The single family court to be introduced next April hopes for few but better expert witnesses. "Fewer" can be achieved easily, given that restrictions on fees and timescales are leading to grumblings within the ranks but what about "better"? When I asked Lord Justice Ryder, at a Westminster Legal Policy Forum seminar on family justice reform in July, about the likely impact of the new environment on expert witnesses, he commented that numbers would be reduced by"the gateway of the new test", which is to ensure that an expert is used only where necessary.
Family Fortunes
