Family Lawyers: The Divorce Work of Solicitors

(Hardback)

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Description

Recent changes to the legal aid system and the promotion of mediation have put the future of family law work in doubt. The legal process is widely perceived as being in itself harmful to the resolution of family disputes and wastefully expensive. Yet such attitudes are based on little evidence. Family Lawyers considers these issues on the basis of research into the way family lawyers deal with their divorcing clients, and how this fits into their general legal practice. It examines how solicitors negotiate both with their clients and with the "other side", how long cases take and what causes delays, and whether clients get value for their money. At a time of great change within the delivery of legal services, this book provides an insight into the real world of family solicitors, and will allow a more balanced assessment of the role and of the place of the law in this aspect of social life.

Reviews

fascinating reading -- Geraldine Horwood * New Law Journal *
Ultimately, one has to believe, work such as this does have influence beyond academia. Certainly it deserves to have. -- Gwynn Davis * Journal of Law and Society *
a thought-provoking debate on family law at the turn of the twentieth century. The contributions provide an interesting analysis of the main issues -- Loise Spitz * University of Toronto Law Journal *

Author Bio

John Eekelaar is Reader in law and Fellow of Pembroke College,Oxford. Mavis Maclean is co-founder of the Oxford Centre for Family Law and Policy, Oxford University.