Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 20 February 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality

Reform of the Family Law System: Discussion

Photo of Peter FitzpatrickPeter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Does one need a solicitor for a family court? What I mean by that is that I believe that one can represent oneself if one makes an application but one cannot take anyone else in unless they are either a solicitor or a barrister. I spoke to a young lad from Dundalk recently who went to the family court and wanted to take in a friend of his to represent him but he was not allowed to take his friend in. Is it true that one has to be either a solicitor or a barrister to represent a client?