INTRODUCTION Contributed by: Alex Carruthers, Oliver Heeks and Amber Raja, Hughes Fowler Carruthers
structures are more easily dealt with in common law countries than civil code countries where they are less common. Childcare arrangements This is one of the most important and, at times, con ‑ troversial, areas that must be resolved on relationship breakdown. This guide sets out the general rules that the court will consider when dealing with this issue, including the weight that the child’s voice has in each country. One area not dealt with in detail is the reloca ‑ tion of children from one country to another, which is
about whether it is in society’s best interests for there to be open justice so that a light can be shone on the judicial process to cleanse it of any imperfections against the rights of the individual to have their per ‑ sonal affairs kept secret and their rights to a private family life protected. This is an issue which occurs in many areas of the law but is most acute in fam ‑ ily law given that the issues debated are extremely personal. In some jurisdictions, eg, California, it is acknowledged that the proceedings will be within the glare of publicity, whilst in a number of others, eg, in quite a number of EU countries, there are strict rules about publicity. This, like a number of issues dealt with in this guide, reflects the evolving society in each country and pro ‑ vides a snapshot of the present laws and norms of that society.
covered in a separate guide. Transparency in the courts
Finally, a hot topic of debate in a number of countries at the moment is transparency about the family court process. There is a fierce debate in many countries
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