Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

QLR is the court’s advocate: EWFC guidance on terminating court-appointed QLRs where the same lawyer also represents a party in parallel criminal proceedings (England and Wales)

Published on: 16 October 2025

Published by a LexisNexis Family expert

Legal News

Article summary

K v P (Criminal Solicitor as Court-Appointed QLR) [2025] EWFC 321

What are the practical implications of this case?

Because a QLR is appointed by the court, the court may promptly end the appointment where neutrality is questioned, or if deploying a particular person as QLR could reduce the quality of a witness’s testimony. The considerations the court weighs can equally include a QLR who simply comes from the same firm as the solicitor handling a connected criminal case, despite never having met the witness. It is fairly common for a single firm to act on both a party’s family work and their criminal matters. In addition, although the court could not bring to a close representation by a lawyer whom an alleged abuser instructs outside the QLR scheme, if they choose a lawyer when it is plain that doing so will distress the alleged victim, it may look as though the choice is intended to inflict further distress on the alleged victim. A lawyer who permits themselves to be instructed in those circumstances may need to think about the detrimental effect that such an instruction could have on their own client’s case. In view of this case, lawyers should...

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