Two decades have passed since the publication of the first edition of Family Law in 1993.
During that time families and family life have undergone considerable change. For
instance, cohabitation has become increasingly common and families now take many
different forms.
Family law has also undergone many changes, and continues to change at a pace.
Proposals for reform also abound. In fact, since the last edition of Family Law, there has
been a major review of the family justice system (the ‘Family Justice Review’) by the
Norgrove Committee which has made important and wide-ranging recommendations
for reform, most of which have been accepted by the Coalition Government but which
may or may not be brought into law. These recommendations include, for example,
proposals to reduce delays in care and adoption cases, the creation of a new Family
Court and the introduction of a new order (a ‘child arrangements order’) to replace
residence and contact orders. Since the last edition there has also been a major overhaul
of the rules of procedure in family law cases, which are now contained in the Family
Procedure Rules 2010.