"Family Law in Practice: A Study of Cases in the Circuit Court" is the first book to examine the workings of the Irish family law in the Circuit Court. Prior to 2005 due to the in camera rule, reporting on and access to family law courts was prohibited. The Courts and Civil Liability Act 2004 and the attendant Regulations came into operation in 2005 and allowed access to family law courts for named categories of people, including bona fide researchers. "Family Law in Practice: A Study of Cases in the Circuit Court" is based both on attendance at court proceedings and empirical data from court files. The family law system is subjected to both statistical and legal analysis, within the context of international and Irish literature on the theory and practice of family law, while stressing the need for basic primary research in an Irish context. "Family Law in Practice: A Study of Cases in the Circuit Court" outlines trends relating to the likelihood of settlement, the issues most likely to be contentious and the outcomes in both settled and contested cases. Common assumptions about the family law system in the context of the facts are questioned and found to be sometimes misplaced.
The identification of flaws in the family law system is highlighted as are recommendations for the future.