Jargonbuster

A MIAM is a Mediation, Information and Assessment Meeting. The MIAM will last about an hour and will give you an opportunity to tell the mediator about your situation. It will allow you to identify the issues that need to be decided. The mediator will tell you about the mediation process and other[...]

Bundle – This is the organised set of papers that everybody works from in a case. They are structured in a set way into different sections. The set way is detailed within a practice direction, a rule, explaining how bundles should be presented in terms of content, page numbering, indexing and[...]

Contempt of Court – when a Court Order or undertaking is broken, this disrespect for the Court’s authority is referred to as contempt of court. The Court can punish the person for their behaviour by committal or fine. Contempt in the face of the Court is when someone does not break an Order but[...]

What does it mean? The Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) are designed to promote the pursuit of justice in a timely and cost efficient way. Civil litigation has undergone significant restructuring over the last 20 years and the drive for change and efficiency continues. The court system is looking to streamline[...]

Child Arrangements Order – a Court Order detailing where a child should live and with whom. It also details who else spends time with the child and when. This Order is the final stage of child proceedings in the Family Court. It gives parents the framework within which they will manage their child’s[...]

Surveillance, in the most simple terms, means observing something or someone, usually motivated by suspicion. In the world of private investigation, it is one of the most common services and skills used to obtain data and evidence. Most surveillance investigators will closely follow an individual[...]

What does it mean? The first thing to say about Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is that both parties in the dispute must agree to it before it can be explored. ADR is defined as a collective description for methods of resolving a dispute other than going to trial. The different types of ADR include[...]

What does it mean? Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is a counselling model based upon how people think, feel and behave. If we break down the term, we can better understand the cornerstones to the model. Neuro – focusing on how the nervous system and thoughts, feelings and actions influence our[...]

What does it mean? In the simplest terms, corporate wellness is seeking to measure and assess the physical and mental wellbeing of an organisation’s employees and then to mitigate the results with a menu of solutions to achieve a healthier workplace. The recent pandemic and home working has presented[...]

What does it mean? The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) was set up in 2001 under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act. The role of CAFCASS is to safeguard the welfare of children, give advice to the family courts, make provision for children[...]

What does it mean? Counselling is such a widely used term and has come to mean so many different things to different people. As a sweeping statement it means giving professional guidance to an individual or client to help them deal with psychological, social or performance fulfilment problems. Using[...]

What does it mean? The Civil Procedure Rules are designed to promote justice for all. The foundation stone of those rules is referred to as the ‘overriding objective’. This objective decrees that all cases are conducted justly, fairly and in a time efficient and proportionate manner. All cases[...]