Orla O’Hagan’s explains how her time in the family judiciary was impacted by covid-19 and why private FDRs are the way to go
As we emerge from covid-19 and, hopefully, our final lockdown, we will look back on a turbulent year, learn from the experience forced upon us and from the workplace adjustments we had to make.
The court service has struggled, just like other organisations; particularly so when it was already under immense strain. Here, I focus on the impact upon the financial remedy court (FRC) and financial dispute resolution hearings (FDRs).
Recently, I decided to leave judicial office after 10 years, which had followed private practice as a family solicitor and family mediator. Thus, I have experience as a practitioner and a court user, then latterly as a decision-maker within the judiciary itself. This includes during and post-covi...
I have conducted FDRs over and over again and seen their value in practice. But I’ve also seen the limitations in court
