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
This week’s edition of the Family weekly highlights includes details of the updated MyHMCTS financial remedy cases guidance. Recent judgments on an...
Private Client analysis: The Court of Appeal allowed the parents’ appeal and appointed them as HB’s health and welfare deputies, rejecting the...
Private Client analysis: The Court of Protection dismissed Camden’s appeal against findings that BW lacked capacity to decide whether to consent to...
Private Client analysis: The Honourable Mr Justice Hayden clarified both the Court of Protection’s role where a complainant may lack capacity to...
This week’s edition of the Family weekly highlights includes details of the Family Procedure Rule Committee’s annual open meeting. Analysis of the...
Latest Family Practice Notes
These are tables of cases from the Court of Protection from the year 2025 onwards. They are organised by topic including a summary, links to further...
This Family case tracker is a list of public children family judgments that were handed down or reported in 2026 which are relevant to family lawyers....
The Family case tracker is a list of international children family judgments that were handed down or reported in 2026 which are relevant to family...
This Practice Note provides information about the ‘Recommendations to achieve best practice in the child protection and family justice systems’ report...
This Practice Note sets out key areas of family law, providing an introduction to family law practical guidance materials for experienced family...
Latest Family Precedents
This document provides general guidance regarding financial disclosure. Your family lawyer will be able to provide specific advice based on your...
Dear [insert organisation name][PROSPECTIVE CLAIMANT’S NAME] AND [PROSPECTIVE DEFENDANT(S) NAME(S)]The estate of [name] deceasedLETTER OF CLAIM—...
This document provides general guidance regarding public law applications relating to children. Your family lawyer will be able to provide specific...
In the Family CourtCase No: [Case number]sitting at [Court name]Non-Molestation OrderThe Family Law Act 1996The full name(s) of the child(ren)Boy or...
This document provides general guidance regarding an application for financial provision after overseas divorce under Part III of the Matrimonial and...
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
Issues resolution hearing
Within public law children proceedings an issues resolution hearing is required primarily to identify the remaining issues, as far as possible resolve or narrow those issues, and to give directions for the resolution of the remaining issues.
Marriage
Marriage describes the legally recognised union of two people, creating a new family unit with rights and obligations in areas such as tax, property, succession, immigration, parental responsibility and financial provision on relationship breakdown or death.
In England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the core legal framework is set out in marriage legislation (including the Marriage Acts and case law), with same-sex marriage lawful in all three jurisdictions. In Ireland, marriage is governed principally by the Civil Registration and Family Law Acts, with same-sex marriage provided for following the Thirty-Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.
Key legal features include formal capacity requirements (age, consent, prohibited degrees of relationship), procedural requirements (notice, authorised celebrant, registration) and the distinction between civil and religious ceremonies. A marriage validly contracted in one jurisdiction may raise private international law questions when recognised in another.
Marriage is central to family law practice, underpinning claims for divorce or dissolution, financial remedies, maintenance, pensions sharing, inheritance rights, next-of-kin status and occupation of the family home. It is distinct from civil partnership and cohabitation, which attract different legal consequences.
Section 28(1A) bar
A type of periodical payments order in family proceedings where the term of the order is limited and non-extendable by virtue of the provisions of MCA 1973, s 28(1A). If a term order does not include such provision, then an application may be made to extend the term before the end of the original term.
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