Family Law

New legal powers to support the collection of child maintenance will be introduced in Northern Ireland under proposals put out to consultation. The Department for Communities is consulting on proposals in the Child Support Enforcement Bill, which will enhance enforcement and collection powers within

Gore & Grimes Solicitors LLP has promoted Niamh Walsh to partner in the Dublin firm's family law team. Ms Walsh joined the firm as a senior associate in 2021, having previously worked with a specialist family law firm.

Children, couples experiencing relationship breakdown and survivors of domestic violence will continue to face "rough justice" in the family courts under proposed government reforms, a coalition of NGOs and legal groups has warned. Women's Aid, Rape Crisis Network Ireland, Safe Ireland, One Family,

New guidelines are to be introduced on the commissioning, content and use of expert reports in the family courts. Justice minister Helen McEntee today published a wide-ranging review on the subject, which sets out 20 recommendations for reform, including the establishment of a panel of assessors to

Changes are to be made to family law proceedings to prevent parents from abusing controversial concepts like "parental alienation". Justice minister Helen McEntee said ministers had approved reforms to ensure that "issues like parental alienation cannot take hold and cannot be part of any decisions

Northern Ireland's Department of Justice is considering whether journalists should be allowed to report on family court proceedings in response to calls from domestic abuse survivors. Several women have met with the victims of crime commissioner designate to push for increased transparency in the fa

A family lawyer seeking election to the European Parliament has criticised plans to move divorce, judicial separation and cohabitation proceedings to the District Court. Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, a practising barrister who is running as a Fianna Fáil candidate for the Ireland South co

Child rapists in England and Wales will automatically lose parental responsibility over their own children under legislative amendments proposed by the UK government. The change comes alongside separate legislation which will apply an automatic suspension of parental responsibility in cases where a

Children's charity Barnardos has raised concerns about proposed family court reforms which senior lawyers warn could lead to a "two-tier" family justice system. The Bar of Ireland and the Family Lawyers' Association (FLA) strongly oppose plans to move most judicial separations, divorce and co-habita

Virtually no family lawyers support government proposals to reallocate most divorce, judicial separation, and co-habitation proceedings to the District Court, a new survey suggests. The Family Lawyers Association surveyed its 286 solicitor and barrister members ahead of a summit on the Family Courts

The long-awaited dedicated family courts complex in Dublin has reached a significant milestone with the approval of planning permission.

Proposals to transfer judicial separations, divorce and co-habitation proceedings to the District Court risk creating a "two-tier family justice system", senior lawyers have warned. The Bar of Ireland, backed by the Family Lawyers' Association (FLA), which represents over 500 barristers and solicito

A pilot programme providing for more court sittings during the Long Vacation has been welcomed by practitioners. Mr Justice David Barniville, president of the High Court, yesterday set out details of the pilot, which will begin on 1 July 2024 and run until the end of September 2024.

Dr Deirdre McGowan offers a family law perspective on the coming family and care referendums. We have become accustomed to referendums that result in practical positive change. The equal-marriage referendum allowed previously excluded couples to get married. Similarly, repealing the eighth amendment

The family courts are "no longer safe for lawyers or litigants" and government plans only risk worsening the situation, a leading family lawyer has warned. The Irish Times yesterday revealed that the Bar Council wrote to the Courts Service last November to raise concerns about violence in Dolphin Ho