Willingness to innovate in family law solicitor practice in England and Wales: a qualitative study

Abstract

This paper analyses interview data from 24 long-qualified family law solicitors working in private practice traditional settings in the Midlands and North of England. Experiences and perceptions of change are explored in order to contribute to contemporary understandings of practitioner willingness to innovate in the new legal services landscape, particularly as family law solicitors have been called upon to adopt new practices such as unbundling to survive (Resolution, 2018). Three ntities are identified amongst the sample respondents. These are linked to attachment to traditional role orientations, values and boundaries, as well as practice settings and perception of opportunities and threats.

Emotion work: an exploratory Study of Experiences Among Family Law Practitioners

“…In many instances, some clients are uncertain about what they want to achieve from their case and, as such, their goals may conflict with those of their lawyers. In such situations, the client may expect the family law practitioner to validate the client's biased and skewed goals (Russell, 2019;Sarat & Felstiner, 1986). In other cases, clients may wish to use their lawyers as sounding boards or counsellors as they consider whether they should proceed with the divorce (Davis, 1988).…”