From dispute to decree: a critical exploration of the client journey through the Legal Aid Board Family Dispute Resolution Services

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorCrowley, Louise
dc.contributor.advisorTumelty, Mary
dc.contributor.authorRumley, Gordonen
dc.contributor.funderIrish Research Council
dc.contributor.funderIrish Legal Aid Board
dc.date.accessioned2026-05-25T12:47:56Z
dc.date.available2026-05-25T12:47:56Z
dc.date.issued2025-12-31
dc.date.submitted2025-12-31
dc.description.abstractThis thesis critically explores the journey of judicial separation or divorce among clients of the Legal Aid Board (LAB) and Family Mediations Service (FMS), along with ascertaining how legal and mediation professionals employed by these services understand and describe their clients journey. Employing a socio-legal methodological framework, and drawing on interviews with clients, solicitors, and mediators, as well as a quantitative analysis of service data from the LAB and Family Mediation Service (FMS), the findings highlight persistent systemic issues despite ongoing reform efforts. Three central themes emerge: access to justice, autonomy, and the integration of mediation and legal services. The research illustrates how access to justice now encompasses both legal and non-legal supports, while party autonomy is increasingly shaped by the procedural design of dispute resolution processes. Integration, meanwhile, is shown to require more than physical co-location. Rather, true synergy demands coordinated delivery and shared professional ethos across services. In this context, the thesis proposes a number of evidence-based reforms. It calls for a systemic, coordinated approach to reform that aligns with emerging legislative frameworks and the evolving needs of service users. In doing so, it aims to enhance the accessibility, efficiency, and client experience of dispute resolution in cases of separation or divorce in Ireland.en
dc.description.statusNot peer revieweden
dc.description.versionAccepted Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationRumley, G. 2025. From dispute to decree: a critical exploration of the client journey through the Legal Aid Board Family Dispute Resolution Services. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.
dc.identifier.endpage355
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/18861
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherUniversity College Corken
dc.rights© 2025, Gordon Rumley.
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectFamily law
dc.subjectDivorce
dc.subjectSeparation
dc.subjectMediation
dc.subjectConflict resolution
dc.subjectAlternative dispute resolution
dc.subjectEmpirical
dc.subjectMixed-methods
dc.titleFrom dispute to decree: a critical exploration of the client journey through the Legal Aid Board Family Dispute Resolution Services
dc.typeDoctoral thesisen
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoralen
dc.type.qualificationnamePhD - Doctor of Philosophyen
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
RumleyG_PhD2025.pdf
Size:
6.27 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Full Text E-thesis
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
5.2 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Research Theses
College of Business and Law - Doctoral Theses
Law - Doctoral Theses