Family Lawyers

Recent changes to the legal aid system and the promotion of mediation have put the future of family law work in doubt. The legal process is widely perceived as being in itself harmful to the resolution of family disputes and wastefully expensive. Yet such attitudes are based on little evidence. Family Lawyers considers these issues on the basis of research into the way family lawyers deal with their divorcing clients, and how this fits into their general legal practice. It examines how solicitors negotiate both with their clients and with the "other side", how long cases take and what causes delays, and whether clients get value for their money. At a time of great change within the delivery of legal services, this book provides an insight into the real world of family solicitors, and will allow a more balanced assessment of the role and of the place of the law in this aspect of social life.

1. The Policy Context 2. The Data Collection 3. Family Solicitors: the Workforce and the Work 4. Observing a Dual Profession 5. Solicitor and Client: Support and Negotiation
6. The "Other Sid": Achieving Settlement 7. Outcomes: Are Solicitors Cost-Effective?
8. Process Issues: Duration and Cost 9. Conclusions: Family Law Practice - A Business or a Profession?