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 Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR 2010) Practice Direction Update No 2 of 2025 has been issued and makes amendments to FPR 2010, PD 36ZA and...
Local Government analysis: The Court of Appeal (‘Court’) allowed the appeal brought by Surrey County Council (SCC) in connection with the judge’s...
Family analysis: This case considered the interpretation of section 37(1) of the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989) empowering the court to direct a local...
This week's edition of the Family weekly highlights includes analysis of section 423 of the Insolvency Act 1986 and Schedule 1 to the Children Act...
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);...
Latest Family Practice Notes
Child arrangements and contact orders—domestic abuse and harmChild arrangements and contact orders—domestic abuse and harmA substituted Family...
Making an application to the Court of ProtectionApplications to the Court of Protection (the court) are governed by the Court of Protection Rules 2017...
Trusts in financial proceedings—evidence and procedureThis Practice Note considers the key procedural aspects of family proceedings involving trust...
Privilege in financial remedy proceedingsThis Practice Note considers the different types of privilege that may arise in financial remedy proceedings,...
The grounds on which a marriage is voidableOn 6 April 2022, the provisions of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 (DDSA 2020), came into...
Latest Family Precedents
Financial arrangements for children—client guideThis document provides general guidance regarding financial provision for children. Your family lawyer...
Civil partnership—client guide (post-DDSA 2020)This document provides general guidance regarding civil partnership dissolution procedure. Your family...
Pre-nuptial or pre-partnership agreementThis Agreement is made [insert day and month] 20[insert year]Parties1[Insert name] of [insert full address]...
Parental responsibility—client guideThis document provides general guidance regarding parental responsibility for a child. Your family lawyer will be...
Letter of instruction to a single joint expert for valuation and advice on pension rights1IntroductionThis letter is written as a joint instruction to...
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
Checklist documents
In public law children proceedings checklist documents are (under the Public Law Outline) documents that are already existing on the local authority's files from two categories: evidential and decision-making.
Occupation order
An occupation order is an order under the Family Law Act 1996 conferring, declaring, restricting or regulating rights of occupation in the family home between family members or those involved in a domestic relationship.
Signetting (Court of Session)
The process by which a court document is sealed by the court and approved for service in the Court of Session.
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