The words we use are important. This is especially so in the world of family law.

The interpretation and meaning attributed to certain words can influence the outcome of a specific case as well as how the law is understood by the public and implemented generally by the judiciary.

The International Family Law Group LLP and Anthony Gold Solicitors hosted their second annual International Family Law Conference yesterday (21 March 2019) in London.

The conference brought together specialist family lawyers from iFLG and Anthony Gold, as well as barristers who gave practical and updating insights into highly topical areas of international family law.

Professor David Hodson OBE MICArb, Partner, The International Family Law Group, provides a family lawyer’s perspective of the matters arising at the inaugural International Forum on Online Courts.

Within EU family law where more than one EU member state has a connection, forum is decided only on who is the first party to lodge proceedings. A recent CJEU judgment however found that a divorce pronounced in the country second seized takes effect even overriding the proceedings in the country first seized with the proceedings. This article examines the case:

What is a child arrangements order?

Child arrangements orders are court orders that confirm with whom a child is to live and/or spend time (often referred to as “contact”).

Contact is sometimes broken down into two sub-categories: direct and indirect.  Direct contact concerns face-to-face contact; whereas indirect contact refers to contact via means of correspondence or technology, such as online video chats, emails or letters. 

In Senna & Aldenberg & Anor [2018] FCCA 2711, a mother of two (aged approximately eight and nine years old) and her own mother (the grandmother) were imprisoned following their failure to comply with Orders of a Family Law Court in Australia.  As a similar approach could be taken by an English Family Court for failure to comply with comparable orders, the decision serves as a reminder of the importance of complying with court orders and the likely response of the court if an

On 12 September 2018, the 125^th anniversary of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, Cuba, Paraguay and the Philippines each joined Hague Conventions.

“Totally without merit”: These were the words of Mrs Justice Knowles in the High Court regarding the merits of a change of residence claim, Re C (A Child) [2018] EWHC 557 (Fam) in March 2018 .   

Introduction