‘Children not trophies’: an ethnographic study of private family law practice in England

Holt, Kim and Kelly, Nancy (2020) ‘Children not trophies’: an ethnographic study of private family law practice in England. Qualitative Social Work, 19 (5-6). pp. 1183-1199. ISSN 1473-3250

[img]
Preview
Text
QSW-19-0182.R2_AAM.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (246kB) | Preview
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325019900956

Abstract

The welfare of the child in the context of private family law proceedings is of significant international interest. This paper presents findings from an ethnographic study of private law proceedings in England, which explored legal professionals’ experiences of and practice within space and place. Data are derived from interviews with professionals, and observations from the waiting areas, canteens, interview rooms and offices of lawyers who represent parents in private family law proceedings. The paper focuses on winners and losers in the area of private family law, and the ‘trophy’, the child, who appears to be lost in the battleground of legal proceedings, but remains the ultimate prize. The concept of space is explored before moving to reflect upon the data from the interviews. The themes that emerge from the data are the relationships between the public space of the court and the vulnerability of the parties as they attempt with greater or less ease, to navigate the complexities of this formal and procedurally driven space. This paper explores the idea of the child as the ultimate ‘trophy’ within private law proceedings to consider its significance for family justice practice in England, and to elicit a greater understanding of the importance of space and place in private law proceedings that have remained largely unexplored.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Ethnography, private law child proceedings
Subjects: L400 Social Policy
M200 Law by Topic
Department: Faculties > Business and Law > Northumbria Law School
Faculties > Health and Life Sciences > Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing
Depositing User: Elena Carlaw
Date Deposited: 02 Jan 2020 14:09
Last Modified: 31 Jul 2021 14:51
URI: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/41788

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics