Family, Separation & Divorce - 2026 Virtual Conference

Introduction

This virtual conference chaired by Greg Williams and featuring a panel of leading experts offers practical insight into some of the key developments shaping family law today. Across a series of focused sessions, delegates will explore recent case law, procedural updates, and evolving practice trends in areas such as financial remedies, court transparency, dispute resolution, and financial provision for children of unmarried parents.

The programme is designed to help you stay current with legal and procedural changes while strengthening your approach to complex and sensitive cases.

Conference Agenda

This live and interactive 5 hour conference will cover the following:

10am-11am: Difficult Divorces: Topical Issues in Financial Remedy Applications

Chair: Greg Williams, Barrister at Coram Chambers, London

This session provides a round up of interesting and niche topics and reported cases that have affected matrimonial financial remedy applications in the past 12-18 months and will cover the following:

• Understanding recent developments in financial remedies
• Top tips for cases with a topical niche issue
• Gaining confidence in developing your financial remedy work beyond the normal caseload

Morning Break

11:10am-12:10pm: Family Court Reporting: What’s Changed and What Happens Next?

Stuart Barlow, Solicitor

This session will provide a timely update on the evolving landscape of family court reporting following significant recent reforms aimed at increasing transparency. It will explore what’s changed in practice over the past 6-12 months, including developments in the reporting pilot schemes, revised guidance on anonymisation, and the growing role of the media. The session will also consider the practical and ethical implications for legal practitioners and what further changes may be on the horizon. It offers essential insight for anyone navigating the intersection of family justice and public scrutiny.

The session will help you to:

• Navigate the practical implications of recent family court reporting reforms for case management and client advice
• Understand how changes in anonymisation guidance and reporting pilot schemes affect legal practice and compliance
• Anticipate future developments in family court transparency and adapt strategies to manage ethical and professional responsibilities

12:10pm-1:10pm: Disclaimers: Why, When, How

Victoria Clarke, Solicitor at Elite Law Solicitors

Learn why you may need a disclaimer, when you should introduce it to your client, and how you should construct it.

In this session you will better understand your duties and how you can protect yourself from clients who do not want your advice.

The session will cover:

• When and why to use disclaimers in family law practice
• How to draft disclaimers that are clear, enforceable, and protect your professional position
• Practical strategies to manage client expectations and reduce risk

Break for lunch

2-3pm: NCDR: The Pitfalls of Refusing to Come to the Table

Victoria Clarke, Solicitor at Elite Law Solicitors

This session will look at the new rules and case law encouraging clients to consider negotiations before Court.

You will learn how the new rules can affect your case management and when you should be considering ADR in your matters as follows:

• Spot when ADR should be considered under the new rules and case law
• Learn practical strategies to guide clients toward negotiations before court
• Manage cases effectively while complying with evolving dispute resolution expectations

Afternoon break

3:15-4:15pm: Financial Support for Children of Unmarried Parents

Katharine Bundell, Barrister at 4 Paper Buildings

With an increasing number of families formed outside of marriage, understanding the legal framework for financial support for children of unmarried parents is more important than ever. This session will explore key issues under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989, review recent case law developments, and suggest practical points for making and defending claims successfully. Designed for legal professionals advising clients in complex family arrangements, the session will offer clear, up-to-date guidance on this evolving area of law and will cover the following:

• A consideration of the statutory framework for these claims
• A look at the different types of orders that can be made, and the structure of final orders, with relevant caselaw for each
• Consideration of the most salient case law, some of which is very recent
• A consideration of likely outcomes
• Some practice points along the way as to how to run these cases in practice

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.