The family courts in England & Wales hear over 400,000 cases every year. Decisions in each one of these will have a profound impact on the families involved. They provoke strong and emotionally fraught reactions in the way that they deal with the complexity of human relationships and the thorniest moral dilemmas. It is no surprise that there is a strong public interest in family law and this is reflected in media coverage of the subject.
All divorces must go through the courts as part of the legal process to end a marriage but, for most couples, this is largely an administrative exercise. Most make their own financial arrangements which are then ratified by the court. Where couples cannot agree, the court will consider what a fair outcome should be and make an order.
