In a recent article published in the Law Society Gazette Judge Stephen Wildblood QC, a leading family judge in Bristol, warns family litigants to: ‘not bring private law litigation to the family court…unless it is genuinely necessary for you to do so’.  Right now, perhaps as result of the pandemic and its accompanying chaos, court case numbers are increasing across the UK and many unnecessary applications and requests are clogging up the legal system and putting pressure on family courts and judges. It is being suggested that many of these cases could, and should, be settled by other methods, such as mediation, arbitration or settlement conferences, so freeing up  judges and other legal professionals to concentrate on the cases that clearly require the definitive level of legal service that the court provides. Judge Wildblood is calling for legal advisers to steer their clients to alternative dispute resolution where necessary, or risk having sanctions imposed upon them. It is important that lawyers advise their clients appropriately; ensuring that they try to settle matters out of court where possible. This is not just to keep costs to a minimum for their client, but to perform a greater civic good by alleviating pressure on the court, barristers and judges. Ultimately, this will ensure a smoother, more efficient legal process for everybody.

At Griffin Law, we know that litigation of any kind can be worrisome and time-consuming, but especially family law. While we are familiar with the court process, we appreciate our clients may not be.

While we are aggressive on behalf of our clients as litigants, we like to put them at ease as people. Our clients will receive the very best of attention and will have all their legal and dispute resolution options explained with clarity. We understand that professionalism is a great comfort to people battling their way through the emotional minefield of family law and we strive to reassure our clients and let them know they are not fighting alone, but that we are on their side and doing our utmost to win their case for them.

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Griffin Law is a dispute resolution firm comprising innovative, proactive, tenacious and commercially-minded lawyers. We pride ourselves on our close client relationships, which are uniquely enhanced by our transparent fee guarantee and a commitment to share the risks of litigation.  If you have any specific questions regarding a dispute, please email  justice@griffin.law or call 01732 52 59 23.

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