Caroline McNally and Frances Irving sit down for a chat about her personal and professional life from the early days as a social worker first in Scotland then in Hong Kong and the opportunity to develop a second career as a barrister focused on family law. 

They talk about helping people during one of the most difficult periods of their lives and about managing expectations in the hope of seeing things moving forward for themselves and their children, while bearing in mind that things in life can evolve and parents can take different roles in their children s lives.

They also dig into specific cases that have influenced the law and the way courts deal with divorce cases, as well as particular examples that have left a mark on their professional life. Frances clarifies what in her view is the difference in the roles of barristers vs solicitors and a better support and mentoring system that should be created for young barristers working in family law.

They conclude talking about Hong Kong and its high number of international families which, as a result, often sees a large number of relocation cases happening when compared with other jurisdictions.

Show Notes:01:31 From Scotland to Hong Kong10:59 Becoming a good advocate14:53 The truth and “recollections may vary”17:58 Managing expectations24:12 Changing family dynamics and evolving roles28:25 LKW vs DD and the principle of equal sharing32:12 The complementary roles of barristers and solicitors40:08 Most memorable court cases46:28 The next generation of family lawyers53:44 Relocation of children

Transcript and more Family Law content: https://www.hugillandip.com/2024/10/the-barrister-series-s5e5-a-passion-for-people-and-family-law-with-frances-irving/