litigants in person

Good Practice Guide to Working with Litigants in Person

With the reforms to family justice, cutbacks on legal aid and changes in behaviour in relation to the ways in which people approach family relationship breakdown, there has been a significant increase in the number of litigants in person and you should consider how your dealings with litigants in person will differ from those with another lawyer.

Financial Applications

It is important when getting divorced, or when dissolving a civil partnership, to consider the financial issues that arise out of the separation. Most couples try to reach a financial settlement without having to ask the court to determine their financial claims, however, some couples are not able to come to an agreement in relation to their finances and need to make a financial application to the court. Where an application is made the couple will still be encouraged to try and come to a settlement themselves within those proceedings but ultimately a judge will impose an outcome on them if they cannot. Below we set out the court process.

Litigants in Person Committee

The Litigants in Person (LiPs) Committee was set up to respond to the increasing number of LiPs in the family justice system. They help members working with LiPs and they help LiPs with information to improve their experience of the system.