One-lawyer-two-clients Report Launch

Launch of the "Evaluating innovative family law practice: the 'one-lawyer-two-clients' format" report

This launch event, run by Dr Rachael Blakey, will outline some of the key findings of the report. It is open to everyone interested in one-lawyer-two-client or family law advice more generally, including but not limited to: legal practitioners, judges, academics and stakeholders.

Please note that this event will not be recorded. It will take place online via Microsoft Teams. Sign up using the link below.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday 17 September

Time: 12:30-13:30

Location: Online (MS Teams)

Information about the report

This report presents the first empirical findings on the one-lawyer-two-clients format of family law advice in England and Wales. Through the format, a single lawyer advises and supports two parties, notably divorcing or separating couples, who seek a settlement. In the 2020s, one-couple-two-client has emerged as a new form of legal support in light of various developments, including the inaccessibility of traditional legal support for many families and the introduction of no-fault divorce.

While the one-lawyer-two-clients format has been designed as an innovative and more affordable form of legal support, at least in comparison to independent legal representation, it has not yet been piloted or critiqued. This report subsequently provides a preliminary insight into one-lawyer-two-client practice, based on data from qualitative semi-structured interviews with 24 lawyers conducting the format.

This study was funded by the University of Warwick.

Information about the researcher

Dr Rachael Blakey is an Associate Professor at the University of Warwick, School of Law. Her research interests include legal professionalism and non-court dispute resolution. She recently published her first monograph, Rethinking Family Mediation: The Role of the Family Mediator in Contemporary Times. The monograph is nominated for the Society of Legal Scholars’ Peter Birks Prize for Outstanding Early Career scholarship.