Reaffirming Necessity: Court of Appeal Clarifies Test for Intermediaries – Communicourt Digest
A new Court of Appeal judgment (Re M (A Child: Intermediaries) [2025] EWCA Civ 440) restores the “test of necessity” as the only test which should be applied when considering intermediary applications in Family proceedings. The new judgment removes additional tests, for example of “exceptionality”, which came into use over... Continue reading
Update: Court of Appeal Judgment clarifies test for intermediary applications
Following the successful appeal of a decision to deny intermediary assistance to a mother in care proceedings, the full Court of Appeal judgment in Re M (A Child: Intermediaries) [2025] EWCA Civ 440 has been published. We are very, very pleased that the mother in this case will now receive... Continue reading
Congratulations to this Winter’s LOVE Award Winners
Each quarter, at our tri-monthly Saturday Team Day, we host the LOVE Awards – an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the ways our team “Live Our Values” of Respect, Innovation, Collaboration, Diversity and Courage. This quarter, intermediaries Tess, Penny, Fiona and Charlee, alongside Client Relationship Manager, Sue, all earned their... Continue reading
Building rapport: Why connection matters in court communication
Rapport building is a huge part of any person-facing role, but in few contexts is it more essential than when working with a court user who has a communication difference or difficulty. This will come as no surprise to legal professionals who represent individuals with a communication need. In such... Continue reading
Q&A: Max Konarek on reopening a Fact Finding after identifying the need for an intermediary
Max Konarek is Partner and Joint Head of the Family and Childcare Department at GT Stewart Solicitors. He recently represented a parent in care proceedings involving allegations of non-accidental head injuries to a child by one, or both, parents. Max took the case over late in the proceedings after his... Continue reading
Post Lieven J: 3PB hosts Communicourt panel discussion
We’re very grateful to our hosts (3PB), panellists, and guests for joining our discussion exploring the impact of recent family court judgments regarding intermediaries, upon family court users with communication needs. Matiss Krumins of 3PB led a panel discussion with William Scrimshire (Communicourt), and the legal team who represented the... Continue reading
Intermediary case law update: Mr Justice Williams [2024] EWHC 906 (Fam)
A judgment providing further consideration of the use of intermediaries in family proceedings was published on 18.04.2024. The [2024] EWHC 906 (Fam) judgment of the Honourable Mr Justice Williams, follows the recent judgment of Mrs Justice Lieven, which effectively imported guidance regarding the use of intermediaries in criminal proceedings into... Continue reading
Celebrating our June LOVE Award Winners
Every quarter, Communicourt staff gather in Birmingham for our Saturday Team Day. This is an opportunity to connect with colleagues, share practice, engage with CPD (Continued Professional Development) and celebrate our successes as an organisation. This June, we celebrated the LOVE (Living Our Values Everyday) Awards. From amongst the 32... Continue reading
Case Study: The Invisible Intermediary
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this case study reflect the experiences and opinions of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Communicourt. A strange paradox about the intermediary role is that, in many (although not all) cases, the more effectively an intermediary supports someone... Continue reading
