United Kingdom: Family and Matrimonial

The judgment in A&B v C&D [2026] EWHC 972 (Fam), handed down by Mr Justice Williams on 27 April 2026, concerned nine parental order applications which were listed before him for final hearings earlier this year. Rather than deciding each case on its individual facts, the judge took the unusual step of deferring decisions on all nine applications while he went back to basic principles to consider the court’s role and approach to parental orders.

Rising family court caseloads and the emotional toll of adversarial divorce proceedings raise a critical question: should more separating couples explore alternatives to traditional litigation? One family lawyer shares her personal experience of divorce and explains why collaborative approaches like the One Couple, One Lawyer model may offer a better path forward for families seeking to preserve relationships while resolving disputes.

A High Court decision demonstrates the judiciary's readiness to impose substantial costs orders against parties whose unreasonable conduct obstructs estate administration, particularly where charitable beneficiaries face prolonged delays in receiving their entitlements. The case involved a seven-year dispute over a residential property estate where persistent objections and meritless challenges prevented distribution, ultimately resulting in indemnity costs orders exceeding £148,000 against the obstruc