Drafting for Maximum Impact in Family Law – a recorded lunchtime online conference

Hear from the experts at this online conference. You can watch it on your computer or on your portable electronic device from anywhere.

The conference will be based on our highly successful video webinar technology: there'll be a chairperson and presentations.

One registration can be shared by colleagues within the same firm utilising the same login.

THE PROGRAM

Session 1: First and Foremost: Drafting Initial Advice Letters in Family Law

The first visit to a family law lawyer can be an emotional time for a client. As a result, the contents of the initial letter of advice following that visit takes on greater relevance and importance. In this session practitioners will take a deep dive into crafting letters of initial advice, including:

• Key features of initial letters
• The importance of language and clarity
• Balancing length with necessary content
• What are the essential matters to be covered in the letter?
• How detailed should the advice be?
• Additional information required by the rules
• Tips for communicating with a client whose first language isn’t English
• How and where does the costs agreement fit in?

Session 2: Starting on the Right Foot: Costs Agreements in Family Law

At a very emotional point in a client’s life, the cost of legal services might be a long way from their mind. However, that is the very reason why the costs agreement needs to be clear, detailed and regularly reviewed. This session will provide a guide to family law practitioners on drafting best practice costs agreements, including:

• Legislative and jurisdictional requirements for costs agreements
• Parties to the costs agreement
• Minimum content and the need to go beyond that
• What information needs to be disclosed?
• Structuring agreements for actual and potential stages in proceedings
• Examples of conditional costs agreements
• Describing services and plain English drafting
• At what stage should your client be given the agreement?
• Tips for guiding your client through the agreement
• The importance of regular review

Session 3: Drafting for Accuracy and Understanding in Family Law Financial Statements

The family law courts require full and frank disclosure of parties’ financial position, a position which is straightforward in theory but more difficult in practice. This session will guide practitioners in the completion of the Financial Statement form and how to avoid costly and problematic mistakes, including:

• Recent developments and changes involving financial statement forms
• What full and frank disclosure really means and the consequences of getting it wrong
• Client involvement in form completion – how do practitioners ensure accuracy and completeness?
• Tips for including and describing complex financial matters
• Common mistakes in form completion and strategies for getting it right
• What supporting documents are essential?
• Reviewing and amending financial statements in changing circumstances
• Examples and case studies.