ‘client care letter’. Most commercial clients pay their lawyers under the traditional retainer, normally with an agreed hourly rate. Conditional free agreements (CFAs) or ‘no win, no fee’ agreements allow a lawyer to agree not to charge the client if the proceedings are unsuccessful, but to charge an uplift or ‘success fee’ of up to 100 per cent over the solicitor’s usual costs if the proceedings are successful. Damages-based agreements (DBAs) are a form of contingency fee agreement under which the lawyer is paid out of the sums recovered in the proceedings. Public funding through legal aid is restricted to individuals with modest income and capital, and there are wide exclusions from the scheme.
Chapter
7. The family justice system
This chapter discusses the family justice system. It considers the role law plays in regulating the family. The chapter covers the institutional framework of family justice and its transformation. It notes the creation of the Family Court and the pressures on that court. It reviews the remedies which are available in that court, in particular those relating to the protection of children. The chapter briefly considers adoption. It considers other matrimonial matters, in particular the introduction of no-fault divorce and the financial effects of divorce. It considers policy relating to child support, and notes changes to ways of dealing with domestic violence and abuse. It considers the legal practitioners involved in family law issues and how they seek to deal with family disputes on a less adversarial basis. The effect of changes to legal aid for funding for family law cases is discussed.
Chapter
10. Access to justice: paying for legal services
This chapter focuses on how legal services, in particular litigation, to the less well off and the poor are paid for. It considers first the radically changed shape of the legal aid scheme and publicly funded legal services in recent years and then discusses the developments designed to control the costs of litigation. It summarizes new ideas for the funding of litigation and improving access to justice. It considers the contribution of the legal profession and approaches to re-engineering the system, finally asking whether new processes—alternatives to the courts—might be better at providing cost effective and proportionate dispute resolution services.
Chapter
10. Access to justice
This chapter addresses the issues and arguments surrounding access to justice. The chapter considers changes and proposed changes to legal aid provision. There is an outline of the basic principles relating to public funding in both civil and criminal cases. Different methods of funding civil legal representation are discussed including CFAs and DBAs. Organizations involved in giving legal advice, including Citizens Advice and law centres, are also included in the discussion about the availability of legal advice.
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