Hanson Renouf lawyer contributes to international family law publication

Monday 27 July 2015

Advocate Barbara Corbett has contributed to a publication on international family law and jurisdictional issues.

"Family Law Jurisdictional and Institutional Comparisons", published by Thomson Reuters, is described as the must-have publication for family and divorce lawyers worldwide, given the rise in mobility of families and international marriages.

Advocate Corbett, who heads the Family Department at Hanson Renouf, is a Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (IAML), and was invited to author an analysis of Jersey family law for the third edition of the publication.

Fellow Partner Advocate Mark Renouf said: "The publication of the analysis of Jersey family law in the 2015 Family Law Jurisdictional and Institutional Comparisons is a testament to Barbara’s expertise."

Comparing different laws across many jurisdictions, the book examines the varying details, solutions and problems of controversial family law issues. Each chapter covers the core areas of law as it is applied in each jurisdiction; divorce, international child abduction, surrogacy, adoption, same-sex relationships and alternative methods of dispute resolution.

Advocate Corbett said: “This publication is the culmination of what has been a substantial research project across many countries and I am proud to see the finished result. The objective was to provide the reader with a simple and accessible guide in which those at the very forefront of their fields highlight the different family law issues which are defining and changing our society around the world.

“There has been a phenomenal increase in the number of family law cases with an international element, and there is no evidence that this growth will abate any time soon. The trend is partly caused by the growth of truly ‘international cities’ such as London and New York, but also by the myriad of international conventions that govern issues such as child abduction. Jersey in particular has many families from overseas who need access to international family law advice. Against this backdrop, it is very important to provide family law practitioners with an up to date, and improved, comprehensive resource book.

“By again adopting the Q&A format for each chapter, the aim has been to take what are, at times, emotive subjects, and give them a clear and logical response which could aid any international practitioner."