Family Law Spring Update 2025

KEY SUBJECTS

• FINANCIAL REMEDY UPDATE
• TREATMENT OF PENSIONS ON DIVORCE
• DISCLOSURE AND FACT FINDING IN PRIVATE LAW CHILDREN
• HOW TO FIELD FABRICATED DOCUMENTS WHEN THEY ARISE IN FINANCIAL REMEDY PROCEEDINGS
• RUNNING A DOMESTIC ABUSE CASE

SPEAKERS

Lucy Loizou, Managing Partner, The International Family Law Group LLP

Michael Allum, Partner, The International Family Law Group LLP

Katharine Bundell, Barrister, 4PB Chambers

Cerys Sayer, Barrister, Westgate Chambers

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

09.30am CHAIRMAN’S INTRODUCTION

FINANCIAL REMEDY UPDATE

This talk will provide a practical update in respect of financial remedy case law over the last 12 months. To ensure the content is both topical and relevant the issues to be covered will be determined nearer the time but are likely to include:

• Division of capital
• Maintenance provision
• Miscellaneous judgements
• Other practical topics

Lucy Loizou, Managing Partner, The International Family Law Group LLP

TREATMENT OF PENSIONS ON DIVORCE

This talk will provide a general overview and update regarding what practitioners need to know when dealing with pensions on divorce, and will include:

• Overview of the second report of the Pensions Advisory Group (“PAG 2”)
• The difference between defined contribution and defined benefit pensions
• Dividing pensions by equality of capital value and equality of income in retirement
• How to deal with apportionment (i.e. whether non-marital pensions should be taken into account)
• Short marriage cases including in needs and sharing cases
• Offsetting and practical guidance on using the Galbraith Tables
• Update of recent case law dealing with pensions on divorce

Michael Allum, Partner, The International Family Law Group LLP

DISCLOSURE AND FACT FINDING IN PRIVATE LAW CHILDREN

The first part of this talk will look at the rules around disclosure: when and what can clients and lawyers disclose to third parties outside of the proceedings both before and after the hearings. The second part will look at when to hold a fact finding hearing in private law children cases.

This talk will:

• Consider the statute, rules and case law which limit what documents from private law proceedings can be disclosed to whom and when, both before and after proceedings
• Look at some case law which considers the consequences of breaching the limits on disclosure
• Look at when to hold a fact finding hearing within private law proceedings
• Look at the Rules and Guidance which the Court applies
• Consider some practice points as to how to set up and how to prepare for such hearings

Katharine Bundell, Barrister, 4PB Chambers

HOW TO FIELD FABRICATED DOCUMENTS WHEN THEY ARISE IN FINANCIAL REMEDY PROCEEDINGS

This talk will provide practitioners with an overview to help them deal with manufactured documents when they surface both in and outside of court. It will include:

• An introduction to this pressing issue
• Recent and relevant case law
• A summary of pertinent guidance and regulation
• Practical tips to help combat and cut through dodgy documents

Cerys Sayer, Barrister, Westgate Chambers

RUNNING A DOMESTIC ABUSE CASE

This talk aims to provide learning and practice points on the relevant rules and requirements for management of a case involving allegations of domestic abuse. It will look at evidence gathering, reports, when to seek a fact finding hearing, how to set up and run a fact finding hearing and the most up to date and seminal case law on the topic.

This talk will:

• Start with pre-proceedings issues: what questions to ask and issues to interrogate
• Look at managing expectations for clients: where do these cases end up and what shape might they take
• Consider how to run the FHDRA: what applications to make for reports or a fact finding hearing and how to oppose these applications
• Consider in detail the judicial Guidance on fact finding hearings and the most up to date case law
• Look at practice points on how to prepare for and run a fact finding hearing
• Include other relevant case law which helps with case preparation arguments, such as when and how to make applications for an expert
• Look at disclosure to third parties during and after proceedings: who can be shown the judgment
• What to do after a fact finding hearing: applications for moving the case on
• How to bring these proceedings to an end

Katharine Bundell, Barrister, 4PB Chambers

5.00pm CLOSE OF PROCEEDINGS