Family Law

Children, young people and their families are "struggling to navigate" a family law system that is "crying out for reform", the Children's Rights Alliance has warned. The alliance today launched the first annual report of its helpline and legal advice clinics, which aims to help ensure all children

Divorces obtained in the UK may not be recognised in Ireland after Brexit, according to a briefing paper drawn up by the Bar Council of Ireland. Automatic recognition of British divorces in Ireland is governed by a 2005 EU regulation which will cease to apply after the UK leaves the European Union,

David Taylor, solicitor in the child and family law team at Comyn Kelleher Tobin, considers a recent High Court judgment clarifying the powers of the District Court under the Child Care Act 1991. A recent decision of the High Court found that the District Court judge was entitled to make an order un

Ireland's family law system is "broken and failing the most vulnerable in our society", solicitor Helen Coughlan has warned. Ms Coughlan, vice-chair of the Law Society's family and child law committee, made the remarks to the annual general meeting of Treoir, the national federation of services for

Legislation to reduce the period of time couples must live apart before divorcing will be brought forward following a resounding vote for reform in the divorce referendum. The Government's proposal to amend Articles 41.3.2 and 41.3.3 of the Constitution to allow the Oireachtas to legislate on the ma

Barristers Ferga McGloughlin and Angela Collins discuss the impact of the divorce referendum on Irish family law in the first episode of the Irish Women Lawyers Association (IWLA) podcast. The two family law experts are the inaugural guests on the IWLA Podcast, hosted by professional podcast produce

Dear Sir, On the 24th May 2019, there will be a referendum to change the Constitutional provisions regulating divorce in Ireland. The proposed changes are:

The Law Reform Commission may not issue a report on whether pre-nuptial agreements should be given legal recognition in Ireland until 2021, according to reports. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has refused to commit to the introduction of a legal framework for pre-nuptial agreements until the law

Prominent lawyers calling for a Yes vote in the forthcoming divorce referendum will officially launch the Lawyers for Yes campaign at Blackhall Place this afternoon. The launch event will hear from Catherine Ford BL; Peter Ward SC, chairperson of FLAC; Eilis Barry BL, chief executive of FLAC; family

The Law Society of Ireland has announced its support for proposed constitutional amendments to remove the minimum living apart period for spouses seeking a divorce from the Constitution. In a major new report written by Dr Geoffrey Shannon, a member of the Law Society's family and child law committe

The Bar of Northern Ireland shone a spotlight on Northern Ireland's family courts at the latest event in its Leaders in Legal Excellence discussion series.

Clare Curran, partner and head of the family and matrimonial department at Belfast-based Worthingtons Solicitors, writes on the case for divorce reform in Northern Ireland. In light of the announcement by the Government last week regarding imminent reform to the divorce system in England and Wales,

Legislation providing for a referendum on divorce to be held next month has cleared both houses of the Oireachtas without opposition. The Thirty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Dissolution of Marriage) Bill 2016 was approved by the Seanad last night.

A German woman has been told by a judge she will not be able to divorce her husband in England as she only visited London to attend the ballet and see an aristocrat friend, The Times reports. Clarissa Pierburg, 69, was accused of "divorce tourism" by her husband, Jurgen Pierburg, 73, an industrialis

Couples in England and Wales will be able to go through "no-fault" divorces faster under new Government proposals. New legislation representing the biggest overhaul of divorce laws in the jurisdiction in 50 years will be presented to MPs "as soon as parliamentary time allows".