Non-court dispute resolution

Unless it is clearly inappropriate to do so family lawyers should explain alternative methods of resolving family law disputes outside the court process and advise on the benefits and/or limitations in the client’s specific case plus the role of the solicitor in supporting the non-court dispute resolution process where appropriate. Non-court dispute resolution was previously known as alternative dispute resolution (ADR). The potential suitability of alternative methods of dispute resolution should be kept under review throughout a case.

See Practice Notes: Introduction to non-court dispute resolution and Non-court dispute resolution glossary.

Mediation information and assessment meetings (MIAMs)

Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR 2010), SI 2010/2955, Pt 3, together with FPR 2010, PD 3A, provides for all potential applicants to attend a mediation information and assessment meeting (MIAM) before making certain kinds of applications to obtain a court order in relevant family proceedings, save where an exemption applies. The court will also expect the prospective respondent to attend a MIAM. The court must consider, at every stage in proceedings, whether non-court dispute resolution is appropriate and has a general power to adjourn proceedings in order

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High Court judgment demonstrates usefulness of section 423 of the Insolvency Act 1986 in Schedule 1 claims (Re P (A Child) (Financial Provision))

Family analysis: In this Schedule 1 case the mother received, for her son’s benefit: a housing fund of nearly £1m (the property to be held on trust); child maintenance (including ‘HECSA’/carer’s allowance) until completion of his first degree; and lump sums in respect of his capital needs and her own substantial liabilities (chiefly relating to her unpaid legal fees). The father (whose resources could be measured in the ‘tens of millions of pounds’) had sought to prejudice the mother’s claims via transferring his valuable shares to family members, who then transferred the same into a trust structure (settled under Czech law). A further onwards transfer was then made of the trust’s assets into a Liechtenstein foundation. Inferences were drawn by the court in respect of the level of the father’s wealth, and specifically as to the value of the transferred shares. Detailed findings were made against him in respect of the identified transactions, which had been the focus of the mother’s section 423 application. Although a section 423(2) order was not actually made, the application was adjourned pending the father’s compliance with the award, with security in the sum of £600,000 also ordered, alongside a continuation of the freezing orders made earlier in the proceedings. David Wilkinson, solicitor at Slater Heelis, considers the issues.

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