About Family Law
In family law, half the battle is keeping on top of the latest case law, legislation, precedents and forms. Lexis+ Family brings everything together for you online, in one place. So you can get up to speed faster, with more time to spend on your clients.
Financial provision
Comprehensive coverage of all aspects of financial provision, from underlying principles considered by the court to applications under specific legislation. Not forgetting in-depth practical guidance on specialist areas.
Private children
Get stuck into all areas of private children law, from fundamental principles to evidence and procedure. Plus subtopics to make sure practitioners have the relevant practical guidance at their fingertips.
International law
Families are increasingly international, so practitioners need quick access to relevant practical guidance. We'll provide the information you need to advise your clients on the best jurisdiction.
Lexis+® Family
In family law, half the battle is keeping on top of the latest case law, legislation, precedents and forms. Lexis+® Family brings everything together for you online, in one place.
Latest Family News
The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) has published new guidance for local authorities and Cafcass for cases where the...
This week's edition of the Family weekly highlights includes details of the third Family Procedure Rules 2010 Practice Direction update of 2025 and...
The third Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR 2010) Practice Direction (PD) update of 2025 has been issued, making amendments to two existing PDs, FPR...
This week's edition of the Family weekly highlights includes details of the speeches by the Master of Rolls and Lord Justice Birss at a Civil...
Local Government analysis: This case concerned an application for judicial review for an asylum-seeking qualifying young person requesting...
Latest Family Practice Notes
Processing personal data—standard of consentThis Practice Note is based on the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and consent guidance...
Child Arrangements Programme—the procedure for section 8 applicationsThis Practice Note explains how to apply for an order under section 8 of the...
Applications under the Married Women’s Property Act 1882—procedureThis Practice Note provides guidance on the procedure applicable to an application...
Family procedural guidesProcedural guides provide a step-by-step guide on a wide range of family law matters, including emergency procedures, divorce,...
Applications under the Married Women’s Property Act 1882—principlesThis Practice Note sets out the range of orders that can be made under section 17...
Latest Family Precedents
Cohabitation contractThis Deed is made the [insert date and month] 20[insert year]Parties1[Insert name of first party] of [insert address of first...
Financial applications to the court—client guide (standard procedure)This document provides general guidance regarding an application to court to...
Financial disclosure and Form E—client guideThis document provides general guidance regarding financial disclosure. Your family lawyer will be able to...
Pre-nuptial or pre-partnership agreementThis Agreement is made [insert day and month] 20[insert year]Parties1[Insert name] of [insert full address]...
Adoption by step-parents—client guideThis document provides general guidance regarding applications for adoption by step-parents. Your family lawyer...
Latest Family Q&As
Featured Family content
Procedure—Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989
Procedure—Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989This Practice Note sets out the procedural requirements in relation to an application under Schedule 1 to...
Applications under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997
Applications under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997This Practice Note explains the six criminal offences that may be committed under the...
Striking out a statement of case
Striking out a statement of caseThis Practice Note explains the court's power to strike out a statement of case. It summarises the grounds on which a...
The grounds on which a marriage is void
The grounds on which a marriage is voidA void marriage is one that will be treated by the court as never having taken place. The grounds on which a...
Sequestration (confiscation of assets) within contempt proceedings
Sequestration (confiscation of assets) within contempt proceedingsSequestration is a process for dealing with a contempt of court that would be...
Application to vary, extend or discharge a non-molestation or occupation order
Application to vary, extend or discharge a non-molestation or occupation orderUnder the Family Law Act 1996 (FLA 1996) a non-molestation order is an...
Notice to show cause applications in family proceedings
Notice to show cause applications in family proceedingsIf one party considers that an agreement has been reached (usually in relation to financial...
What is the procedure to withdraw an application made on Form C100?
Pre-nuptial agreements—client guide
Pre-nuptial agreements—client guideThis document provides general guidance regarding pre-nuptial agreements. Your family lawyer will be able to...
Steps to take after a client meeting
Steps to take after a client meetingFile noteA file note (also known as an attendance note) should be prepared immediately after the first interview,...
Is a divorce petition a public document and can anyone request a copy? If not, is there anything to prevent a party to a divorce from giving copies of the petition to a third party such as an employer?
Declarations of parentage—procedure
Declarations of parentage—procedureThe procedure for an application for a declaration of parentage is governed by the Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR...
Working with counsel
Working with counselInstructing counsel to advocate on a client’s behalf should be a matter of careful thought and preparation. The role of counsel is...
Non-molestation orders
Non-molestation ordersUnder the Family Law Act 1996 (FLA 1996) a non-molestation order is an order prohibiting a person (the respondent) from...
Reports under section 37 of the Children Act 1989
Reports under section 37 of the Children Act 1989Under section 37 of the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989), the court has the power to order an...
‘Associated persons’ as defined in section 62(3) of Family Law Act 1996 includes people who have, or have had, an intimate personal relationship with each other which is or was of significant duration. How is ‘significant duration’ defined and how long is considered significant?
Financial clean break orders in family proceedings
Financial clean break orders in family proceedingsDuty of the court to consider a clean breakAlthough there is no presumption in favour of there being...
What is the procedure to withdraw a divorce petition that has already been served on the respondent? Will the respondent be notified of any application to withdraw the petition and what does the court take into account in deciding whether the petition should be dismissed?
Associated legal terms
Implementation period (IP) completion day
11 pm (GMT) on 31 December 2020 marked the end of the Brexit transition/implementation period entered into following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. This point in time is referred to in UK law as ‘IP completion day’ and is the point at which key transitional arrangements came to an end and significant changes took effect across the UK’s legal regime.
Secure accommodation order
A secure accommodation order provides for a child to be accommodated in accommodation provided for the purpose of restricting liberty. In most cases, the child must be ‘looked after’, ie either a child under a care order, or a child provided with accommodation under social services functions.
Shared residence order
With effect from 22 April 2014, residence orders are now called 'child arrangements orders' as a result of changes introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014.
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