Trauma and the Family Courts: developing a trauma-informed practice

Amanda Weston KC Barrister Garden Court Chambers
Amanda Meusz Barrister Garden Court Chambers
Lucy Barnes CEO and Co-Founder 'Lawyers Who Care CIC' and Pupil Barrister East Anglian Chambers

The impact of trauma on ability to recall and recount testimony has been recognised as a key issue for many years. Initiatives such as The Advocates’ Gateway have made important strides in providing strategies for those identified as needing support to communicate effectively and provide their ‘best evidence’. However understanding the real impact of trauma on the brain and how that affects parties in the family court is still in its infancy. The need for a trauma-informed approach to representation in family proceedings is increasingly recognised.

This article covers what a ‘trauma-informed approach’ means and explains the physiological responses to trauma. They also explore how family barrister Amanda Meusz at Garden Court Chambers and Lucy Barnes the co-founder of ‘Lawyers Who Care’ are highlighting the impact of trauma in the family justice system with a particular focus on the needs of care-experienced people. They cover how legal professionals working with families affected by...

Read the full article here.