Family Law and Procedure - England and Wales

Course Outline:

Expert witnesses involved in family law cases in England and Wales must understand relevant legislation and procedures referenced and applied in family courts. The knowledge delivered on this course enables delegates to work more effectively and confidently, ensuring compliance with mandatory requirements of the Family Procedure Rules.

This course delivers a clear overview of the legal landscape and the procedural framework within which experts in the family court must operate. Delegates will understand how law is made and enforced; the court structure; the stages through which a case in court must pass and the different types of proceedings heard within the family courts.

In response to recent criticism of expert witnesses operating the family courts, attendees will cover the rules relating to the expert witness including the sanctions that could be imposed.

On this course, delegates will learn the legal principles applied in children’s cases, the impact of the Human Rights Act, the different types of evidence and their admissibility plus the practical implications of Part 25 of the Family Procedure Rules.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Describe the family court structure in England and Wales
• Describe the family litigation process in England and Wales
• Identify the three distinct and separate sets of proceedings that are conducted in the family court – public law, private law and financial disputes
• Identify the stages in the family litigation process in England and Wales which involve the expert witness
• Apply the legal duties of the expert witness to the court within family litigation to different case scenarios
• Apply the procedural rules applicable to an expert witness in a family litigation scenario