FAMILY VALUES: DEVELOPING SERVICES TO SUPPORT CLIENTS IN THE MIDLANDS 

Published on 19 August, 2024 | Janine Hobday

Although it might not always seem like it, family life in Britain is in a constant state of change.

Almost from one year to the next, it can appear that opinions about what is going on in homes have to be revised.

Whilst society has, of course, experienced great and continuous shifts over many decades, the process has arguably accelerated since the start of the new millennium.

In the last five years alone, we have seen how economic circumstances, legal reform and a global pandemic have all left their mark.

By way of example, marriage rates plummeted to their lowest levels in almost 200 years as the world effectively shut down during 2020.

Yet predictions that marriage was firmly out of favour in the face of an ever increasing number of cohabiting couples were confounded by data issued by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in June.

It showed that there had been a dramatic rebound – up nearly 188 per cent – in marriages in the two years which followed lockdown (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/marriagecohabitationandcivilpartnerships/bulletins/marriagesinenglandandwalesprovisional/2021and2022).

The difficulty in putting too much faith in a superficial reading even of official figures is reinforced by a look at patterns of divorce across England and Wales.

In 2022, there were just under half the number of divorces of exactly 30 years before (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/divorce/bulletins/divorcesinenglandandwales/2022#:~:text=Divorce%20rates%20in%202022%20were,1%2C000%20of%20the%20married%20population.).

Yet it would be simplistic – and, I would say, incorrect – to suggest that couples were overcoming the sorts of issues which are common to many marriages.

It is far more relevant to take into account how a desire to end marriages was affected by a squeeze on household finances and anticipation of the first major reform of divorce law in half a century.

Just as important as why people are ending – or, to that matter, forming – relationships is how that’s happening.

Wider adoption of pre- and post-nuptial agreements and a greater use of dispute resolution methods such as mediation to avoid delays in overworked family courts are just two notable developments in recent years.

They are reasons why it is vital to be able to call on genuine experts in order to navigate what are some of the most significant moments in our lives.

In less than a decade since being founded, Hall Brown has established itself as one of the country’s eminent and most capable family law firms.

Our clients include many of Britain’s wealthiest families as well as leading figures in business, industry, sport and academia.

The quality of the work which it does and the calibre of the individuals who do it are why so many family lawyers want to start or enhance their careers here.

It is also precisely why I decided to take up a position as head of its Birmingham office.

In relatively few months since opening premises in the city, Hall Brown has seen very strong growth in its caseload, justifying our belief that the high standards set at our four other locations (Manchester, London, Sheffield and Leeds) would appeal to clients in the Midlands.

We have our sights very firmly set on being the very best source of family law advice in this region and every other in which we operate.

The strides which we have made since moving into the Colmore Building give us complete confidence that objective is very much in sight.

At the heart of achieving that ambition is our ability to remain alive and able to respond to further evolutions in the law and the lives of our clients.

Change – particularly of the kind which confronts our clients – can be a challenge.

As Hall Brown’s clients fully appreciate, though, with knowledgeable help on hand, it needn’t pose any fears.