Across the country unhappy couples are blowing the dust off the separation process

Further signs that life might be at least be on the starting blocks of a return to ‘normal’ have come in recent days.

There was news from The Lord Chancellor of the opening of 10 ‘Nightingale Courts’ rapidly set up to tackle the impact of coronavirus on the justice system. Understandably there has been some debate surrounding the locations chosen. Time will tell how successful these courts will be in addressing backlogs. Those working in family law need no reminders that ‘queues’ and delays had existed long before the pandemic.

And there was a Cafcass announcement that 17 of its offices would open towards the end of July so that its Family Court Advisers can safely meet with children to understand their needs wishes and feelings and enable them to make recommendations to courts. 

This all comes at a time the school summer holiday when many family dispute resolution practitioners are used to a slight lull in workload – sometimes enabling them to re-gird loins before an upsurge comes again in September. That has traditionally been the pattern for our mediators. Rather in the way that family...

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