Lecture notes
Family Law and Practice WS06 D1
- Module
- Family Law
- Institution
- City University (City)
Family Law and Practice WS06 D1
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LEGAL PRACTICE COURSEFamily Law
Skills Session 6
Topic(s):
Divorce procedure
Financial remedies
Assessment Criteria
This session will concentrate on the writing criteria:
1.Technical skills 2. Form and presentation 3. Effectiveness
1.1 Follows the rules of grammar 2.1 Appropriate 3.1 Meets client’s goals
1.2 Correctly spelt introduction 3.2 Carries out client’s
1.3 Correctly punctuated 2.2 Appropriate layout using instructions
1.4 Correctly capitalised paragraphing, enumeration, 3.3 Addresses client
1.5 Clear, plain and active headings and tabulation effectively concerns
language 2.3 Logically organised
1.6 Consistent language 2.4 Forms a consistent and
1.7 Style and tone appropriate coherent whole
to the addressee 2.5 Succinct and precise
2.6 Appropriate ending
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this session you will be able to:
Write an effective letter to a client that meets a client’s goals and concerns and to
ensure that the content of the letter is within a client’s instructions
Session Activities:
Consideration of the writing criteria and practice guidelines
Discussion
Writing a letter
Materials Attached:
Task 1
Documents to Be Released:
Suggested letter (d2)
Preparation for Session:
docs_235287178.docx 6/6 © City, University of London 2019
, LEGAL PRACTICE COURSE
Review the extract from Resolution’s Guidance to Good Practice on Correspondence
– go to https://resolution.org.uk/guide-to-good-practice-on-correspondence/ (also
available via Moodle – see folder for Family WS/SS 6 advance documents)
Read for background only - FPR 2010, Practice Direction 9A
Review the fact pattern in Task 1 and answer the questions
Review the writing assessment criteria
Post-Session:
Review your competence at the skill of writing and if necessary, ensure you
seek guidance as this skill will be assessed in the family law assessment
-Remember for family law the allocated skill is writing
-Will be required to write a short letter of advice to a client in the exam, will get
advanced materials, and then in the exam will be writing a short letter of advice
for an issue arising from the advanced materials – e.g. divorce and financial
settlement→ worth no more than 20 marks
-Need to communicate sensitive matters to client→ so the tone used is very
important, remember the effect it will have on the client
-Clear language is very important! Plain English, direct, short sentences
-Frank and friendly language, the information needs to be given in a soft tone
-E.g. unfortunately/sadly→ words to soften tone
-No legal words being used unnecessarily
-Use names of parties
-Short paragraphs→ around 2/3/4 sentences per paragraph→ easier to take in
information in bite-size paragraphs
-Can use subheadings/numberings, but do not need to number each
paragraph→ numberings are only where there is a natural break in a sentence
-Consistency
-Logical→ comes with planning, draws the reader through the letter, point by
point
-Coherent= flow naturally
-Succinct and precise→ do not be long winded, do not repeat information
-Letters in family law tend to be short→ just needs to answer issues concisely
-Effective→ answer clients goals and concerns
• Accurately address the relevant facts
• Accurately address the relevant law
• Provide clear and correct advice
• In addition, you must make the tone personal to the client’s circumstances
-After receive advanced materials, see the issues and write in advance these as paragraphs
to a letter
Examples
(1) Your client must agree the enclosed letter to the valuer by 4 pm on Friday failing which
docs_235287178.docx 5/7 © City, University of London 2019
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