Contact your MP about the Crisis in the Family Courts
Good Divorce Week 2022 is a fantastic opportunity for you to raise the issue of the family court crisis with your Member of Parliament.
Help us spread the word about Good Divorce Week 2022: Ending the Family Courts Crisis by asking your MP to get involved in the campaign. Find out who your local MP is and get their contact details by entering your postcode here.
Let the Resolution communications team know if you have written to your MP and if you’ve received a response, please forward it onto us. If you are due to meet your MP, let us know and we’ll share a briefing with you ahead of the start of Good Divorce Week.
The following template has been designed to send to your local MP. The sections highlighted in bold italics should be personalised accordingly.
Template
Subject: Ending the family court crisis
Dear [insert full name] MP,
As a [family lawyer/mediator/financial advisor/other] living in your constituency, I am writing to urge you to take action to end the crisis in the family court.
Overstretched family courts are facing unprecedented backlogs and families are frequently left waiting long periods to sort out finances and children arrangements after divorce.
As a professional who works with families through separation, I know these moments are some of the most stressful and traumatic events in people’s lives – particularly if children are involved.
This year Good Divorce Week (28 Nov – 2 Dec) will highlight the crisis in the family courts and raise awareness about how families can resolve their disputes away from court.
Good Divorce Week is organised by Resolution, a community of 6,500 family professionals, of which I am a member. Resolution members commit to a Code of Practice that promotes a constructive approach to family separation that benefits the whole family.
Resolution members work daily to help families resolve disputes – an ethos set out in our Code of Practice. If the government funded early legal advice, more cases could be resolved without having to go to court (where it is safe and appropriate to do so). It would ensure that those cases that need to be resolved by Court can be dealt with in a timely manner.
Money spent early in the separation process avoids further expenditure further down the track for individuals and the state. A World Bank report cites an assessment of legal aid in Scotland in 2017 which found that for every £1 spent on legal aid in family cases saved around £5 in costs in other areas.
As my Member of Parliament, I am asking you to:
- Meet with me to discuss the crisis in the family courts. I would welcome the opportunity for a short discussion with you to explain more about the crisis in family courts and what we can do to improve the situation. I’d be happy to meet during Good Divorce Week or any other available date.
- Show your support for Good Divorce Week on social media. Use our template Twitter post to tell your constituents about Good Divorce Week.
- Share these resources with your constituents. Resolution has lots of resources that are useful for your constituents who are facing family separation.
– Initial free advice sessions. During Good Divorce Week, hundreds of Resolution members are offering initial free advice sessions to anyone who needs to understand what their legal options are. You can find the member offering free advice here.
– Parenting Through Separation guide. Parents can find information, advice and practical tips to help manage the separation process in this free guide created by family professionals.
I hope you will lend your support to Good Divorce Week and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Name
Home Address
