Anything but Family Court

My work means that I spend a lot of time in court where decisions are being made in the best interests of children. So I was very interested to come across Jo O’Sullivan’s book ‘(Almost) Anything But Family Court’, as  I have seen first-hand how difficult court proceedings can be and what a toll it takes on people, both emotionally and financially.

Practical steps to avoid the Family Court

Jo’s book very clearly looks at all the alternatives to the Family Court process and the practical steps people can take to avoid court.

I was very pleased to see that the author acknowledges that there are times when the Family Court’ s powers are needed, and  in situations where there has been domestic abuse or other safeguarding issues the book makes it clear that safety comes first.

It might seem odd for a Solicitors’ website to promote a book encouraging people to keep things out of court but this is something that the Family Department at David Gray Solicitors has always been keen to support because we want our clients to find solutions that work well for them and their families.  Jo suggests 12 options for avoiding the Family Court and we have trained professionals who can help with many of them, such as mediation round-table meetings and arbitration.

Advice for relationship breakdown

I agree with the President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane who commented this book is ‘oozing with common sense and emotional insight’ and recommend it to people going through a separation process.  It’s a very practical work with space to make notes,  and well worth a read for people experiencing relationship breakdown.

Contact

If you would like to speak with one of our family law team please contact Louise on 0191 243 8167 or email louise.law@davidgray.co.uk to make an appointment or complete our contact form.