Welcome to
The Family Lawyers Association
Welcome message from the Chairperson
I am incredibly pleased and honoured to have been elected as Chairperson of the Family Lawyers Association. Conscious that it takes a village, I am fortunate to have around me a great mixture of experienced committee members from the past Executive Committee together with some new faces. I am grateful to each of them for agreeing to serve on the Executive Committee for the coming year.
Our collective thanks are due to the past Executive Committee members who for their differing reasons chose to step away this year, or in the case of Judge Stephanie Coggins, moved on to greater things! Alan Finnerty, our immediate past Chair, deserves particular thanks for a job well done over the last two years. It is only right that we especially acknowledge the enormous contribution which Lyndsey Keogh BL made to the growth and vibrancy of FLA over the past ten years; it is in no small part due to Lyndsey (and, of course, all who came before us), that the new Executive Committee inherit an association in rude good health, with a growing membership and stable finances; an association which is the ‘go to’ provider of Continuing Professional Development in the family law sphere, and which is the only association that speaks with one voice for the concerns and interests of Family Lawyers in both professions.
We hope to build on the successes of previous years; the website will continue to be developed and improved; an exciting CPD programme will be rolled out in the new year, and we hope to plan for the odd bit of fun along the way!
An intensive lobbying campaign is being planned to shine an unblinking light on the abject deficiencies of the planned overhaul of the Jurisdictions of the Family Law Courts; time is tight, so this will be among our absolute priorities. The proposed changes will, without doubt, fundamentally alter for the worse the user experience and outcomes for all of our clients. We are all stakeholders and we must all do what we can, when we can, to persuade those in power that the proposed enactment is, in some vital respects, a very bad idea indeed.
Finally, we welcome offers of assistance and expertise from among our membership to serve on our various committees – there’s a job waiting for you!
With every good wish.
Paul C McCarthy SC
Senior Counsel
Member of the Inner Bar
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Welcome message from our Chairperson
On behalf of the Executive Committee and Members of the Family Lawyers Association Ireland, we would like to welcome you to our website and invite you to join the FLA. Our aim is to support family law practitioners throughout Ireland by promoting the highest standards of practice in family law, providing opportunities for further education and advocating for law reform.
The Executive Committee has an exciting series of events planned for the coming year. We are pleased to continue our ever popular Breakfast Briefing and Afternoon Webinar Series where you can pick up CPD points. We are delighted to be hosting the upcoming Five Jurisdictions Conference in Dublin from 27th to 29th May 2022 followed by the Circuit Conference which will take place on 17th October 2022 (organised by the most able Alexis Mina BL). We will also host a Charity Event on 25th June 2022 and our Summer Party on 21st July 2022 in The Sheds, Distillery Building, Dublin.
This is an Association of family lawyers for family lawyers and we appreciate hearing your views and suggestions. If you have anything you wish to raise with the Association, please email the Executive Committee at FLAexecutivecomm@gmail.com
We welcome all new members, whether as full members or associate members. Our Hon. Treasurer, Graham Hanlon, or any members of the Committee, will be pleased to help you with any queries you may have.
We look forward to meeting you at the upcoming events!
With best wishes,
Alan Finnerty, Solicitor, Chairperson
Lyndsey Keogh BL, Vice Chairperson
