Family Court Hearings

Family Court Hearings

A move back to in person for family court hearings

Who would have thought that one day attending court might not mean actually attending a court building. Our venerable court buildings (think The Old Bailey) have stood proud over our towns and cities for centuries and form the cornerstone of our society.  Most people could not have predicted that attending court might mean sitting in our bedroom, and that goes for lawyers as well.

Despite savage financial cuts over the last decade the Court Service rose majestically to the challenge of Covid. As everything closed down in March 2020 and life as we knew it changed forever the Ministry of Justice swung into action, surprisingly quickly, with Cloud Video Platform hearings.

As we came to terms with the new normal, parties, judges and legal representatives worked out how to log on for scheduled hearings and the wheels of justice continued to grind, albeit even more slowly than usual.  Nevertheless, as the days rolled by lawyers wondered whether anything would ever be the same again in the court service, clients wondered whether they would ever meet their lawyers again and Court Clerks wondered whether it would ever be possible to tell if everyone had frozen.

But if you are fed up with having to sit on your bed to talk to the judge, having the camera looking right up your nose, or being frozen in time and space, take heart. The chances are that your upcoming family court hearing will be held in person at the court. The Court Service has reverted to requiring most parties in family cases to attend court and we think this is a good thing.  It is so much easier for parties to communicate with each other to reach agreements for their children and financial futures when they are physically in the same building. Long may it continue!

If you would like to know where you stand in relation to any issues relating to matrimonial matters including children, mediation, divorce, financial settlement then please do contact our Family Team at Kerseys Solicitors in Ipswich Suffolk 01473 213311 or Kerseys Solicitors in Colchester Essex 01206 584584 alternatively visit our web site and click “Call Me Back” and a member of the team will be happy to call you.

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