Archer v Titchener: what would a family court decide?

Archer v Titchener: what would a family court decide?

Posted by on Sep 26, 2016 in News

After the not-guilty verdict in the case of R v Titchener, Rob reminded Helen that “as long as we have a child together, you’ll never be rid of me.” Although Rob is wrong about many things, he is right that he and Helen remain connected by virtue of their son.

When relationships break down and children are involved, couples sometimes have to rely on the Family Court to help them make suitable arrangements for the children they share. This article explains some of the legal issues in the family court that are raised by the Archer v Titchener case. In addition to being Archers fans, we are also family law barristers who specialise in the law relating to children. We deal with similar cases to Rob’s and Helen’s every day.

To start with, it is important to say that most separating couples are able to agree arrangements for their children either between themselves or through mediation, both of which offer more flexible solutions than court orders. Mediation is a good option when couples are still able to be in the same room with each other but – in a situation where there has been a history of domestic violence and also criminal proceedings where one person in the couple has injured the other – sometimes mediation is not appropriate.

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