Sadly the use of the children as pawns is something seen all too often by family lawyers. This tactic raises the stakes considerably and therefore dramatically increases the chances of a court application being needed. The court system is choked with delays exacerbated by the pandemic. Cases are proceeding at an even slower pace than before as the system, judges and court staff struggle to cope.

The warning from HHJ Wildblood was quoted extensively last year but for those intent on having their way, such advice is often ignored.

Sensible family lawyers will always advise upon the financial and emotional advantages of non-court based options to help resolve these issues. Mediation, hybrid mediation and early neutral evaluations can all be deployed to great effect. Even where an issue seems intractable, if these options can't help, arbitration can be a much quicker way of sorting things out. Where children are concerned, early resolution is always a good thing.