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Follow the (ADR) crowd

31 July 2009 / James Pirrie
Issue: 7380 / Categories: Features , Family , ADR
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Global meltdown presents practitioners with a great opportunity for ADR, says James Pirrie

Practitioners are caught in a conundrum. How can we drive towards a clean break by capitalising maintenance when we don’t know if clients will have a job in a year’s time, let alone the bonus that used to make up so substantial a part of the fmaily’s income?

Even if we pass this hurdle, then the Duxbury assumptions—even as updated—seem a crude structure for long-term prediction in the light of recent fluctuations.

For most people “separation” means disposing of assets to fund different lives going forward. However, in the current climate, disposal is difficult to achieve—family homes won’t sell, clients are reluctant to sell share-holdings that they insist are below their true value—holiday homes may be unsellable at any figure.

Even if clients are prepared to borrow to move things forward, the funding is unlikely to be provided in the sort of amounts needed.

Three-stage separation

What has happened in consequence is that a new chapter of separation has

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Sports, education and charities practice welcomes senior associate

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Partner and head of commercial litigation joins in Chelmsford

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Firm strengthens Glasgow corporate practice with partner hire

NEWS
One in five in-house lawyers suffer ‘high’ or ‘severe’ work-related stress, according to a report by global legal body, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
The Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO’s) plea for a budget increase has been rejected by the Law Society and accepted only ‘with reluctance’ by conveyancers
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
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