The International Day of Families was proclaimed by the UN in 1993 and it is a celebration of family life across the globe. We at Hall Brown Family Law have the privilege of getting to work with families every day, helping them to navigate the different challenges that they may face during their lives, whether that is a separation, divorce, financial disputes, domestic violence, child arrangements, adoption or surrogacy arrangements.

Family life has always been central to social and economic progress, influencing policy and society since records began, however what family life ‘looks like’ has never been a permanent picture and has evolved through the generations. What is often referred to as a ‘nuclear family unit’ does not reflect the diverse world that we now live in and the lens within which we as practitioners see the lived experience of our clients and their families.

On this International Day of Families, it is important to take stock to appreciate that a family can take many different forms, whether that is blended families, single-parent households, co-parenting arrangements, same-sex parents, grandparents raising children or unmarried couples bringing up their children together. In our experience, whilst the make up of family can differ hugely, the focus is always the same: protecting the people who matter most.

The UN has given a theme to this year’s International Day of Families which is ‘Families, Inequalities and Child Wellbeing’. Within the Family Court in England and Wales, it is enshrined within the statute that a child’s welfare should be the paramount consideration. As we move through the modern world, our experience of child wellbeing is influenced less by a “traditional” family structure and more by the quality of relationships, stability, support and emotional security that is provided to that child.
It is with this in mind that we want to celebrate families as they truly exist across the world.