News and Press
Families and Relationships Green Paper: Investing in Family Breakdown?

The forthcoming General Election has sparked comment and policy statements about dealing with marriage and family breakdowns. Ed Balls of the Labour Party announced on 20 January a new package of measures to support modern families in the 21st century commenting that "strong, stable families are the bedrock of our society."

The Green Paper is highlighted as a "major review of the family justice system" and the proposals include:

• Measures to improve flexible working for parents, especially dads.
• A "dad's guide" given to fathers before birth to encourage them to become more involved in their children's early lives from conception onwards.
• Consultations as to whether mediation should be compulsory for separating couples where there are conflicts over children.
• Major changes for grandparents, including extra recognition and an automatic right to have contact with grandchildren.

David Woodward, a Partner in TLT's Family Law Team and a member of Resolution's National Committee, comments, "Disappointingly there is no mention in the Green Paper of Collaborative Law and Arbitration. Any investment into the family justice system will be welcomed by families and the professionals who support them but any review of the system must recognise that there are indicators that it is in crisis including:

• Very significant delays in cases being heard by Judges which causes hardship and stress for all concerned.
• The diminishing number of people eligible for legal aid and fewer lawyers being able to offer legal aid as the system is refined and changed.
• Under-funding of CAFCASS: the agency tasked with looking after the interest of children involved in the family justice system where lack of professional staff is causing very significant delays and hardship.

"The current economic climate puts enormous strain on families: it also makes resolving issues such as creating two safe and affordable households much more difficult. Whilst the Green Paper illustrates some ambitious and bold ideas, it does little to deal with the more fundamental problems of access to family justice through representation and the core services that are letting families down."

For further information contact David Woodward at david.woodward@tltsolicitors.com.