Corbett Le Quesne’s Jersey International Family Law Conference has taken place, bringing 250 visitors to the island and attracting delegates from as far away as New Zealand and Bermuda.
The conference focused on non-court dispute resolution (NCDR). A year ago changes were introduced in England and Wales designed to encourage families to resolve their issues out of court. Whether or not those changes have worked could impact how Jersey approaches the issue. Increasingly in England and Wales, because the court system is so overloaded, family lawyers look to alternative ways of resolving their clients’ problems.
In Jersey the Family Court is in much better shape but it is almost always better to reach agreement without having to go to court for a contested hearing.
A very important part of the conference was a description from local Family Court Judge Samantha McFadzean, about Family Foundation. This is a peculiarly Jersey system where the Family Court assists parties to resolve matters without making a formal court application.
The scheme, administered by Family Proceedings Office Louise Bond, uses mediation skills together with support from the judiciary and JFCAS (Jersey Family Court Advisory Service) to provide a free resolution service for people going through separation or divorce. It is especially helpful where there are children.
Renowned family lawyer Suzanne Kingston, nicknamed the ‘Queen of mediation and arbitration’ helped plan the conference and Sir Nicholas Francis (pictured), the key note speaker, was one of the pioneers of the private Financial Dispute Resolution process in the UK.
Advocate Corbett said: “Our conferences are designed to benefit the local legal community as well as the international one. This year has been a particularly collaborative effort as Suzanne Kingston, who works with Carey Olsen helped arrange the conference and Sir Nicholas Francis is a consultant at Myersons. We are very pleased that so many leaders in their fields were able to come to share their expert knowledge with us and all the very many solicitors and barristers from the UK and further afield who came to make the conference such a success. It is also very gratifying that everyone who comes to the conference is bowled over by how lovely Jersey is, a sentiment with which of course we wholeheartedly agree!”
