Christmas can be a tough time of year to stay sober; especially for those who struggle with addiction issues. 

In this latest Today's Family Lawyer podcast two experts provide their views on how specialist services can support family law professionals, and by extension their clients, in their efforts to stay sober over the festive period. 

Joining podcast host David Opie are Donna Muldoon, Reporting Manager and forensic toxicologist, and Sophie Lawrence, Client Manager from LexTox, a UK‑based accredited testing company. 

The discussion explores the heightened risks faced by individuals struggling with alcohol or substance abuse, especially at this time of year which can often trigger relapses. Robust testing solutions deliver real‑time monitoring and act as a deterrent, helping clients maintain abstinence when temptation is at its peak.

Solutions including hair strand analysis, breath tests, and an innovative drug patch help keep clients on the straight and narrow. 

Sophie brings a client‑focused perspective, sharing real case scenarios where testing has helped families demonstrate abstinence and avoid lengthy court proceedings. Her examples highlight how these services can provide reassurance to social workers, solicitors, and the courts, while ultimately supporting families to stay together.

The discussion also touches on the importance of chain of custody, ensuring results are reliable and admissible in court. Donna explains how patches are fitted, monitored, and removed under strict procedures, with photographs and paperwork providing a clear audit trail. The benefits also include immediacy of results, which traditional hair testing does not. 

The podcast also explores how raising awareness of these tools is vital to ensure professionals can access the most effective testing options; despite the widespread use of drug patches in the US for decades, they are relatively new to UK and there is much work to be to educate the courts on their value.

The Today's Family Lawyer podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider and at www.todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk.

Subscribe to Today's Family Lawyer to receive our FREE weekly newsletter, out every Thursday and listen in to the podcast to hear all the latest news and views from across the family law sector. Thank you to our Podcast Sponsors; LexTox, Northgene™ and VacantC Legal Recruitment.