For most people, dealing with a Family Law issue is an emotionally difficult time and most people will need support through the process. This will often be in the form of friends and family, but the support of a good solicitor to guide you through the process, to advise you and represent your best interests, is crucial.
But how do you choose a solicitor?
It takes years of study and training to qualify as a solicitor and therefore you would assume all solicitors have a good technical knowledge of the law. But more than this, clients need somebody who they feel comfortable with, someone approachable and accessible.
Most people do not want to inflame their situation. They want a fair outcome, but they want to achieve that with minimal stress and costs and to avoid going through the courts, if at all possible. Obviously, there are times where the other party to the dispute is not engaging or cooperating with the process. In these circumstances, you will need a solicitor who is assertive and where court proceedings cannot be avoided, a good advocate in court. However generally, most people will want to at least try to find an amicable solution and want a solicitor who can facilitate this.
But how do you know which solicitors will adopt this constructive approach? Finding a solicitor who adopts the “Resolution” Code of Practice gives you assurance that this approach will be adopted.
What is Resolution
Resolution is an organisation of specialist Family Law Solicitors who adopt a constructive, non-confrontational approach to their practice, avoiding court litigation where possible.
What is the Code of Practice?
The Code of Practice is central to the membership of Resolution. Members are required to attend a mandatory course on the code to understand it and how it applies to their practice. Resolution believes the process of separating, sorting out finances and childcare, can and should be done in a way that minimises conflict and keeps the best interests of any children at the heart. Emotions are high and even if two people agree, the changes can be overwhelming and stressful.
The Code requires Resolution members to:
- Reduce or manage any conflict and confrontation; for example, by not using inflammatory language.
- Support and encourage families to put the best interests of any children first.
- Act with honesty, integrity and objectivity.
- Help clients understand and manage the potential long-term financial and emotional consequences of decisions.
- Listen to and treat everyone with respect and without judgment.
- Use experience and knowledge to guide clients through the options available to them.
- Continually develop knowledge and skills.
- Use the Resolution “Guides to Good Practice”in their day-to-day work.
What is the Guide to Good Practice?
These are various guides that represent the commitment of Resolution members to best practice in key areas including:
- Communication
- Correspondence
- Domestic abuse cases
- Safeguarding children
- Working with litigants in person
- Working with vulnerable clients
How do I know that a Resolution member will be an expert in family law?
In addition to the Good Practice Guides, there are also guidance notes on various areas of law which are designed to offer knowledge and guidance to all members. Furthermore, Resolution offer professional development, including training and events often involving specialist family judges and experts, to offer hundreds of hours of courses and training on specific areas of law to develop and maintain the solicitor’s technical knowledge.
Resolution also run an accreditation scheme where members can demonstrate excellence in the practice of family law and in their specific areas of expertise. The head of our Matrimonial Department and Managing Director of the firm is an Accredited Specialist and her knowledge is shared with the rest of the team, who are either Resolution Members themselves, or who adopt the Resolution approach.
Resolution’s Campaigning
As a body of specialist family lawyers, Resolution is in a good position to campaign for change in areas of Family Law where the law is either out of date or unfair. For example, Resolution were integral in campaigning for the no-fault divorce law which finally came in in April 2022 to replace the previous legal requirement for one party to blame the other, if they were to obtain an immediate divorce. It was considered important to give couples a better chance of resolving the consequences of their relationship breakdown with minimal, conflict if they could go into the divorce process without the requirement to blame or make allegations against the other.
Year of the Code
Resolution are calling 2025, ‘the year of the code’. This places a focus on the importance of the Code of Practice and how this fundamentally changes the way Family Law is practiced, with a positive effect on individuals, couples and their children.
If you have a Family Law issue and would like a solicitor who will adopt a ‘Resolution approach’ to your matter, please contact us on 01785 336617 or family@sflsolicitors.co.uk to arrange a free consultation with one of our specialists.
You can find out more about Resolution from their website: www.resolution.org.uk/about-us/