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
Family analysis: The decision in BS v HC establishes that, in sharing cases, the non-matrimonial segment of a pension may still be matrimonialised in...
This week's edition of the Family weekly highlights includes details of the President’s decision on parental alienation and unregulated experts and...
Private Client analysis: The applicant, Enable & Thrive Ltd, made an application to be appointed as a property and affairs deputy for an individual...
HM Courts and Tribunals Service has introduced a mandatory requirement for legal representatives to upload the latest divorce document when submitting...
Private Client analysis: In this case, the court confirmed that capacity to marry is determined on an ‘act’ or ‘status’ specific basis, rather than by...
Latest Family Practice Notes
Defended divorce proceedings (pre-DDSA 2020)This Practice Note provides information on the procedure for defending divorce proceedings where the...
Defended suits—nullity (pre-DDSA 2020)This Practice Note provides information on the procedure for defending nullity proceedings where the application...
Disputed nullity proceedings (post-DDSA 2020)This Practice Note provides guidance on the procedure for disputing an application for a nullity order or...
Expert evidence in private children proceedingsThis Practice Note deals with adducing expert evidence in private law children proceedings including...
Disputed divorce, dissolution and separation proceedings (post-DDSA 2020)This Practice Note provides guidance on the procedure for disputing an...
Latest Family Precedents
Letter to client confirming cost estimate and preparation needed for final hearing (financial remedy)Dear [insert client name]Costs estimate to final...
Letter to client enclosing order made at FDR and explaining final hearing preparationDear [insert client name]FinancesI enclose a copy of the order...
Letter to client enclosing order made at first appointmentDear [insert client name]FinancesI enclose a copy of the order made by [deputy] [district]...
Letter of instruction to a single joint expert in financial remedy proceedings1IntroductionThis is a letter of instruction to you to act as a single...
Letter to client enclosing notice of first appointmentDear [insert client’s name]FinancesI confirm that your application for a financial order (Form...
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
Pension commencement lump sum (PCLS)
A tax-free lump sum that pension members may elect to receive when they start to draw benefits from a pension scheme, usually a maximum of 25% of the scheme value.
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.
Utility discount
An adjustment applied when calculating an offsetting figure to reflect the advantages of receiving cash now instead of pension benefits later. The resulting value is called the ‘utility value’.
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