I’m worried that the press will attend my court hearings. Are they able to do that?

Usually, the press are able to be in attendance at most court hearings. This includes private proceedings. However, each member of the press who wants to attend court hearings must have the proper accreditations to do so.

There are situations where the press are not allowed to attend court hearings. One of these situations is where the hearings are for judicially assisted negotiations or conciliation, including financial dispute resolution in financial remedy proceedings. They are also not able to attend the first dispute resolution in private Children Act cases.

Also, the press are not allowed to attend adoption hearings. There are some other instances when press can’t attend, but these are more unusual.

There are instances, however, where the court can make sure that the press do not attend. This is the case if it is necessary in the interest of any child connected or concerned with the proceedings or for the safety or protection of someone connected or concerned with the proceedings. The court can also exclude the press if it is necessary for orderly conduct of the proceedings.

The press can also be excluded if justice would otherwise be impeded or prejudiced.

If you want to exclude the press from your financial divorce settlement then, just like you might choose private healthcare over the public healthcare system, you can also choose to have the financial claims of your divorce or civil partnership dissolution heard in the private sector. This is known as arbitration. Arbitration can be totally private, away from the press and the public eye.

We can advise you on the merits of arbitration and can help you decide if you would like to go down the arbitration route, rather than use the public courts.