David Hodson on International Family Law: If we think the family courts in England are bad...!

It is very easy for us to become despondent when working daily in the family courts and having to cope with administrative and other delays and difficulties as family lawyers. There is rarely sign of improvement. There is too often signs of deteriorating standards through public service cuts. We must however recognise our fortunate position working in the family justice system in England in contrast to our colleagues family law specialists in other jurisdictions.

This was starkly shown at the IAML annual conference in mid September in Harrogate by a presentation from Beverley Clark of Clarks Attorneys Johannesburg one of South Africa's leading family lawyers. She presented a bleak picture of practice in the High Court in family cases in South Africa. A High Court judge had recently publicly written complaining of the following:

• "air conditioning in courts operate erratically if at all with the result that there is insufficient...

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