Reflections from YRes National Conference 2025

by Abigail Whelan

There’s nothing quite like the hum of anticipation as family law practitioners from across the country gather, coffee in hand, ready for a day of learning. As a member of the national YRes committee, I always look forward to the flurry of ideas shared during meetings where we brainstorm topics for the next conference, considering feedback from attendees. Helping to shape the programme is a real privilege, and this year’s event was no exception.

The YRes National Conference 2025 brought together family law practitioners from across the country for a day of learning, networking and professional development. Beyond the educational content, the conference provides a unique opportunity to connect with fellow junior practitioners, and to catch up with old friends and new faces alike, fostering relationships that strengthen our professional community.

We kicked off with current National Resolution Co-Chair Lucy Loizou, who shared reflections on her time as a YRes member and her role in kickstarting YRes on a national level. We then heard from Zhenja Cann, who not only helped open the conference as the then co-chair of National YRes, but also participated in our Rising Star Q+A, having won Resolution’s award in this category. Zhenja’s clear enthusiasm and commitment to Resolution set the tone for the day.

One session that really stuck with me was Bibi Badejo’s on “Your Voice, Your Brand”. Not only is Bibi a barrister at 4PB, but she’s also the powerhouse behind The Advocacy Coach, The Advocacy Members Club, and The Advocacy Podcast. Bibi’s workshop focused not only on advocacy, but also how we can all start to build our personal brand from a junior level, with authenticity. She challenged us to jot down three words that describe how people see us now, and three we’d like them to use in future – a surprisingly tricky exercise! Even for those of us who do not routinely undertake our own advocacy, many of the skills Bibi discussed were incredibly useful, including how to successfully prepare the points you want to make and consider how your opponent might respond to that. If you haven’t tuned in to her podcast yet, I highly recommend it for a dose of inspiration on your commute (available as “The Advocacy Podcast” on Spotify and Apple podcasts) – between episodes of Talking Family Law, of course.

Marcie Shaoul and Marc Etherington led a thought-provoking session on collaborative parenting after separation, focusing on reducing conflict and rebuilding trust. The data regarding private law proceedings is stark, with the latest indicating that 20,120 new private law children cases were lodged in the family court between April and September 2025, involving 30,311 children. This represents a 7.1% increase compared to the same period during the previous year. Marcie and Marc both sit on Resolution’s Parenting after Parting Committee, responsible for the brilliant Parenting Through Separation Guide. I have previously commented in The Review about how helpful the guide has been for me personally, and I would encourage others to share it with clients where appropriate, at the earliest opportunity, if not already doing so. Additionally, Marcie highlighted how her book, The Co-Parenting Method, can help our clients, by adopting a six-step framework with an emphasis on emotional regulation, boundaries and steady communication.

Some other suggested reading around this topic members might find helpful includes…

The session titled “Standish – where are we now?” was another favourite highlighted in the feedback we received from attendees. We were joined by Ria Coles, financial planner at Brunel Wealth, Tom Harvey of 1HC, Oliver Woolley of 1GC and Lucy Stewart-Gould of Stewarts. It was truly special to hear insight from those actively involved with the case many of us waited on the judgment for with bated breath throughout last year – it certainly got the family law community talking. Lucy shared some useful insights and practical titbits, including that we should all carefully consider how to pitch a case from the outset, particularly regarding how we refer to matrimonial and non-matrimonial property on a Form E. Ria Coles also offered a fresh perspective on the judgment as a financial planner. The panel explored the concept of “matrimonialisation” – a word that still hasn’t been added to the dictionary, as evidenced by the red underline appearing in Word as I type this!

During the afternoon we considered the practical benefits of Arbitration, with Michelle Uppal of Lowry Legal, Lauren Guy of Edward Cooke and Tristan Harvey of QEB. The session featured a mock directions hearing to demonstrate how arbitration works in practice, providing a useful insight for attendees who haven’t participated in the process before. Arbitration certainly seems to be on the up, used much more now than in previous years as parties grapple with the issues we are all too familiar with in the family courts, including hearings adjourned at the last minute and long delays waiting for listings. The benefits of arbitration are important for all of us to remember. Whilst there is an additional fee for the tribunal, this is often outweighed by the time saved during the process when compared with contested court proceedings. Parties have more autonomy to decide the format of the hearing and its location – and will generally be more comfortable than in a court building with its limited access to amenities.

The penultimate session focused on child maintenance, with Gwynfor Evans of 36 Family, Rachel Spicer of 1HC and Jennifer Lee of Pump Court. The session provided some super-helpful insights regarding child maintenance which I’m sure would have been useful for many of the attendees – I know I find myself checking and double checking the regulations whenever a new query arises. The session highlighted various useful points for us all to remember including:

  • Keep in mind the enforcement mechanisms available within the CMS procedure, including deduction from earnings, and confiscation of passport and driving licence.
  • A question that often arises – what happens when the parties share care of the child equally? The answer doesn’t stop at how many overnights the child spends with each parent. The CMS can also look at who undertakes the bulk of the day-to-day care pursuant to Regulation 50.
  • If day-to-day care is equal and the CMS therefore does not have jurisdiction, you can apply to the court for periodical payments.
  • Don’t overlook unearned income – consider whether an application for a variation is necessary to take into account unearned income such as dividends.

The final session was a particularly interesting one, focusing on international child law proceedings with James Netto (IFLG), Forum Shah (Dawson Cornwell) and Mani Singh Basi (4PB). The panel provided a helpful reminder that this is one of the few areas where legal aid is available. It is not means-tested for applicants, although it is for respondents. The session was packed with helpful practical pointers, including guidance regarding tipstaff orders and freestanding port alerts.

The day concluded with a round-up by the current Chair of Resolution, Melanie Batalliard-Samuel, and YRes Co-Chair Felicia Munde, followed by a drinks reception and networking – and for many a train journey home hopefully feeling energised and inspired. Whether you’re a conference regular or thinking of joining us for the first time, I hope to see many of you at the next YRes conference later this year. It is truly an invaluable opportunity both in terms of legal knowledge and meeting other like-minded family law professionals.

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